4th of July - Currently

Hi there!

The last few months, I have participated in Farley's link up, Currently!  I love this idea.  I like the creative style, but I also like taking time out to reflect in order to answer the questions.  It also is FUN to "meet" some new bloggers, and visit other's pages.

If you haven't visited Farley's Blog,  Oh' Boy Fourth Grade, click on the link below!   You will be happy that you did!

The last few days,  I've been feeling a little bit under the weather.  That is almost funny, because the "weather" is what started making me feel a bit crummy.  Living here in south has it's charms, but excessive heat is not one of them. :) It's hay season... believe it or not, I'm thankful to see the hay being cut.  Last year, this time, we were in the middle of a pretty bad drought. The grass didn't grow hardly at all, which meant farmers across the country had to sell out their herds (which made prices on milk, meat go way up).  The grass in the fields in places are so tall that you cannot see the deer, and my herd of goats when they are out grazing.  It's perfect for the deer to have their summer fawns.  

Listening:  I am listening to the show Numb3rs on Netflix.  I can't believe they stopped making this show.  I like the characters, but also all of the "math" talk.   I like to play movies while I am working.  The noise helps me focus.  

Loving:  It's hard not to think about the freedom that I have living in the U.S.  4th of July isn't about picnics and fireworks to me.  I love that I can write what I want to on my Blog.  I love that I have the freedom to draw, create, and share with teachers all over the world.  I love that I have the freedom to be ME.  

Thinking:  I was thinking about all of the tasks I completed today. Not too bad!  I gave my Facebook page a mini-makeover, including re-doing the "freebie" page.  I am in the middle of giving my Blog a little face lift.  I also designed a couple custom orders.   

Wanting:  Not everyone that you will come into contact, or network with always have your best interest at heart or appreciates/likes you for who you are.  Unfortunately, I found out the hard way that not everyone claiming to be my friend really were. Nobody should ever have to apologize for being who they are, or for being too smart or funny, or for being better at something.  The friends I cherish love me unconditionally WITH my flaws, smarts, and sense of humor! So my WANTING is "to forgive" those who were unkind to me this week. The loss is theirs. A heavy weight has lifted from my heart, and shoulders. My smile has returned, and I am free to be me. Just me. ;)

Needing:  A.cabana.boy.to.make.me.a.fresh.drink! :)    Yep, the "cabana boy" has been on my Currently before.  A girl can hope, right? :)

Tips/Tricks/Hints:    I don't know about you, but I think of my Blog (or website) as an extension of me.  Just like I move things around in my house,  I also like to move things around and change the "DECOR" of my pages.  I know some may question if it's a good thing to do or not with branding, but it definitely CAN be a good thing for branding.  I try not to go more than a month or two without changing some little thing on my Blog. My customers and readers notice it right away, which is good thing!  It tells me that they are paying attention, and enjoy seeing what I have to offer!


I hope that everyone has a safe and happy 4th of July here in the States - and a fabulous SUMMER!!

Father's Day, Facebook Hop, and Faves!

Happy Father's Day to all of the Dads, including my own.  Below is a picture of my Dad.  Sssshhh....don't tell my Mom, but I swiped the picture off of her website because I didn't have one handy. :)  My Dad is 70-something years old and still gets out and does barn chores, and drives around on the tractor.  He gets more done in a day than most people.  His favorite thing to do is listen to the Cardinals on his walkman, or play poker on his electronic game.  

Some of my TPT blogging friends and I are having a Facebook Blog Hop.   If you click on my banner below, you'll be teleported to my Facebook page. After the FB page opens up, there will be a tab just under the cover image that says "Freebie tab."   Like my FB page, and download a freebie.  You can also click through and visit my friend's Facebook pages, and download exclusive freebies from them too!   Hurry!!  The freebies are available for 3 days only!

Some of my FAVES....

I went to Walmart today.  The store has been renovated and everything moved around.  In order to find everything on my shopping list, I had to stroll around the whole store.  The craft section has been enlarged, though I will blog about THAT at another time! ;)

I caught a glimpse of the office supply isle while I was looking for something else.  I saw these neat little clip tabs in bright colors.  I guess you could say that they had me at pink, purple, orange, and lime! :)   If you look closely, you'll see that they are made with little paperclips.  Just think,  somebody like us most likely made millions off of that clever idea!  I bought a pack so that I could use them on my creative journals.  I normally use post it notes (love them!) but thought this might be fun to try.  They were $2.00 a pack, and contain 24 pieces.  They had cute patterned sets, different sizes. The little tab parts are a hard plastic rather than post it. I settled on the 4 colors because they will best match my color scheme in my office.  Though I wish they had purple.  Can't have enough glitter, or purple. ;)

I also found on the next isle that the new composition notebooks for this year have a different outer wrapping.  You can't really see it real well from the picture below, but the cover is more of a plastic with texture.  I loved the colors, so I bought 2.  You can never have enough composition notebooks.  I use them for keeping my sketches, notes, doodles, and misc. other details.  

