Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Giveaways! Giveaways! Everywhere!

Wow...it's a week full of summer surprises and giveaways!   Have you visited all of them and entered? Lots of good stuff up for grabs, so what are you waiting for?  Here's a quick road map:


 1. Start here with MY GIVEAWAY! I'm celebrating 100+ followers with your choice of 10 free units from my TpT and/or my TN store. (2 WINNERS get to choose their 10 items each!)  Click here to enter!  100 FOLLOWERS CELEBRATION




 2. My Kentucky buddy Katie, over @ Queen of the First Grade Jungle has gotten lots of blogging buddies together to donate some amazing K-2 items for a lucky winner!  (11 units worth investigating!)



 3. Another Kentucky friend, Jackie @ Third Grade's a Charm is having a giveaway, just because she WANTS to...I love it! She's got TpT and Donors Choose gift cards up for grabs! 




 4. I found this giveaway as I was entering another one! Lucky me! It's from Brittany @ Sweet Seconds, who is celebrating the same milestone as I am...100+followers!  Yay Brittany!  She's got some TpT and Amazon gift cards ready to go!






5. HURRY HURRY on this one...Drawing is today (Wed.) @ 5:00 p.m.  But Miss Nelson has a Candy Student Reward set she's giving away that looks adorable!  If you're fast, you'll get there in time!  :-)  

6.  HOORAY for  blogger, Storie @ Stories by Storie (don't ya' just love that blog name?) who is celebrating 50 followers!  She is giving away 2 Math units for early primary teachers right out of her TpT store! 







7.  Yay...another one to add!  Congratulations to my blog friend, Dana over @ Fun in First.  To celebrate 80 followers she's having an 80's theme giveaway.  It ends on June 11, so hurry over.  Stay close to that website because her giveaway pushed her over a 100 followers, so now she may have to have another! Stay tuned!  GO DANA! 






Do you know of any other giveaways?  Having one yourself? Let me know and I'll add to the list!  


Bananas for Summer Celebrations!  

Monday, May 28, 2012

100 FOLLOWERS GIVEAWAY CELEBRATION

YAY! HOORAY! and WOOHOOO!  I had 99 followers when I went to the movies tonight with 13 members of my family (we almost took up a whole row) and when I got home I was at 101!  Ya'll are so fast, I didn't even get to physically see it at 100!  :-)  It's all good!  I am so excited that I've reached this goal!  I am not able to accurately express my gratitude for you "hanging in there" with me through this adventure.  I've gained a wealth of knowledge (still learning) and some cherished friendships along the way!   I remember my very first follower, Kimberly over at Love of Teaching (She's still HERE!)
I was trying to think of something really cool with the number 100.  I'd love to give away 100 items in my store, but ummmm.....I don't have 100 (yet)!  So...how about 10?  Yep, 10 items for 2 separate winners and YOU get to choose ANY 10 items from either my TpT or TN store.  There are multiple ways to enter so you pick and choose how many times you'd like to!  Giveaway entries will be accepted from now thru June 10th!  Rafflecopter will be used to enter and select the winners!  GOOD LUCK to ALL and THANK YOU again.   Don't forget to leave me an email address where I can send the products!

Bananas for my faithful followers and friends!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Saturday Spotlight & Memorial Weekend

Is is seriously Saturday again already?  I must have been so into closing out my school year, the week just passed me by.  I will miss this year's class.  I had a super sweet bunch of kiddos.  However, I will not miss getting up at 5:30 a.m.  Who's with me there??
Well, Saturday just means I get to share MORE FREEBIES with ya'!  Can I get a "WOOOHOO?"


Surely I'm not speaking for myself when I say I'm tired of losing my calendar pieces.  It's like socks in the dryer... there's always one or two that go missing.  Grrrr!  
Amanda bailed me out this week with a FREEBIE set of CUTE forest animal calendar pieces. I'm a sucker for adorable clipart, so I've added them to my laminating list.  The great thing about this is  1.) They're FREE   2.)  If I lose any pieces, I can just PRINT them off again!  You can grab them by clicking the image.  Don't forget to say THANKS for her generosity!
My first thought for this next item was prepositions for 1st and 2nd grade?  But, Michelle @ TEACH 123 did it!  She took prepositions and brought it down for 1st and 2nd grade with a cute little ant that students decorate and place ON, INSIDE, BESIDE, UNDER, etc. a jar.  There are a set of preposition flash cards that go with it.  I have downloaded and plan on adapting to meet the needs of my 3rd graders.  I know they can use the flashcards, charades activity, and writing ideas that are mentioned.  Stop by her blog or her store and tell her how much you appreciate it!  


How about one more?  Gillian over @ Nyla's Crafty Teaching has saved you a trip to Walmart for grid paper.  This 15 page freebie has a variety of sizes of grids for those math lessons on symmetry, bar graphs, translations, reflections, rotations, area, and perimeter. (Grades 1-5)  This is a handy .pdf document to keep on your computer and/or in your math files for a quick print if needed!  


