I Love a Deal

So last night my husband and I were updating our Amazon wish lists, getting ready for some serious shopping.  I absolutely love all the deals out there - have already gone online shopping over at Kohls, Target, Amazon, Toys R Us, Shutterfly, and Snapfish.  I was given the option of a free trial to Amazon Prime - here comes 2 day shipping!

I started thinking of all the things that I want to buy over at TPT during the big sale… more activities, more clip art, frames, etc... there is a problem though… I'll be "stuck" in a staff meeting until late on Monday.  So I'll most likely start to shop this coming weekend.  I usually break up my purchases into a couple of transactions, I buy my larger purchases early on, look them over, give feedback, and then use credits during my 2nd (or 3rd) transaction to bring the cost down.    

So, hopefully this will help others out by opening up my sale all weekend long.  Yep, you read that right - starting Black Friday everything will be 20% off until Tuesday evening.  If you are going shopping on Monday or Tuesday, remember to use the code: CYBER.  It will save you an extra 10%.      

Okay, time to go get out the Christmas decorations, go shopping, and then the refrigerator repair man is coming over… Let's hope we don't need to get a new one of those! 

Have a great day!

I'm SO Thankful

I'm linking up with Lucky to be in First to share what I'm so thankful for this year.

First up - I'm thankful for my Lord.  I love what He has done in my life - the good and the challenging times (yes, I mean that - the challenging times).  He is shaping me into the person that I'm meant to be.  He has carried me through many valleys, and rejoiced with me during the mountain top times.   

Of course my boys are up there on the top of my list.  I absolutely love that I'm their mom!



My handsome hubby - I'm so glad that I said yes all those years ago.  He's amazing!!
He's my love, my teammate, my helper, my encourager…



My parents are my go to advice givers.  They are experts in parenting, giving love, and support.  They understand classroom life - Mom taught for 36 years, Dad dealt with all the prep work, bulletin boards, and teacher stories around the table.



I'm thankful for my sister and mom - both are my best friends.  I'm so thankful for my family.


I really do love my classroom and the students that fill it - past, present, and future.



I love the beach, and I'm thankful for every chance I can to spend time there.  I feel so much peace there.  I especially love Pismo Beach… so thankful for the moments of relaxation.


Have a wonderful day with your family. We're heading over to my parents' house in a while.  Our job is to bring the stuffing.  This morning I also made Turkey Cinnamon Rolls for my boys.  We are about to turn on the parade too - just our normal traditions.  What are you doing today?  Are you hosting? Have a relaxing day!

Cyber Monday is Coming and Gift Card Winners!

Remember this Blog Hop from September's BIG TPT Sale?  Well it's that time of year to be extra thankful over at TPT.  This coming Monday and Tuesday they will be celebrating Cyber Monday & Tuesday, and are giving their extra 10% off.  I'm linking up with Bunting, Books, and Bainbridge, and Gina at Beach Sand and Lesson Plans to share some of my top wish listed products, some of my fabulous feedback, and what I'm personally hoping to snag.  I also have the winners of my BBB's Gift Card Giveaway!  

My top wish listed item is still my Whole Class Writing Journals.  Here is some of the latest feedback:

Do you use them?  Do you love them?  Do you need more of them?  My Set 2 has 25 more covers & topics for students to write about.  

My next top wish listed item is still my Rainbow Edit pack.  Here is some of the latest feedback from buyers:

What kind of editing system do you use in your classroom?

Right now I am going back and forth between a lot of items.  I want to make the best decisions for my class.  I really want to find a Christmas Around the World pack, or some type of unit that allows my students to have some fun while learning about how different countries celebrate.

There isn't a doubt in my mind though that I really want to purchase this pack.

Gingerbread Mini Unit by Pinkadots Elementary
I really want it because it has tons of activities that revolve around gingerbread - the history behind it, a recipe, and a bunch of comprehension activities.  Every year I bring in gingerbread cookies for my students, so this could easily become my lessons plans for a special gingerbread day of school that last week before vacation.

I also have the Magnet Interactive Notebook from Jessica Scott @ I {Heart} Recess on my wish list.  I have her Rocks and Minerals Interactive Notebook and it's been a wonderful tool that works.  I want to get this Magnet one prepped for our next unit. She does have a bunch of other interactive notebooks too!

Here are the details for this coming SALE:
Everything in my store will be 20% off starting on Sunday and going through Tuesday.
The promo code is CYBER.
So, what is on your wish list?  Please share!

Okay - I know you've been anxiously waiting to hear the 3 winners of the Gift Card Giveaway.  Without further ado…

Congrats Winners!  I just emailed you, please check your inboxes!

Have a wonderful day everyone.  :)    

Save Money! Campus Book Rentals and Rent Back

I want to take a moment and remind you of a great website that has helped tons of college kids.  Being in education we all know college kids, heck some of us are still college kids!  Over the holidays, if you happen to see a college student, help them out by telling them about Campus Book Rentals and Rent Back.  It will save them money and they can make some in the process.  

Last December I learned about Campus Book Rentals and it has helped many of the college kids that I personally know.  Campus Book Rentals is a website that allows students to rent their textbooks for the semester.  We all remember how much textbooks cost when we were standing in line in the bookstore? (I'm having a flashback at the moment).   Well, this can save them a ton of money by renting AND they can still write in their textbooks.  Seriously - it's like they can treat them like they own the books but save money too - the books aren't devalued the minute they walk out the door.  There is a video over on their website that can tell you more about the program.  It's easy!    

