My first 5K!

I cannot believe it! I did it! I ran my first 5K!! I admit, I had minimal training, but what an amazing feeling to get one done! Thanks to RunDisney's Virtual Running Shorts, I was able to sign up, and get it done when it worked for me! I didn't have to take time off work, or travel somewhere special. I just got up, looked at the weather and said "Today is the day" and off I went.

I have signed up to complete the 3 months of races--June, July and August.

I went on the ever favorite, Pinterest, and searched for Disney Running Playlists. The ideas were endless. I spent a few hours creating a playlist, and boom, I was ready to go! Of course, I have now discovered that Spotify had s list as well! So, we know what I will be running with in July...

I do not have much advice, except stretch before you run--like a lot! And maybe, have a foam roller handy for when you finish.

I will be posting more as I go, but...hurray for me!!

Time for...Clases de Español!

 I am not a certified Spanish Teacher, but I learned it with my Abuelas knocking it into me, if it was thing ever! (I am so grateful they did that!!) I also attended a bilingual school in Miami, FL, where Spanish was taught weekly from preschool, all the way until 8th grade. I continued through High School, as well. I have perfected the art of speaking and writing it, with the amazing help of my hubby and in-laws and familia.

I receive an email from one of my amazing co-workers asked me who could tutor here littles in Spanish. She said they were extremely curious about learning the language. I told her I would be happy to help them out this Summer, and get them a foundation. I have searched high and low in the depths of the interwebs and found a very helpful site: Mudpies and Makeup
She has  a great setup for "calendar" that reminds me of my old classroom. I like the portability of it. My new room is rather small, and so I need to find things that are easy to put up and take down. I am in the process now of putting it together, so pic to follow of what it looks like completed.

I hope you all pass over to Muspies and Makeup and check out what else she may have to offer!

Hasta Pronto!!

7 weeks in and exhausted...

This is now week 7 of the school year (day 36 for those of you who are actually counting), and I feel like a rookie all over again. I know I have been out of the game for a few years, but this Common Core should come easy. It is alot (almost identical) to what I did with PYP, but for some reason I am having a really difficult time making things work. I have scoured the interwebs and Pinterest trying to find ideas that will make my life easier. I know better than to reinvent the wheel. Why is it so hard to make things happen?? I feel like my schedule isn't working, and that everytime I turn around, my desk is a mess. I don't want to work all weekend ( I have a family, you know), but I find myself working crazy hours and staying late. Does anyone out there in the cyberworld have any tips or ideas?? Please Please Please Please share!!! Sincerely, The crazy teacher in Kindergarten

Back In Teaching Mode!

It's nice to be back in Teacher Mode. :) It has taken several weeks to get my brain back into it, since I have been out of teaching for 3 years!! (WOW!!) I got a job as a Kindergarten Teacher here in Indiana, and I am very excited!! I have been trying to get everything ready for my new class, and forgot how expensive it all is! So, I got to working on my My Memories Suite, and started creating!

This is only 1 of the several things I have created. As soon as I complete my stuff, I will load a couple of Freebies on my TpT store! Please share your thoughts below!!

Summer Purge!

So, this Summer, my hubby and I packed up the Offspring, and sent him to visit his grandparents in Florida. Yes, he is only 3, and we miss him like crazy, but it has given us a chance to purge! I am not just talking "throw away what I know he/we are not using," I am talking "Go through every closet, drawer, cabinet, toy box" type of purge! I have donated boxes of clothes and toys, moved toys down to the basement, organized office supplies, re arrange closet space...I have been a busy little bee. My biggest accomplishment, has been my recipe book(s). Our grocery store, always has little recipe ideas, and I always take them so I can try to make something new. Well, the stockpile of recipes was growing and growing. It was so bad, I didn't want to open the cabinet where I stuffed them all! This afternoon, I sat down and organized my mess!

This is the final product. I failed to take a picture of what the insanity looked like before, but it was not this well organized. I used a 2"-3" binder, some plastic sheet protectors--the regular ones, and the ones that are for Photo Albums), Dividers, an old fashion hole punch, scissors, time and patience.