I'm already looking forward to next Saturday's freebies. :-)


Hopefully this Memorial Day weekend finds you surrounded with those you love.  This weekend is a little sad for us.  It was one year ago this weekend that we lost my father-in-law to an accident. (He was 79 years old) We miss him terribly, but are comforted in knowing what a tremendous impact he had on the world with his love, generosity, and sweet spirit.  Also, please remember those military personnel that have served, are serving, or will serve this great nation of ours.  Take time to thank a soldier!  


Bananas for quality time with loved ones, freebies that save me time, and SLEEPING IN!  

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Adopt a Soldier and Veterans Day Freebie

If you're looking for a cool, meaningful volunteer or service project to do with your students, consider "adopting a soldier" who is currently serving overseas.  My classes and I for the last several years have adopted at least 10 soldiers stationed in Afghanistan and Iraq.  "Adopting" a soldier consists of making the commitment to send one letter a week and one care package a month to someone on active duty. (Which is easy when you have 20 some eager students ready to write their letter!)  My students and I have made some great friends, encouraged someone is serving our country, and participated in some of the most amazing events through this adoption.
How do you "adopt" a soldier?  You sign up with the non-profit organization called Soldiers Angels.
After they give you clearance, they will assign you a soldier and give you his/her address overseas and you're ready to go!  Who says the academics have to take a back seat?  I teach my parts of a friendly letter, map skills, addressing an envelope, focusing on common/proper nouns, some history, and of course, citizenship, Veterans, and volunteering.  I'd love to say that all my soldiers have been actively involved in the process of writing back to us faithfully, but that's not the case.  I've had everything from no letters in return because they're just too busy, to other soldiers who write us back faithfully.  I've even had one show up for a visit on Veterans Day the following year he returned from active duty.  Last year my students got to be involved in a soccer ball drive with our soldier.  He wanted us to collect soccer balls to send to him overseas where he distributed to the local village children in Basrah, Iraq.  The whole "adoption" process has been a WIN/WIN for everyone involved.  Enjoy some photos from some of our FAVORITE moments.
The soccer ball drive was on the news and
in a military publication. My students were
so proud that they helped get 200 soccer balls
delivered to such eager children in Iraq.





Some very excited 3rd graders collecting 
soccer balls for a good cause




This adopted soldier's team proudly
displayed their fitness award








We were lucky enough to have one of our 
adopted soldiers come VISIT us on Veterans Day!  
He presented our class with a certificate of appreciation,
coins from his platoon, and a flag flown over their 
camp in our honor while he was stationed in Iraq.

As always, if you would like some additional information or are interested in getting started, just let me know!  I'll help in any way I can!

For Veterans Day, be sure to grab the Veterans Day Timeline FREEBIE for you and your students!

Bananas for those that serve and sacrifice for our freedom,

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Back 2 School...ALREADY? AND a GIVEAWAY Soon!


Is it too early to be thinking about Back to School? YES! YES! YES! I refuse to! However, I am trying to have everybody else ready for back to school when that time comes. My 3rd grade team and I have always done some really fun 'Back to School' activities centered around our classroom theme. I've now got them available on TpT and TN! Whether you do monkeys, bees, frogs, ocean, giraffes, mice, owls, or rock stars, etc. there's a back to school pack for you. I plan to add to the list throughout the summer. (currently working on a Sports and Puzzles theme) If you don't see your classroom theme here, but are interested in one, drop me a line...I'll be happy to work on one for ya' while I'm POOLSIDE!  WOOHOO!  :-) 
  
Giveaway update:  THANK YOU THANK YOU for all who entered the 100 + follower giveaway celebration last month!  I hope to have another one soon!  (Getting close to 300!)  :-)
Bananas for Summer Vacation,



Saturday, May 19, 2012

Spotlight Saturday

Hooray for another Spotlight Saturday!  Here's to MORE freebies!  If you're a K-1 teacher, I found these super cool Pencil Hold Flashcards for practice with addition and subtraction facts.  They're not your ordinary flashcards!  Students play in pairs and practice their facts by poking their pencil through a hole and reciting their fact.  The partner facing them will see the correct answer next to where their pencil is poking through. This took some time and creative thinking to create!  Go see them for yourself in Amanada's store!  (Click image for link)
Another freebie you can grab this week is from Arlene's TpT store.  With the push for non-fiction literature, this is a great way to utilize graphic organizers and R/LA skills and connect it to a Science concept.  This 15 page unit gives practice with verbs, KWL chart, writing a paragraph, vocabulary, synonyms, facts, & comprehension of non-fiction.  All this is centered around frogs and toads and is marked for grades 2-3.  (Click image for link)
Ready for another?  Yep...3 freebies up for grabs tonight.  This one comes to you from Heidi @ Raki's Rad Resources.  She put together more than 20 playing card mats that students can use a deck of cards to practice some math skills with!  Mats start out with counting, comparing, ordering #'s, addition and  subtraction, and move into harder concepts for intermediate students with multiplying, dividing, fractions, etc.  GREAT activities for centers.  All you need is the deck of cards!  (Click image for link)

If you're enjoying this feature each Saturday, don't forget to thank the creators who help me bring it to you!  Give these ladies some positive feedback for sharing their goodies with ya'.  I look forward to sharing some more next Saturday!  :-)  Happy Weekend and Happy 5 days of school left for me!  
Bananas for the last week of school,

Thursday, May 17, 2012

No Monkey Business Has a NEW LOOK!

