Five for Friday {July 25}

Another summer week has passed. It hasn't hit The Littles yet. They are still pulling all nighters {on the xbox}, staying out all night {in the driveway}, and sleeping in- like waaaayyyy in.

I don't have the heart to break it to them that this coming week is their last week of freedom- maybe I'll break it to them next week. 

This week I posted a few projects from my first grade room. {scroll back}

I haven't been super crafty this week- just cooking {which I hate} and crocheting.

Pic #1 is a snapshot of my biggest cooking fail this week. Bought the wrong cornmeal and ended up baking a frisbee.

Pic #2 is a failed attempt at cooking canned biscuits on the panini press. They were also flat- as a pancake- pretty much just smaller versions of the frisbee pictured above. 

Pic #3 is bread that I couldn't mess up because it was already baked at the store! I even had a helper in the kitchen who buttered and garlic-ed it and we got it in the oven.

It burned. Really. 

Family reviews:

"It hurts the roof of my mouth."

                        -Littlest Little

"I'm not eating that."

                         -Chickadee

"If you let it soak in the sauce for a minute it's not so bad."

                -my favorite (I mean , Middle Little)     

                  

Pic #4

Something I surely couldn't ruin this week!

With all the heat and lack of rain you would think that we wouldn't have so many tomatoes. But we do! My neighbor's birthday is tomorrow and I am giving her the gift of some fried green 'maters... If I don't burn them.

Pic 5 {and 6} have to do with all the heat and humidity. Littlest Little and I broke out the wii this week- just too hot to be out there!! 

Take at look at my Mii.....hers grouchy!

I forgot how "angry" I made her forever go when we used to play this thing all the  time. 

I need like Mii therapy- some anger management!

I especially needed some counseling after we busted out the Mario Kart! While I DO have gold on all the levels (because I am just that competitive), it has been a long time! I forgot how much I despised Rainbow Road. 

I guess I will have to practice when they all go to bed this week so that my Mii can stop being so grumpy! 

Enjoy your weekend!! 

"No-Sew" Sewing for Your Classroom





Holy Humid!

I don't know where you are reading this from, but hopefully it is from somewhere cool and breezy AND DRY!

When I left to walk this morning, it wasn't too bad- but by the time I left the house to run errands around 8am it was so humid that it took your breath away when you walked out the door. WTH?

We didn't even go to the pool today- there was no sense in going- you were already wet when you walked off the porch!

So it was a good day to get caught up on some housecleaning (bleck).

I also read lots of blog and insta posts about redecorating the classroom! (That was in between cleaning jobs)

If you have fabric leftovers from all the decorating that you are doing, I have a VERY SIMPLE {and stress SIMPLE} way to make a great curtain for that little rectangle window on your door.

In our building, it became mandatory that the window be covered at all times.

No peeking.

Ever.

I guess I could have painted the window- but I wanted a pretty curtain.

And I wanted it to be "pretty" from both sides!!

Below are the directions from when I made it-

{Remember..... SUPER SIMPLE!}

First here is the finished product

(gotta have a goal)

Measure and cut the fabric to the size you need.

Take the two fabrics you are going to use and put them both

"pretty side" in (facing each other)

I folded the edges over (about an inch)

and just ironed a nice crease

(yes, I said "iron"- please forgive me)

After I got nice creases, I pulled them apart.

Leave the bottom fabric on the board (in my case it was the floor)- don't laugh, but

I don't even OWN an ironing board!!

One of the Littles actually asked, "Who did you borrow that from?"

when he saw me take it to school!-

Back to the craft-

You have pulled them apart, now take the fabric that was on the inside and lay it

on top of the piece that is still on the board.

Ok, now the "pretty sides" are both on the outside.

See that BEE-U- Ta-ful bottle of fabric glue sitting there?

Take that and run it along that inside crease that you made.

I pressed it with my fingers first-

then ironed it again (note to self- and all others....Do not let that iron

sit too long in any one spot)

Then I just let it dry, hanging on a chair!

But look at how clean those edges are!!

I couldn't have sewn it better myself!

So now  no matter what side you are on, you get to see the "pretty side"!

And this can be for ANY size curtain.

I made this two years ago and it was just  as perfect as the day I made it when I packed my room up at the beginning of this summer.

I love projects that are easy!