The bright colored file folders.. love them!   They were $1.00 per pack and contain 3 folders.  That might be a little more spendy per piece than a case from Staples, but let's face it... they were cute, brightly colored, and I wanted them. LOL ;)  

The item below isn't something I picked up while shopping today, but it is one of my favorite things.  Many of you may recall that I live on a farm and raise dairy goats.  My hands get a little dry working with the animals, and because I wash my hands A L O T.     I really love Bath and Body Works products in general, so when I found this product I was eager to try it. 

The tile on the bottle says it all... "Hard Working Hand & Body Cream".... It is scented like strawberries!  I like using Bath and Body Works products because of my skin allergies too.  It's one of the only companies on the planet that I can use the majority of topical products from without having an allergic reaction.  This particular lotion has shea butter, cocoa butter, avocado butter, jojoba oil, coconut oil, almond oil and safflower oil.   Just from the description, you might think it would be greasy but it's not.    It soaks right in and  keeps my "hard working hands" soft and no lasting residue.  The scent is really nice too.  It's not over powering or overly sweet. It's just right.   $8.00 at Bath and Body Works..... and yep, it's time for me to order some more! :)

And.............last but not least... another one of my faves!  :)

Click to Visit...

If you love glitter, 2nd grade, and Sugar and Spice...Hop on over to my friend, Christina's Blog!  She had a little "face life" to her Blog this week, and it looks FABULOUS!!!   I love the glitter, the colors, everything!!!  Christina is one of the most cheerful and sweet people I have met since I joined TPT.  I'm really happy for her, the new blog design is SOOO her! :)

Well friends,  that's it for now.  I hope everybody has a great week... I will be working on my Blog this week, so don't mind the glitter dust.  

Your friend...

Ready for summer... Hula Bear Tracers

Happy Mother's Day to all of the mothers out there today!  If I know my own Mother, she is out mucking stalls with her furbabies. She used to tell me that all of her gray hairs were merit badges for raising kids.  Hmm...she should have had a head of white hair along time ago then, she's raised hundreds, if not thousands of kids in her lifetime. Happy Mother's Day, Mom! :) 

I decided to post something today that is summery.  Why?  Because I am really ready for summer.  Not that I like the excessive heat and bugs,  I DO like the sunshine!  The 'hula bear' featured in this project was part of a "summer camp" that I created last year where my fans/followers were able to download cool stuff to keep the kids happy during the summer months.  It was then picked up by a craft company (that shall remain nameless) and published last year. 

I've always wanted to go to Hawaii.  Have you been there?  I think my aversion to flying, kind of crimps the plans of that ever happening. lol  Not unless they get some sort of teleporting system similar to Star Trek, I'm land bound. :)

Note: Do you LOVE fonts like I do? The cute font that I used on the cover of the free packet in the link below was made by my friend Wendy at Teacher's Toolkit!  You can download it for free from here TPT store here!  

Click picture to Download

Materials Needed:

Cardstock
Scissors
Lamination
Binder Rings
Hole Punch
Dry Erase Marker
Hula Bear Alphabet Tracer Template
(Blank template included)

The Hula Bear Alphabet Tracing Cards are perfect for a summer theme! A blank template is being provided as well as the pre-made alphabet tracer cards in case you'd like to make other tracers to go along with the same theme.

Directions:

1. Print out templates onto cardstock.
2. Cut individual cards out, and laminate. Laminating after the items have been cut out provides a better seal around the cards.
3. Punch a hole in the left (or right) corner of the cards and insert a binder ring. Using a large binder ring makes it easier to trace on the separate cards without tearing them.
4. Cards are ready for play. Use a dry erase marker or crayon for tracing alphabet letters.


Great news!  The winners of the Teacher's Appreciation Extravaganza have been announced.  WOW, there were over 11,000 entries!!! That's amazing!  A huge thank you to all of you who stopped by our Blogs and supported us!  We had a lot of fun!!!

 

 

  

Congratulations to Linda K., Emma, and Kayrn W.   The winners have been contacted by email!  WOO HOO!  

If you didn't win a prize this time,  stay tuned for upcoming events.  We're planning some more fun activities!  

Teacher Appreciation Extravaganza!

