Christmas Craze

Hey yall!

 

I am officially on Christmas vacation! I am so stoked to spend the next two weeks soaking up time with friends and family. I am also done with school for the semester, and got my grades today-all A's! Whoo-hoo!

 

Hopefully, you will be seeing a little bit more from me, now that I'm not struggling to keep my head above water.

 

Before the break, we had lots of Christmas fun!

 

We did a study on caribou, using graphic organizers from What the Teacher Wants. We completed an informatonal writing piece on caribou, and made a super cute little reindeer hand craft. Unfortunately, I forgot to snap some pics :( but they looked like this...

 



 

...except for we didn't make ours into ornaments.

 

We also had on Polar Express Day on Monday. My littles all came to school in their PJs....they were all so cute!

 



 

I told the students that morning they had to earn their ticket to watch the movie. Throughout the morning, students that were well behaved earned their ticket. Then, when it was time to watch the movie, I punched their tickets. They were so excited to have their very own tickets!

 

We read the book, watched the movie, drank hot cocoa, and completed lots of activities from my All Aboard! The Polar Express unit. If you need some quick activities to do for your Polar Express day, click the picture below.

 



 

The next day (our last), we had a surprise from our elf Jack on our desks. He brought us some Elf Kisses and our very own bells from the North Pole!

 



 

Their excitement was almost palpable :)

 

We spent the morning writing about what we would do if Santa was stuck in our chimney, and made a little craftivity to go along with it. Of course, I forgot to snap a picture {I've been so bad about that lately!}.

 

Then it was time for our party! We made a little snowman ornament craft, had a book exchange, and then ate some yummy food! I had gotten all my littles books for Christmas, and when they opened them, they started chanting "Pete the Cat!" over and over again. It was too cute.

 

 

Speaking of gifts, I was trying to figure out what to get my team for Christmas. I am so thankful to get along so well with the other teachers on my team, because you never know when starting at a new school. I ended up getting them some chevron striped insulated cups from Hobby Lobby, put their initials on them, and filled them with candy. Simple :) and I think they liked them.

 

 

If you like the tags I made, you can grab them here. There are 2 different sizes to choose from.

 

Now...I'm off to finish enjoying my first day of vacation....ahhhh :)





Silence for Sandy Hook Elementary



12 in 12

Hey yall! Happy 12-12-12!

 

I'm linking up with Hadar and Kristin for their 12 in 12 party. I'm all about parties, so why not?

 

Here are my top 12 for 2012

 

12. Favorite Movie

 

Most definitely, hands down, The Hunger Games. I was so excited that I saw it in the theaters 3 times, and have since watched it twice on DVD. Yeah...its that good :) Can't wait for the next one!

 

 

11. Favorite TV Show

 

Parenthood is my absolute favorite show. It makes me cry every. single. week. I love how real all the characters are, and it reminds me of my big, crazy family.

 

 

FYI I'm watching it now and crying as we speak...

 

10. Favorite Restaurant

 

This one's new for me...Buca de Beppo! We first tried it when we were living in Atlanta and absolutely loved it! Then they opened one here in Augusta....score! I had my hubby's surprise 30th birthday party there and it was just as good as the one in Atlanta.

 

9. Favorite New Thing I Tried

 

Well, this one's easy! My favorite thing I tried in 2012 was starting this blog. I started in the beginning of the year, sometime in January, and it has been such a journey! I have met some sweet ladies, been so inspired by so many amazing bloggers, and have just loved getting a chance to have a voice. Thank you, thank you, thank you for being awesome followers!

 

8. Favorite Gift I Received

The hubs got me a Pandora bracelet for our 4th anniversary and it was a complete surprise! It's pretty hard for him to surprise me, because I am such a control freak a little direct and usually tell him exactly what I want. But this one he got all on his own :) I only have a few charms for it, but there are many more on my list.

Not my actual bracelet

 

7. Favorite Thing I Pinned

 

 

Hands down, my most favorite pin was the chevron wall. Why? Well, because it inspired me to create my very own chevron wall! With the help of my mom, 2 gallons of paint, and about 5 hours, we got it done...and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my chevron wall!!!