I have always thought that once the fabric goes up in the classroom, the room immediately starts to come together- then you have to do all that other teachery-stuff.

The stuff that makes you sweat and fuss and scream and cry....

ok, back to the fun stuff!

Enough about me

What's your favorite part of getting your classroom together? Would love for you to share!

Happy Decorating!

 

 

 

 

Easy Word Wall

Good Evening!

It is Monday!

I wish that meant something super special, but it doesn't.

No special dates on the calendar- not counting down to anything.

It's just Monday.

I have been "watching" everyone begin to get their rooms ready for the year! I even had to run up to my "old school" (that sounds weird) today to pick something up and there was a parking lot full of teachers who could not wait to get into their rooms and start getting them ready for the new school year. We start here on the 6th of August- so that is right around the corner!

It sort-of -(I stress sort of) kinda -almost -in -a- way made me sad that I do not have a room to prepare decorate this year.

As stressful as that part is, I think it is one of my favorites! Not always the fave of The Mr. though because sometimes it involved ALL NEW decorating- like new colors, more fabric, new containers..... I actually got put on "fabric restriction" once.

Sadness.

I thought that if I couldn't share new ideas, that I might be able to share a few things that have worked for me in the past- and maybe, just maybe, it might be something that will help you out while you are trying to get your room ready for the year.

When I switched to pink/green/black my last year in first grade, I had to recover my Word Wall. And since I was documenting yard by yard what I was doing with all of the fabric, I shared how I was changing it.{ I will link the original post at the bottom of this one. }

There was never really  a place that I could make a my word wall home when I was in my first room (nine years ago) I had a huge blank wall, but I didn't want to have to fool with tape or Velcro.

So instead, I purchased a sheet of foam insulation. And I covered it with (what now looks like Day Glow) green fabric. I used my staple gun to get the fabric on, and then I used a little hot glue on the back.

Now, had it been free "hanging"' it would never have stayed on the wall with just the hot glue- but there was a counter top right below that held most of the weight. So the hot glue was just sort of tacking it into place.

When I moved to my new room, there was an air conditioner right below that space that I wanted my Word Wall to live. Instead of hot glue this time though, I used six command strips. Yep, just six.

When words moved from the easel to the board, I just used my stapler. And they stayed.

 

The board even moved with me when I made my move to fourth. I just added a few more strips!



Super easy to do! And it doesn't necessarily have to be a word wall, it could be any type of bulletin board. The main thing for me was the fact that it stayed in place and all the cards that I put on it did, too!

 

This was originally posted as Word Wall Woes Wiped Away back in August of 2012. (Seems like it wasn't that long ago!)

 

Check back over the next week to see other projects that  might help you out!

 

Happy Monday!

Five for Friday {July 18}

Hello, Friday. Nice to see you again. Although I would be happier to see you if you hadn't shown up the way you did. I mean, you sneak up on all of us, and then you have the nerve to waltz in at only 77 degrees just covered in clouds. You do know that it is July 18th, right Friday?
Just checking.
Let's just try to get your crap together before next week rolls around, 'cause two Fridays without the pool are unacceptable.

I am linking up today with Doodle Bugs Teaching for the Five for Friday- even if there wasn't any sun to take pics in.

I did take advantage of the cool weather and opened up the windows to get some fresh air blowing through here. I stayed in bed for a bit and finished Never Knowing by Chevy Stevens. I discovered her after I read all of Gillian Flynn's novels and asked for recommendations. Courtney from Swimming into Second recommended her- so I ran out- bought the first two, read one of them in ONE DAY! I am starting Always Watching when I finish this post.

 

Let's see, Pic #2 is from dinner. We made "Elvis" sandwiches.
There was a 'friendly" sandwich competition while we were at the beach with our family this summer. Even though my entry was delicious, and the others put a lot of hard work into theirs, this was the one that ALL the children declared the WINNER.
I personally don't think it is fair to intro peanut butter AND bacon on the same entry where children are involved. She may as well have covered it in chocolate syrup and sprinkles!!!!
{wait, there's an idea}

I would show you an end result, beautifully crafted sandwich- but there aren't any to speak of! They didn't last long at all. I even drove a nice warm sandwich up to Chickadee because she was at work. She was giddy when she came to the car and squealed "I'm gonna see if I can go on break RIGHT NOW!" {she had been at work for an hour}
{And yes, she works at a restaurant, and yes, I take her food. I know- it's weird.