I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited to write this Blog post!  Not only is it the start of Teacher Appreciation Week, but some of my best Bloggie friends and I are having an AMAZING Giveaway!!!

I am stop #9 in this Blog Hop.  Woo hoo! :)    Let's get this party started with a Watermelon Freebie! :)  

Click the image to download Watermelon Writing!!!

I hope that you enjoy this freebie!   If you like what you see, please leave me some feedback! :)

Now... would you like to hear about how YOU can win some fabulous prizes???

Prize pack #1 -  One lucky winner will receive $230.00 in gift cards from several different businesses like Target, Barnes and Noble, Old Navy, Bath and Body Works, Kohls, and more!  PLUS a wonderful book written by Susan Paul called "Tunes for Teachers."   

Prize # 2 features a CUSTOM made room theme of your choice. The lucky winner will be able to choose a room theme and WE will create it for you!!!  PLUS a choice of materials from our TPT stores!!! 

Prize # 3 -  One lucky winner will be able to pick one item from each of our 16 stores ($10.00 or less). This prize alone is valued at least $100.00!!!

To win one of these awesome prizes, follow along the Blog Hop (there are 15 stops total) pick up a freebie at each stop.  On one of the Blogs, you'll find a Rafflecopter to enter to win!  :)  You can enter to win now through May 12th, which is also Mother's Day.

Thank you so much for stopping by my Blog.  I hope that you enjoy your Teacher's Appreciation Week and know that the work you do is important, and is appreciated!!  I hope that you will also enjoy visiting all of my friend's Blogs.  These gals have really worked hard to put together this Event, and make it memorable as well as to have a fabulous Giveaway!!!  

Click on this button, and head on over to Kathy & Susan's Blog "The Fun Factory" which is stop #10.

Be Yourself... An Original.

This beautiful image was illustrated and painted by Jody Bergsma   Those who may not know who she is,  she is an incredible illustrator and water color artist from Bellingham, Washington.   She had been working on this particular illustration as part of her online class for water coloring. (Which she does freely).   The caption on this image this morning was:

"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

I particularly liked it because of the blue fish.  The blue fish is a clown fish, which traditionally are colored orange and white.  When I see this image I think about how being original is important in all walks of life.

I like to apply my uniqueness to the drawings and products that I create.  I'm asked quite often how come I don't do what everybody else does. :)  Simple.  That wouldn't be me. (Some of you may not realize that I hand draw all of the images that are featured in my products.)

I stumbled across a t-shirt last year that had a doodled fish swimming one direction, and a school of fish going the opposite direction. I came home and I illustrated my own version of it using funny goldfish (below) and captioned it " There's always one... BE the one!"  because I think it's a great reminder that it's OK to go a little different direction than everyone else.  You still get to some of the same destinations, but perhaps took in a little different scenery! :)

My thought for you this Sunday is to stay true to who YOU are.  Your family, friends, and even your products in your store will benefit from your YOU-ness. :)

And now for a freebie...   I found this in my files and thought it was a bit fun.  Since our skies are so blue today with a little wind (perfect for hot air balloons),  I thought I would share this.  It's a simple number tracing activity 1-20,  with hot air balloons.  If you decide you like it, and would like a blank template so you can add numbers etc... send me a note with your email address and I will send it to you.  :)

I grew up in a small down in Washington state known for antique malls, and hot air balloons.  I miss hearing the sound of the burners lifting the balloons into the air.  I always wanted to go on a hot air balloon ride to see as far as I could see....  but I think my fear of falling from the sky trumped that idea. :))

Be sure to stop by my friend Mel's blog...from Graphics from the Pond.  She is participating in a fundraiser to generate some much needed resources for her fellow Aussies who were affected by Tropical Storm Oswald. It's a really good opportunity to obtain some super resources, while helping some folks out that can really need it!  I plan on donating too!   Super Pack for Bundy

Have a wonderful week, and remember.... BE YOURSELF!

Raindrops on roses...and whiskers on bunnies?

I was reminded of the Julie Andrews song, "A Few of my Favorite Things" while listening to the wind howl and rain this weekend.  (Which followed the snow on Thursday, which was a bit of a shock after having warm spring temperatures.)  Though instead of whiskers on kittens,  I was thinking bunnies would make a more suitable lyric considering that it's close to Easter.

This Blog post will feature TWO freebies.  I found this cute game I had made which matches umbrellas to rubber boots in my files and thought it was pretty fitting considering the weather. It is included in both full color and black and white in case you'd like to color your own.

Click on the image to download!

The game consists of a center sign, umbrella cards, and boot cards.  The patterns on the cards match up.  This can be played with more than one player as in the game of FISH, or turning them over for a memory game.

