February Currently... 2014

WOW!!! I cannot believe that it is already February!  February 1st is my big brother's birthday.  He's 3 years older than me.  I think it's time for some cake. :)  

A great big shout out to Farley for this awesome link up!  I look forward to this every month because I meet some new friends and their Blogs.  It also gives me time to reflect.  If you haven't had a chance to stop by Farley's Blog, click the link above! :)

LISTENING:  You may or may not already know this,  I listen to a lot of movies in the background while I am working.  The flavor of the month is CSI - starting from season 1.   I love me some Grissom!   I think that he made the show...  

LOVING:  I can't complain about anything right now.  REALLY?   I am feeling a lot better physically.  My pelvis finally has healed, and I am able to get out and do chores and spend time walking and being active. It was a long 2 years.  I've also lost some weight, yay!  Which, I'm always going to be a bit fluffy around the edges but it's nice.  It's almost time to go clothes shopping again.  Life is good.

THINKING:   I am thinking about a special someone that I went to high school with.  He is such a good person.  Nothing to tell really.   He came back into my life at a time when I was feeling a little blue.   Funny thing, I didn't really know him that well in school.  It's nice to have somebody that can be there.

WANTING:  The Hawks to win the Super Bowl baby! :)   They have worked hard this year.  Even though I don't live in the NW anymore.. I still root for the home team!

NEEDING:  I am working on a new product line (I talk about it every once in awhile)  It will be coming out real soon.  I'm really excited about all of the possibilities.

:)  Can you guess which are the 2 TRUTHS and 1 FIB?

1.  I can write with both hands...

2.  I went to college to be a lawyer...

3.  I was a skater in the ice capades....

Hehe... making me giggle just thinking about it.

Thank you so much for stopping by!   I can't wait to meet you!

UPDATE:  Ok, ok.. I didn't want to leave everybody hanging.... The 2 truths are numbers 1 and 2.  I can write and draw with both hands.  I did go to college to become a lawyer. I had the dream of becoming the female version of Perry Mason. :) My path changed in the last semester... I chose to work with kids that had behavioral combined with learning challenges! Something that I am quite passionate about. The fib ... I was never a skater in the ice capades. LOL   Those of you who thought I might be coordinated to do so .. bless your hearts! :)  There is a reason why my Mom didn't name me Grace! :)   While I sported a Dorothy Hamill haircut back in the day and wanted to ice skate with Snoopy.... it never happened! :)  Thank you for stopping by!  I puffy heart love all of you! :)

Winter is...

Click the image to download this freebie!

This packet was created for a fan freebie.  I thought that you might enjoy it.  It features a snowman ring book featuring different math problems and recording sheets.

The ring books are snowman shaped.  Super cute for winter themed learning centers, and/or take home packets!  

Enjoy!

Have you seen my new Let's Discover SNOW packet?

Featuring a Flip Tab Book spelling out the word SNOW!  The N, O, W pages have 

writing activities on them.  In between the O and W pages is an optional tabbed page

with the life cycle of a snowflake on it.

The pages in this packet can be combined to make an interactive SNOW journal, or as individual take home

activities.  It includes snow words, pocket chart activities, a Venn diagram, a patterning activity, and more!

I designed this packet before winter started!  It took me a little longer to put together than most, because I kept inventing new things to add to it.  I began with the Flip Tab book design last year.  I thought it would be fun to get kids jazzed about writing and learning about snow.  I then added some activities to measure and record snow since a lot of our friends are experiencing a lot of cold/snowy weather.  

I believe that kids learn better when they are having fun.  I hope that your students love it as much as I had creating it.  (ssshhh... it's on sale for a short time!!!)

To learn more about this packet, click on the image above!

Last but not least.....*drum roll*  ---> Coming soon! -  I have been working on a new product line for the last couple months!  I am hoping to release it soon!  I am pretty excited to be able to share it with you.  It is going to have a different name and slightly different branding than Crayonbox Learning while maintaining the high level of quality and attention to detail!  

What are you working on?

2014: January Currently

{Be sure to show Farley some Blog love for hosting this wonderful Currently event!}
BBrrrr... I'm writing this while I am gearing up to go outside into the wintery wonderland and feed the critters.  It's expected to snow this evening, though it's already white out with the "frosting" that seemed to form sometime after midnight.