I determined what my categories would be...
-Poultry
-Meats (Beef, Lamb, Veal, Pork, Sausage)
-Seafood
-Pasta
-Salads, Soups, and Sandwiches
-Grilling
-Appetizers/Sides
-Breakfast
-Desserts
-Snacks
-Beverages

I then went through each of my recipes, and see if they fit any of those categories. Once I separated my recipes, I started putting them in the binder. Now, sounds simple, right? WRONG!! It would be simple if all the recipes were 8 1/2 x 11, but THEY AREN'T! So, I had to use my hole punch, and make them fit in the binder. I had some that were from the back of the box, so those went into a sheet protector. The small "Recipe Card" sized ones fit perfectly in the Photo Sized Sheets.

THAT'S IT!! Recipes are organized...now..what's next??

This is the size that my recipes are...see? NOT 8/12x11...

A Ragu Sauce from my mom...Make due with what you got, and an envelope was what I had with me!

A dessert recipe from the back of the box...instead of fighting with the hole punch, just put it in a plastic sleeve!

Brew Over Ice

I just received my "Brew Over Ice" Keurig from BzzAgent.

I am so excited to try it. I love ice tea and iced coffee, and I am absolutely sure this is going to save me some money from stopping at a high end coffee shop every morning! I will report back in the next couple of days (given the 100+ degrees outside, I won't be having anything HOT for a while). I have embedded a video of how easy this is!



Let's get brewing!

SoBe--So Be Yourself!

Hello Summer! Yesterday was the beginning of the Summer Solstice. Of course, here in Indiana, it feels like it has been summer since May! They SoBe Lifewater has been a very refreshing way to get through the this heat. There are over 25 flavors to choose from! I have had the Mango Mandarin, Pomegranate Cherry, and the SoBe Lean Green Tea. So far, Mango Mandarin is my favorite! Drinking these, is like a drinking a tropical drink by the beach!

The "SoBe" (Short for South Beach) name pays homage to the vibrant Miami (my hometown) neighborhood. Living in Miami, I know how important it is to stay hydrated. You always try to find ways to stay hydrated that are beyond plain water. I remember the first SoBe Drinks with Ginseng, Guarana and other herbal ingredients. I drank it all the time! I am so glad they have come out with new flavors!

I took the Coconut water and mixed it with some frozen fruit, ran it through the blender, and made some fruit smoothie pops for my son and I. LOVED THEM!! There are 35 Calories, and only 8 grams of sugar. That's pretty good when trying to watch what he eats and drinks!

So Why the Lizard Logo? Relaxing in South Beach, a lizard on the side of a local hotel caught the eyes of the founders, and the logo came to be!

If you want to know more about SoBe drinks, follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

CLASS IDEAS MECCA!!

I was browsing Pinterest (I know, shocking), and came across a site for Calendar Notebooks/Binders. Little did I know how much more I would find! Ms. Meacham's Classroom Snapshots are amazing!! She has shared all her tried and true ideas with everything under the sun! I think I have found my new mentor!!
Please hop on over to her site and check it out. She is also on Pinterest. She is FULL OF IDEAS!!!

Just sharing....

Puffy Paint

I found this awesome Puffy Paint idea on Pinterest (of course). I have every intention of doing this the first week of school! When it dries, it feels gritty and hard, so it is good for teaching letters by touch. This is a great way to work on Colors/Letter/Numbers...etc. It makes for a great center. Hop on over and check it out!

The Boy With Pink Hair

So...The Boy With Pink Hair arrived a few days ago (THANKS MOM!!), and I believe I was more excited about reading this, than Peanut--of course, he is only 2.

I bought this book for 2 reasons: 1) Perez Hilton is from my hometown, (and 2) I believe it is never too soon to teach children about acceptance and tolerance.

My thoughts...
Well, I was blown away. I was not a fan of Perez Hilton up until I read an interview about this book. I said to myself "well, why not give him a shot. No harm, no foul." Glad I did! Right off the bat you know he is paying homage to Lady Gaga's Born This Way. As we read about the Boy With Pink Hair, and the Girl with the Ponytail, I was transported back to a time when classmates of my own were made fun of for being different, or looking different. I knew that I didn't want my Peanut to grow up in a world where "kids are cruel" and are not taught any better. I only wish this book would have been around when we were kids.