The second freebie I have for you today is more Easter related, though it can be used  beyond the holiday.  This game consists of a center sign, bunny number cards, and 2 carrot markers for odd and even.  The object is to sort the bunny cards whether they are odd or even. (1-24)   This game is included in both full color and black and white!

Click on the image above to download!

This would be a cute game to pre-make and put into Easter baskets for the kiddos or for your class before they leave for Easter break.  

I plan on coloring some Easter eggs later this week. Yep, for me! LOL  I found these really cool coloring sticks at the Dollar Store, I am going to test them out.  I remember as a kid, my brother and I used to color eggs using vinegar and food coloring.  I miss the simpler times, don't you?

Coming up this week will be releasing a couple new products, a newsletter, and on Thursday I will be linking up with Cynthia from 2nd Grade Pond for her Take it and Make it linky party!  (It's LOTS of fun.)  

I hope that you have an amazing week!!

On April 2,  Educents will be launching their new website!   It's a new website that will offer different deals on educational supplies/products.  Click on the  Educents logo above, and sign up for a FREE account and receive a $10.00 gift card to be used in the Educents store when it opens.  Who doesn't love free?

Hoppy Teaching,

Spring Playdough Mat Freebie

Materials Needed:

Spring Playdough Mat Template 
Cardstock
Page Protectors


Playdough mats are a great way to work with kids on their motor skills, shape recognition, alphabet and number skills. It is also a fun activity for kids to play with on rainy days when they can't go outside and play.

The template provided is Spring/Easter themed, and is ready for use.

Using page protectors is an inexpensive way to keep the playdough from sticking to the cardstock template. You can use lamination film, but the page protectors work just as well and then the cards can be stored in a 3 ring binder when not in use.

Playdough Recipe:

1 ½ – 2 Cups Flour
1 ½ Cup Water
2 TBSP Oil
2 TBSP Alum
½ cup Salt
Food Coloring

Mix water, food coloring, salt into a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Boil on high until the salt crystals have dissolved. Put flour in a bowl and add oil, Alum, and any scent (optional). Once the liquid has dissolved, pour it over the flour and mix completely. Start out with less flour, and if it's sticky add a little bit more. Store in a closed, tight container. Will stay good for several months. If it gets dry, add a little water to it.

Just a reminder to stop by the Find the Leprechaun's Gold Blog Hop for some great freebies and a chance to win $100.00 in TPT Gold! :)   The Blog Hop ends on St. Patrick's Day - March 17th.

Happy Teaching,

Spring Clothespin Game

Materials Needed:

Tulip Clothespin Game Template (click link to download)
Cardstock
Scissors
Lamination (heat laminator or clear contact paper)

Colored Clothespins:

Small – Medium wood clothespins
RIT Liquid Dye


The Spring Clothespin game is a fun, and flexible game that can be adapted to the age group you're working with, skills, and themes. The PDF template that I have included in this tutorial features a tulip, but any character/theme can be substituted.

On the first example, I put words on the flower pots. The object of the game is to find the rhyming word in the bubble that matches. The correct answer is clipped with a colorful wood clothespin.

In the second example features simple math problems written on the tulip, with the answer being in the bubble that is clipped by the small wooden clothespin. I put pre-cut cards in a cute cello bag, including a little bit of recycled (pink)shredded paper, 3 colored wood clothespins. The bag was topped with a simple cardstock header and ribbon. Perfect for party favors, holiday gift giving, teacher gifts, or a surprise for your children. The options are endless for this game!


Directions:

1. Print off a copy of the Spring Clothespin game template provided.
2. Color, and cut out prior to laminating. (The lamination will have a better seal of the game cards are cut out and then laminated).
3. After the cards are laminated, the cards are ready for play.

Coloring Wood Clothespins:

1. Select the number of wood clothespins that you'd like to color.

I used the smaller wood clothespins for this project tutorial, but it's recommended
to use the larger clothespins when working with young children.

2. Select the color dye that you want to use. RIT dye comes in a dry or liquid coloring in an array of colors. For this tutorial I used the liquid dye and I think it worked better.

3. Put warm water in a plastic or glass container, add the RIT dye to achieve the desired
color that you want.

The longer that you keep the wood clothespins in the water, the darker the color they will be. For large batches of pins, use 2 cups of warm water and ¼ cup liquid dye. I dyed a small batch and so I did not use as much water or dye. For my example, I used Petal Pink RIT dye and it took a few hours for the color to soak in to the desired color. Depending on how dark the dye is, you may not have to leave
the pins in very long before they have reached full color.