Yes, yes.... Happy New Year!   I've seen a lot of Blogs, Websites, and Facebook pages showcasing graphics that talk about 365 blank pages to fill up.   I'd be happy to post half that. :)   Where does the time go?   I have all these great plans, and then I start doing things.  I don't regret it though because I am generally helping other people.   Now where did I put that to-do-list? :)

This January Currently is quite nice... it gives me an opportunity to THINK about what is important.

Listening:   Silence.  A rarity around here.  The animals weren't making noise, the dogs were quiet outside.  Even the whir and hum on my computer was hardly audible.  Silence.  It truly is golden.

Loving:  I love that this is a new year,  I prefer even numbered years.   A little quirky, yes, but still true.  I think good things happen on even numbered years. :)   Last year was pretty darn good, so this year is going to be exceptional! 

Thinking:  I need to be more organized. Not so much in my office area.  I love binders, and most of my work is stored in them neatly.  It's the rest of my house that looks like a hot mess. :)  Not all the time, just like....6 out of 7 days of the week. :)   No, it's really not that bad.  I just have to give myself a bad time so that it motivates me to become more ORGANIZED.   I have some DIY projects around the home I want to get to this year.   I feel a lot better physically, so I have a bit more stamina (my pelvis has healed so I can stand/sit/walk longer periods of time now!)    Canisters for the kitchen, bins for the laundry room, food storage in the hall cupboards that are never used.  You know what I mean, don't you? :)

Wanting:  This is going to be a hard challenge.  What? What was the question?   No really. ;)   I have so many ideas, thoughts, products I want to make that I have notes and sketches ( in my color coordinated binders ha!)  but I have trouble staying focused to get a lot of it done.  I also have farm animals that need some of my undivided.  Kidding season will be later this year (March/April) so I will have a little bit more time to prepare but not much.  So it's really important for me to get my plan lined out and work hard on it without too many distractions.  I think I can.  I think I can!

Needing:   I need to learn how to say NO!   Do I need to elaborate on that one?   *sigh*   Yep,  I'm one of "THOSE" people that tries to always help others.  I don't think there is anything wrong with that.  In fact, I think the world would be a better place if people would take time to help others in need.  There is a balance to that though, and I haven't quite mastered that yet.  I want to help people and give back, as that is who I am.  I also need to get more work done of my own. I have some goals I want to reach and the only way that is going to happen is if I (haha) stay focused, and say no a little bit.  Wish me luck? :)

Memory:  I grew up on a farm in NW WA.  Christmas/holiday time was always rough for my family.  Long story on that one. {I don't have a lot of childhood memories...I've either blocked some of it out, or ?}    When I was 5, my family was in a massive {epic} flood.  My Mom had been listening to the warnings and was the only one on the tiny island we lived on to evacuate. We had a lot of farm animals, food storage, and of course my brother and I.   You wouldn't believe how my Mom got it all done - but she did.  That night, the flood gate couldn't hold the pressure of the water anymore, and it blew up.  It sent a 35 foot wall of water down the valley and it broke all the levies and dikes.  The bridge from where we lived to the land which was a raised bridge had water lapping up over it.  To give you an indication, our house was 3 stories tall and it had a matching barn.  The water was up to the loft of the barn, over 17 feet of water in our house. Because of this flood, and the water not receding for months - in January of 1976 - my family and I relocated to a small town about 30 minutes from where we used to live.  We moved into a small yellow house on Lincoln Street. My Mom found it at FHA after praying for guidance at a park. It was the LAST, {literally} .house available at all in the county following the flood.  It was ours. We had a sweet, elderly neighbor named Cordula (Cordy)  that made the most beautiful pastry, candies, and cookies.  She had a playhouse in her back yard.  I'd never seen anything so grand.

I grew up in that small town and didn't move away until I was 30.  I went to school with the same kids, and am still friends with many of them today.  Though a lot of my memories are foggy,  my life really began anew in January of 1976.  

Kudos to you if you made it this far!  Bless your hearts! <3   I'd love for you to follow my Blog if you're so inclined. I have some new "STUFF" coming along this month, I hope to share with you.
Have a wonderful day, and bright beginnings of this new year!