This is a great book to teach tolerance and acceptance. This boy doesn't care what others think, and his parents support him no matter what.

Bottom line...I LOVED THE BOOK! I think every teacher/educator/parent should have this book in their collection. This book teaches tolerance, acceptance, and that every child is special and different in their own way!

So...thank you Perez Hilton--you have a new fan!!

"Happy New Year"

So a school year is coming to a close. To most teachers (and mommies) this means the end of a year. If any of you are like me, your calendar/year runs from August-June. July is usually a blur of Summer!

This End Of School Year is a little harder for me, emotionally. My first class ever is graduating and moving to High School. (I have been an emotional roller coaster all day!!) I am also ending a 3 week substituting "gig" with a 2nd grade class. Although I did not have them all year, I am sad to see them go. I became very attached to them in a very short time. (Imagine had they been with me all year...YIKES!!) They remind me a lot of my first group, which is probably why I am sad to see them move on.

As we all know, every year must come to an end, and every group must move to its new adventure. It's still hard!!!

So...to all the "graduates" moving to High School, High School Seniors graduating and moving to college, and college graduates getting ready to embark on "the real world"--HAVE A WONDERFUL SUMMER!!

I am ready to do it all again "Next Year"

YO HO LET'S GO! DISNEY SUMMER

I Love Disney! I was so excited when Disney Jr was brought to our cable network! My son, husband and I wake up every morning and watch Disney Jr as we get dressed, and eat breakfast. If we don't watch it in the morning, we watch while dinner is being made (so that a little person is not wandering in the kitchen while the stove is on). Sometimes it is background noise while my son colors, or plays puzzles, other times he is completely enthralled with what is on. His particular favorites are Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Doc McStuffins.

Well, guess what?? As Alice Cooper once said: "School's Out for Summer!" What on earth am I going to do to keep my 3 year old busy??!! And here comes Disney Jr to the rescue! Teachers out there (and parents as well) remember the book Flat Stanley? Well, here is the chance for your child to take a Disney character on a Summer Adventure.

Visit the Disney Jr Yo Ho, Let's Go! Summer website, and print your child's favorite character. Have them color the character, and help them cut it out. Then...let the fun begin!

If your children are older, have them keep a journal daily of the character's "adventure." Perhaps they can share it at school on the first week back. This is also a great way to help them recall what they did over the summer! If your children are younger, have them pose, with the character at different places you visit! With today's day of camera phones, and digital cameras, you could probably make a scrapbook full of their entire summer; picture of the day...etc. Have fun and get creative!!

Speaking of technology, if you need something to keep them busy on those long car rides...you may want to consider downloading the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Road Rally and Jake and the Neverland Pirates Appisodes. These are interactive episodes that lets your child be part of the episode! Download and have fun!

Enjoy your Summer!!

Make Over NEW STUFF!--FREEBIE

Live, Love, Laugh Everyday in Kindergarten: Extreme Make Over {Classroom Edition} NEW STUFF!:

Check out her freebie!! Someone already got to work on next year's classroom! Read her refreshing ideas and share!!! Click on her name below to access your freebie!!

 She always has cute ideas and lots of pictures! If you don't follow her already, then head on over....tell her I sent you :-)

Math-n-spire: Math Notebook {Notes}

Math-n-spire: Math Notebook {Notes}: After my post on Integers , I received a few emails and comments asking for more pictures on the "math notebook". So I've put together a ste...

OXO Food Scale giveaway!!

Enter to win a 5lb Food Scale from OXO! If you look through your kitchen utility drawer, you may have noticed that most of your products might just be by a specific brand...OXO to be exact. You may not have ever noticed, but since 1990, OXO has seeped its way into our homes. From peelers, to tongs, to salad spinners, OXO has always paid close attention to detail, and making their products better. I had a chance to try the OXO 5lb Food Scale recently.