Campus Book Rentals also now has a sister site called Rent Back.  It's the basic concept that students can rent back those books that they spent all that money buying.  You just type in your book titles and they take it from there.  This is great for both college kids trying to raise some money, but also for those of us that have tons of textbooks sitting in the garage.  

Saving money is always fun, but getting money back is even better. :)    

Have a great day and remember to tell someone over the holidays!      

New Facebook Fan Freebie

Happy Monday Everyone!  Linking up with I {Heart} Recess for another Math Monday.  

This time I want to share a new Facebook Fan Freebie I just uploaded this morning.  I explain it below, but basically I use a pocket chart on the carpet for my class, and every morning the kids work through problems.  Some problems are to review, some are to introduce new concepts.  Every afternoon my student helpers change out the review cards for the next day.  It's easy, fast, and the kids enjoy the different theme task cards I stick in for practice.  The problem - some of the task cards that they need to review have smaller fonts.  That works in a center setting, but not full class. So I made these up to help my students - especially the kids in the back of the carpet area.  

There are 12 task cards each for Division, Multiplication (Multi-digit), Addition and Subtraction (with regrouping). Then there are also headers for other common tasks needed.

It's over on Facebook!  Hope it helps you.  :)  

Don't forget to enter the giveaway - it's ending soon!

Five for Friday - Did you enter yet?

It's Friday and it's the beginning of a beautiful week long vacation.  I'm so thankful for my district giving us an entire week of rest.  Love the kids, need a break though!

Linking up with Doodle Bug's Teaching to share 5 random things about this week.

My kids have been writing in their Thankful Journals this past week.  It was just a simple mini book - folded over construction paper with a couple sheets of copy paper inside.  I had them write different categories in their books - one per page (Family, Friends, Home, School, City, State, and Other).  They took this week and during ELA center time had to add to their lists.  Then yesterday I gave them this freebie from MelonHeadz Illustrating and showed them how to create Word Art using their brainstormed lists.  They got so into it.  Above is my example - the kids laughed at me when I mentioned being thankful for my dishwasher and washing machine.    

This week we took a lot of tests to finish up the end of the unit and wrapping up before the big break.  As they finished their reading unit test, they worked on this Reading Feast Craftivity from Jessica Scott - I {Heart} Recess.  Each part of their turkey dinner was a different portion of the book report.  I told them they had to choose a book they had read in November to write about.  They turned out awesome and the kids learned about some new books that are out there!  

My preschooler came home with a little turkey craft.  I love handprint projects and the fact they added google eyes.

Christy Fultz over at Mrs. Fultz's Corner posted this personality quiz over on her Facebook.  I took it since I love random quizzes and I'm a deer.  What animal are you?   

Last up - my BBB's giveaway is still going on.  It runs through next week and we're giving away 3 gift cards to TPT.  Have you entered yet?  

Hope you had a great week! 

Gift Card Giveaway and Writing Workshop

A bunch of bloggers have joined up to say THANK YOU.  Thank you for following us.  Thank you for your support, encouragement, and friendship.  We have learned so much from you.  

So we wanted to say thank you with a Gift Card Giveaway.  

Simply fill in the rafflecopter below and you have a chance to win one of 3 prizes. 

(You can fill in the rafflecopter on any of our blogs, it's all the same one.) 

3 lucky winners will win a $25 gift card to TPT.  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Now onto the OTHER important thing I want to share today.  I'm linking up with Jivey to share about my students learning to love to write.  Not everything we write is going to be fun - I tell them that.  I also tell them that it's something they have to do to get better.  There are 3 main things that are constant in my classroom during writing time.  I know I've mentioned them before, but I think it ties into motivating students since they are fun.

My VOICES board is a constant reminder of everything we have covered throughout the year.  All the reminders, all the things to remember.  At the beginning of the year we fill it out together - they are writing the same information in their binders as we go over it.  I think this brings in the kids that aren't extra motivated since we do fun activities to demonstrate the different areas - like those french fry cups for synonyms, or their heart maps, or their Author's Purpose Pies.

Rainbow Edit keeps my students accountable for checking their work.  Each paragraph should be a rainbow of colors when they are done checking.  I've been looking at this anchor chart for months - since last year - and I just realized that I wrote "word" in the cloud instead of "work".  Guess what I will be doing today at school?  Changing it of course!  I have a set of charts and student papers in my store if you are interested.

Every week there is something that the students have to write for me.  It's usually one big project that they work on all week, then the normal story summary, response, etc...  but when they are all done, they get options.  They love options!!  These Whole Class Writing Journals are still a big hit in my classroom.  I have 2 big baskets full of all 40 of my notebooks (Starter Set has 15, Set 2 has 25).  They choose one and share their experiences.  Something that I have added to them is adding a class list inside the front cover.  When they write in them they then highlight their name so it's easy for me to see who has tackled which prompt.  For silent reading, there are always a couple of kids that ask to read them.  I love that they are learning about their classmates.  

Hope you all have a great day!  Make sure to enter the rafflecopter and good luck!