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!!