I had never used a Food Scale before, but I have read and heard over the years how useful they really are. A digital food scale is great to help with creating healthy eating portions, to helping you calculate caloric intake. (if you know how much food you are intaking, you can calculate how many calories you are eating).

This scale offers you a way to "zero out" your dish/container. You place the empty dish/container on the scale and press the "Zero" button. This will now not take into account the weight of the dish when you add the food. GENIUS!!! NO MORE GUESSING!!!!!

By far one of the easiest scales ever! Push a button, and done. The scale does the work for you. Did I mention it has a Pull-Out Display?? So much easier to read. No more guessing! My family and I have really enjoyed using the kitchen scale. It has definitely made us much more conscious of how much we eat.

So now here is the fun part..... One lucky reader will win the very scale shown above. To enter the OXO Food Scale Giveaway simply follow the entries below. 4 of them are mandatory. a Rafflecopter giveaway Full disclosure: I received my 5lb Scale and the scale to give away from OXO for free, as part of their blogger outreach program. All opinions expressed are my own.

From Diet to NEXT

And so my initial thought...MORE DIET SODA?!?! Sheesh...let's not mess with perfection! Well...Pepsi NEXT surprised me! I received my BzzAgent package while I was traveling, so I was excited to see my package waiting for me on the kitchen table when I returned. This is what I found...

Lucky for me, we already drink Pepsi in our home...so we got to do a real "COMPARISON" of the product.

We tasted all 3 Pepsi products, and reached the final conclusions...Pepsi NEXT tastes better ice cold, and it tastes as if Pepsi and Diet Pepsi came together in one glass. There is just enough sweetness, like regular Pepsi, however, it tastes more like a Diet Pepsi (which works for me because I drink Diet Pepsi). Well done, Pepsi...Well Done!

BzzAgent Opportunity

Check it out! Here is a chance to try Gucci's new Flora Fragrance. Join me now as a BzzAgent! If you qualify, you will be sent some samples for you to keep and some to share! Signing up is easy... Just click this link, create a BzzAgent profile, and VIOLA!! DONE! This is open to new BzzAgents only. If you already a BzzAgent, the link will not work!!

Slow Cooker Expert?!?!

So today on Facebook, my friend posted a pic of a delicious beefaroni she made using her Slow Cooker. I commented on how much I loved my Slow Cooker, and I would send her some recipes. Little did I know it would turn into quite an extensive conversation. I am no expert, but I love my slow cooker. I think it is one of the 5 most essential items in my kitchen. With a slow cooker, dinner can always be ready (with a little planning). So here is what I shared with her: All-Clad has one of the best, however it is more expensive. Oval-shaped is better than round (circle) especially if you freeze food ahead of time. We have been buying our meats in bulk. I marinate the meats, and most of the vegetables in a zip-top plastic freezer bag. When I am ready to cook it, I dump it all in the Slow Cooker, add about a cup of water or chicken stock, cover the slow cooker, and walk away. I also recommended one with an insert that is easily removable for cleaning ;) Here is a link to some "Florida Fusion" recipes found on the All-Clad website. Pretty Simple! :)

BRACELET CONTEST

HELLO EVERYONE!!!

My friend Bela ByLu is having a contest this week!!!


Here are the rules for our their Giveaway:

1- Post in your Facebook status about this giveaway and comment on their Facebook (Click on the link above) that you had done that.
2- Refer a friend to them and let them know you did and double your chance to win it.
They will use a website to random pick one winner.

The Winner will choose 1 of those 3 Bracelets on the picture below.
Good luck to everyone!!!!

Please make sure you leave a comment below when you register!

From Sweet Nothings....

My friend over at Sweet Nothings Designs just visited my favorite place in the world...Walt Disney World...with her beautiful family. Here is what she created!!

In my head, I try to be crafty---but the reality is---I am not. However, I have decided to tap into my sources and see what I can come up with for my Offspring and Better Half. So...in the next few weeks, I am going to attempt (attempt is the operative word) to get crafty and creative!!

HERE'S TO HOPING!!

*THANK YOU TO SWEET NOTHING DESIGNS FOR BEING SUCH AN AWESOME FREIND AND INSPERATION!!