4. After the pins have been dyed, pull them out and lay them on paper towels or something absorbant (not fabric because the dye will stain it).

I let my clothespins dry over night to make sure that they were fully dry before I used them.

This spring activity has been linked up to my buddy Cynthia's "Thursdays Take it and Make it Linky Party!!!!"  It was such a cool idea for her to put together.  Be sure to click on the logo above to visit Cynthia's blog to see other "Take it and Make it" projects and also to show some bloggy love all around! :)

Next week,  I will have an Easter project to share!  Stay tuned!

Butterflies...

When I think if springtime, I think of birds and butterflies, baby animals, and the color green. Where I live, the pastures are starting to "green up," and the birds have taking up residence on my deck looking to make their new nests. I'll have a few projects this spring focused on birds!

That brings us to butterflies. There is something magical about butterflies. There are so many different colors, shapes, and sizes. I enjoy taking pictures of the different varieties. You could do the same with your class by using disposable digital cameras and take pictures of the different bugs, butterflies, and birds that you observe with your class!  I've used photos to create curiosity bulletin boards where I blow up the images, and see if the students can identify what the subject of the photo is.  I also have printed digital pictures onto cardstock, and made puzzles.

I have a butterfly freebie for you today:

Click the Butterfly Cover to download the freebie!

This freebie includes an 8 card butterfly flashcard set, a butterfly coloring sheet, and a butterfly color by letter worksheet.  The flashcards are provided in both full color and black & white for flexible printing options!

My Bloggy friend, Karla from Life in Special Education has organized a wonderful fundraiser for a little boy at her school who has recently been diagnosed with a brain tumor (cancer). It's so hard to think of a child so young having to deal with such grown up problems.  Karla and some of her Bloggy friends (including yours truly) contributed some wonderful teaching materials which she has bundled together to help raise funds for Cole's family.  The products are valued at over $160.00!!!!   For a $25.00 contribution, you will be sent this amazing packet.  Over and beyond the materials you'd receive, it would be helping a family that is already going through so much.  It is unknown how many surgeries or treatments Cole will need to have. Click on the logo above, and visit Karla's Blog.  There you'll see pictures of Cole, with news/information about his care. It would mean a lot to me if you would pass the word along to your bloggy friends and PIN on Pinterest as well. The more we can get the word out, the more we can do to help Cole's family!!! Thank you!!!

Have you made your way around the Find the Leprechaun's Gold Blog Hop?  There are just a few days left to make your way around to all 15 Blogs to collect your freebie and gold coins.  What is super cool about this Blog Hop is that when you collect all 15 coins and come up with the correct phrase, you can enter to win a chance at $100.00 in TPT Gold!  Can you imagine how much fun stuff you could purchase with $100?

This link will take you back to my Blog post that tells you all about the Blog Hop.  You can continue on from there by following the links on each Blog.  Good LUCK! :)

On the drawing board this week, a spring pattern packet, butterfly activities, and Easter goodies!  I can hardly wait to show you what I have been working on!   Now that kidding season is almost over! (whew!),  I will have more time to write, draw, and create!  :)  

I am excited for this spring!  I went out to the barn this morning after the heavy rains and the pastures were all bright green.  The new grass has come up over night and it's the prettiest shade of green.  

Wishing you a wonderful week!  Feel free to leave me a comment,  I LOVE hearing from all of you!  

Happy Teaching!

Find the Leprechaun's Gold Blog Hop

Yay!!   Are you ready to find the Leprechaun's gold?

I've teamed up with 15 of my bloggin' buddies to have a little contest for St. Patrick's Day!   On each of our Blogs, you'll collect a gold coin with a word written on it.  When you have collected all 15 coins, the words spell out a special phrase! :)

At the end of the Blog Hop,  you'll write the complete phrase into the Rafflecopter for a chance to win $100 in TPT gold!

Are you ready to get started?

My Blog is the....

If you'd like to start the Blog Hop from the beginning, click on the Start button below and visit Cynthia's Blog.  While you're there, pick up the freebie she has for you and show her some Bloggy Love and if you aren't already...follow her Blog! 

If you click on the link "Find My Freebie"  below to download my freebie!!!

The next stop from here is Laureen's Blog  "Teach with Laughter" to show her some Bloggy love and find another gold coin! (And freebie!)



After you've visited all 15 Blogs, and collected your freebies (and gold coins), you'll stop back by Christi's(Ms. Fultz's Corner) Blog to enter the contest.  The freebie and coins will remain up on each of the Blogs until the drawing on March 17th.  Be sure to tell your friends, and thank all of the ladies who have made this Blog Hop possible by following their Blogs and TPT Stores!!!

Good Luck! :)