 

 

6. Favorite Blog Post

 

I would have to say my Favorite Fonts Linky post. It was my first linky party and I thought it was a smashing success. I was so nervous about not getting anyone to link up. But then people did and I had such a fun time reading everyone's posts! Not too mention all the awesome new fonts I found :)

 

5. Favorite Accomplishment

 

This one's easy....getting my first big TPT check! I even took a picture of it, although I never showed anyone. TPT also got me featured in the local paper, which was kind of cool. It has been such a blessing to me, and I am so thankful for each and every purchase.

 

4. Favorite Picture

 

So my hubby turned the big 3-0 this year and I threw him a little surprise party {wow, it feels like I just typed that..ha!). Well, my hubs is quite the funny man. He is always cracking jokes and keeps everyone in stiches. He most certainly does not take himself too seriously, which is one of my most favorite things about him. I wanted to get him one of those face cakes {you know, a cake with a face on it...}so I pulled up a shot I took of him when we were in Gatlinburg over the summer at some silly store. Disclaimer: my husband does not  have a mullet!

 

I present to you....the face cake!

 

 

3. Favorite Memory

 

This year, my hubby and I moved into our very first home, one that is all ours. The whole experience of moving into our first real home is definitely my favorite memory from the year. Here is our little house all decorated for Christmas.

 

 

2. Goal for 2013

 

My goal for the new year is to stop procrastinating so much! I have always been an awful procrastinator, but it has really bitten me in the butt a few times this year. Recently, it was my tags for my car. I completely blanked on paying the taxes last month, and now I'm driving around with expired tags....yikes! That was an awful realization....to the tag office tomorrow!

 

1. One Little Word

 

Patience. I am definitely going to focus on having more patience in 2013. My littles really know how to push me to my limits this year, so I feel like I'm constantly on edge. Hate that feeling! I will focus on being more patient and not hitting that point as quickly.

 

Go link up, friends!
 

 



Winner, Elf Fun, and Monday Made It {whew!}

Hey yall!

 

Are you ready for this? It's a long one :)

 

Today our Elf on a Shelf came to visit!

 

It started when our para brought me some packages. She said they had been delivered that day at the school...and they were for our class!

 



The package was ice cold! We found a note on the package and learned that it was all the way from the North Pole! The note was from Santa, explaining about his little helper that he was sending to us.

 

 

When we opened up the little box, out came our elf! Then we unwrapped the other package and found a book! We read it to learn all about how to treat our elf.

 

The book said to name him, so I took some suggestions and then picked the top 3. My littles then voted on the 3 and the winner was.....Jack!

 

Jack sure is a mischevious little fellow....when we left to go to specials, that sneaky guy moved all our clips alll the way down to orange! He hung around to see our reaction.

 



After the shrieks (and a few tears!) died down, we wondered why Jack had moved all our clips down to orange. We concluded that he must have been trying to tell us we have been naughty today {which, in fact, they were}. We discussed how to change our behavior so that Jack would have a good report for Santa.

 

Don't worry...by the time we came back from recess, good ol' Jack had moved everybody right back up :) 





Now...onto my Monday Made It! I am linking up with Tara for her monthly party.

 



Remember those READ letters that were all the rage of pinterest-addicted fiends over the summer? Well, I took that concept, but made it Christmasy :)

 



 

They are helping to make my mantle more festive.

 



 

Now....onto the winner from my 100,000 pageview giveaway! I was supposed to pick a winner last night...but you know how that goes...

 

And the winner is....Cindi!!!

 

  

Yay congrats Cindi! I am so excited she won, because I got to meet this fun lady over the summer when I was in Gatlinburg! We met in the mountains with Kerri and chatted for hours! Such a great time :)

 

Whew! Did you make it??? I barely did :)

 

Night, friends!

 

Freebie on the First {and a little giveaway}!

Hey yall!

 

Can you believe that it is already December???

 

If you live in the south, its even harder to believe with this amazing weather. Today was a BEA-UTIFUL day with temps topping out at 70 degrees. Perfect day to get some Christmas decorations and a tree :)

 

Today I am linking up with Freebielicious for their Freebies on the First linky.