I don't have many more exciting things that I photographed today.  After I got some time to relax reading, I had to play chauffeur for a bit.
Some of you may have seen who watches me leave and return all day.
This is new to him. The piece of furniture that used to be in front of this Little's window has been moved. So now Barkley has prime-people-stalking-property right up there in front of the house.

He has also discovered that his little behind actually fits on the window sill! He currently is the new neighborhood watch!

I did have a little in between time to start a new project today. I can't read with any background noise. (I am THAT teacher at PDs who WAITS for everyone to stop talking so that I can read what we are supposed to be reading. I swear, I take NOTHING in if I hear other stuff while I am reading)
So when The Mr. is watching baseball or soccer or something else that I am not interested in, I can crochet. This keeps me in the room with him vs. leaving to read in another room.
Crocheting has saved our marriage- not really- but it sure makes me look interested in what he is watching. {brownie points}

Reading back over this, it seems my cloudy Friday was a little fuller than I had originally thought. Here's to hoping that yours was great and that the sun returns tomorrow!

WTH Wednesday Returns!

Happy Summer, Ya'll!
It has been over a month since my last post- so much has been going on!

I'm not complaining- we were gone for a week of that month at the beach in OBX.

HOLY RELAXING! This is our second year to meet family there.

Why the heck have we not gone EVERY year??? Oh Wait, I remember!

Cause the Littles were still little! We currently travel "kid paraphernalia" free! They even pack their own bags!

 
 This is the house that the MIL rented for the week- that's our room. We slept with our door open most nights just so we could hear the ocean all night. {and then it rained really horribly one evening and the floor got kind of wet...} I digress...

It was a week long adventure that I wouldn't trade for the world! We got to hang out with cousins that we don't see too often. We did a little ghost crab hunting. We watched the sun set. I swam past the first break- I know WHAT THE HECK was I thinking??

And we played games and had food competitions- 

{my egg salad was a hit}

Only 339 days until we return.

It was time for the 4th when we returned. So we headed to a neighboring state fair for fun and fireworks. 

I was kind if dreading it because of all of my healthy choices lately. 

And wouldn't you know it, you can smell funnel cakes and corn dogs from MILES away! At least I can- I may have been part bloodhound in a previous life.

I thought this pic was funny because he was hesitant to ride and then when he got on, the ride got stuck! 

(I really DIDN'T think it was funny. In fact, I think I may have had a for reals anxiety attack. And for the rest of the night, I could "feel" rides that they weren't even on! It was just an overwhelming sense of tense and jittery combined)

We did make it all better by heading over to the wrestling event that was at the fair. 

Where the heck have these been all my life!?!?

We had a blast!

By the time fireworks came around we were too tired to go sit and watch, so we "ooed and awed" as we walked back to the van!! 

So that takes us from when I last blogged to the fourth. 

Hmmmmm- there's two weeks from the fourth til now.

Somewhere in between there- some BIG decisions were made.
Like life changing ones.

It has been coming for awhile- change, that is. I needed to make a choice about my next steps, OUR next steps as a family.

WHAT THE HECK are you doing, Squirrels?!?!?

Well, with a clear head and plan in place, I resigned from my classroom position on July 8th.
{I know, right! Is she crazy?}

Kinda.

On that same day, I was hired by my system as  a substitute teacher. And I am currently working on the paperwork to get back in school and finish my Masters.
Insane.

I have the support of all the Littles and The Mr. Littlest Little is sad that I won't be in his school full time- but I will be there often enough.

I just felt like the time was right- they are all  big enough that I can do this.
I hope I am big enough that I can do this! Me in the classroom? Yikes! I'm a teacher's worst nightmare- at least I am mine!!! Ha! Seriously though, I am excited about getting into all these classrooms! I can go to high schools, middle schools, different elementary schools. I have only taught in this one for the last 10 years- so it will be cool to see what's going on out there!

For now though, they have three weeks of summer of left. So we have it on our calendar to make sure that we are soaking up all the sun we can, pool days, water park days, bike rides, etc.The Lazy River attendant KNOWS that when Squirrels floats around to the beginning, she is NOT trying to get out- just push her back into the current and let her float!
 

Hope that everyone is having a great summer, too!!!