 



 

Raise your hand if you have a Polar Express day at your school.

 

That's what I thought.

 

Pretty much every elementary school (at least around here!) has some sort of Polar Express day in December. This little writing sheet is *perfect* to use that day to coordinate with the book OR the movie. Click on the picture below to get your copy!

 



 

And guess what else???

 

This little ol' blog has reached over 100,000 pageviews! Wha-hoo!

 

To celebrate, I will be giving away a copy of my All Aboard! The Polar Express Literacy Activities unit.

 



 

To enter, just leave me a comment below telling me what your class/school does to celebrate The Polar Express. I'll pick a winner Sunday night at 10 pm Eastern time.

 

Happy December, friends!

Christmas came EARLY!!!

Hey yall!

 

Have you all been shopping up a storm???

 

My cart was FULL of some amazing goodies...

 

But then this little lady had to stop and gain some control. I *sadly* put away a few units that I don't have to have right now, with the resolution that I will get them at the next big sale.

 

I did allow myself 4 units that I am planning on using this month, and I surprised myself by only having 1 Christmas unit left in my cart!

 

Here's my goodies from the sale:

 

1. Punctuation People from Michelle Oakes

 

 

My kiddos really, really struggle with punctuation. Since I started two months already into the school year, I hadn't taught any formal lessons on punctuation, thinking they must have already introduced punctuation. Big mistake...

 

2. HOTS Reading Response Sheets by Anna Brantley

 

 Anna always has amazing stuff, and I am never disappointed when I purchase her items. I've had an eye on this one for awhile, so it was the first thing to go in my cart :) After looking through this pack, I am already thinking how I am going to spend all the time I'll save by using these quick and ready response sheets!

 

3. All Aboard "The Friendship" by Lyndsey Kuster

 

 

My sweet friend Lyndsey always has the cutest stuff! I have a ton of her posters hanging around my room, and they make everything look so bright and friendly! Well, my kiddos need some friendly right about now...

 

My littles really struggle with being kind and respectful with each other. I have mentioned before the stress I have been under just trying to get my students managed in order to teach, and most of this stress comes from their interactions with each other. They just seem to not really understand the proper way to speak to others, so this pack will be a lifesaver {and stress saver!} for me.

 

4. Christmas Cut-and-Glue Sight Word Sentences by Teacher Tam

 

 

Remember that 1 Christmas item I said made the cut? Well, this was it! My students need some serious practice with sentences, and this Christmas themed pack is the perfect match! I plan to put these in my early finishers bucket to have my kiddos work on in their spare time.

 

Soo....what kind of goodies have yall bought this week??? You still have a couple of hours to shop....what are you waiting for?

All Aboard!!!

Hey yall!

 

Does anyone else have the Sunday night blues?

 

I've got 'em...bad :(

 

I have had such a glorious vacation and I am most definitely not ready to get back to work yet.

 

Can't I have just one more day....please???

 

Well, I guess there is a silver lining about tomorrow....the BIG sale!

 

Is your shopping cart full? I can't wait to check out and see all my new goodies!

 

I have been working really hard to get some more Christmas units ready in time for the big sale, and I finished one more today :)

 

Click on the picture to get your copy!



 

 



 This unit is full of literacy activities that coordinate with the book "The Polar Express" by Chris Van Allsburg, including:

*Story Sequencing: cut-n-paste sheet OR pocket chart activity
*ABC Order: center work with recording sheet OR pocket chart activity
*Noun/Verb Sort: center work with recording sheet OR pocket chart activity
*The Polar Word Search: individual sheet
*Venn Diagram {book v. movie}: individual sheet
*Writing Prompt: a variety of different prompts for all ability levels
*Train Tickets: something fun to give your students

 

Don't forget...sale starts tomorrow!!!

 

I am also throwing a little BOGO sale on my holiday items {Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine's Day, St. Patty's Day, etc.}. Here's how it works: if you purchase a holiday item, just shoot me an email with your TPT username and the item you purchased. Then let me know which holiday item you want for free :)

 

Click on the picture below to start filling that cart!

 

 

 

Happy shopping!