DRUM ROLL PLEASE....Here it is!  My new & improved blog!  I can't wait to hear your thoughts about the new look.  There are several "small details" to iron out and things for me to play with, but it's up and running and that makes me happy!  A HUGE Thank you to Diana over @ Custom Blog Designs.  If you are looking for a new blog, a makeover to your existing blog, etc....she's your "GO TO" girl!    She helped me figure out what direction I wanted to go in and how to get there.  We were in constant communication for the few days it took her to get it live!  My package even included a new Facebook & Twitter background to match!  (Facebook one isn't up yet, but check out the other social media buttons) 


Perhaps I should celebrate with a GIVEAWAY!  Stay tuned for details!  :-)


Bananas for my new blog!

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

A Lovely Award...

Thanks to Nicole @ teachingwithblondeambition.blogspot.com  for passing on the One Lovely Blog Award to me!  Be sure to check out her blog and TpT store...She's got some fantastic units & ideas!  


There are a few simple rules to receiving this award:  

1) Follow the person that gave you the award.  

2) Link back to the person that gave you the award.  

3) Pass the award to on to 15 new bloggers. 

So here are the 15 new blogs that I am passing it to:

1.  Kimberly @ http://loveofteachingkimberly.blogspot.com/
2.  Jana @ http://readingandthinkingoutloud.blogspot.com/
3.  Teacher's Workroom @ http://theteachersworkroom.blogspot.com/
4.  Dana @ http://theteachersworkroom.blogspot.com/
5.  Pam @ http://www.teaching4real.com/
6.  Kristi @ http://luckyinlearning.blogspot.com/
7.  Tori @ http://toristeachertips.blogspot.com/
8.  Heather @ http://heathersfirstgradeheart.blogspot.com/
9.  Laura @ http://lovetoteach123.blogspot.com/
10. Jackie @ http://third-grades-a-charm.blogspot.com/
11.  Darlene @ http://thirdgradelove.blogspot.com/
12.  Kristi @ http://luckyinlearning.blogspot.com/
13.  Penny @ http://teachthemath.blogspot.com/
14.  Tamera @ http://myheartbelongsinfirst.blogspot.com/
15.  Sandy @ http://secondgradelockerroom.blogspot.com/

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Celebrations Worth Investigating

I WISH I was celebrating a Lacrosse season round 2 playoff win, but sadly my son's team lost.  :-(  But I am celebrating the amazing season they had!  Being ranked #4 in the state wasn't so bad!!  He's a junior, so he has a lot more to look forward to next year!

You should be out celebrating with some blogger buddies of mine who have some great things going on.  Check out A Teacher's Treasure where Mor is giving away 35 items....YEP 35!  I'm happy to announce one of those items is mine!  I donated my Accelerating into Analogies unit, which helps students understand what they are and how to solve them!
So be sure to SWING on over to her blog & ENTER her 1,000 follower celebration!

Ready to celebrate the end of the school year?  Be sure to check out Tessa's "Tales from Outside the Classroom" blog, where she has linked 50 some units/lesson plans for the END of the YEAR.  There are a variety of activities (some free, some paid items) for your students to do the last few days or weeks of school!  I linked up to that party too, with my freebie end of the year memory book called "Bunches of Fun in ___Grade"

Finally, I'm also about to celebrate with a NEW BLOG design.  (YAY!)  I can't wait...Stay tuned for the amazing makeover that will take place soon!

Bananas for events worth celebrating,

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Short & Sweet Saturday Spotlight

It's another weekend of Lacrosse for me...Round 2 of the state playoffs.  WOO HOO for my son!  Of course that means more hours on the road for me.  So I'm making this Spotlight Saturday short & sweet before I hit the road for the rest of the weekend.  ENJOY!
Go grab this adorable freebie from FROGGIE WENT A TEACHIN... It's phonogram practice with students brainstorming and naming words that relate to each phonogram.  This 21 page freebie is great for literacy centers and or partner activities within the classroom. (Click Superhero picture for link to download)  This seller also has a fabulous blog that's worth investigating.  You can find her blog here...http://froggiewentateachin.blogspot.com/

Another great freebie you don't want to miss out on is from Teach 123.  She's offering an easy to implement Behavior Incentive System called B.U.G. (Being Unusually Good) **Click B.U.G. picture for link to download.  It comes with instructions and/or suggestions on how to implement, as well as a variety of CUTE bug graphics.  There's even a frog involved (that eats bugs!!)  Teach 123 also has a blog at http://teach123-school.blogspot.com/   
 So off you go...Don't forget to leave these teachers some feedback for their generous freebies.  :-)
Bananas for teachers who graciously GIVE things away, AND LACROSSE playoffs this weekend.  Go Admirals!  

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Themes in your Classroom

I'm always fascinated by the amount of time spent on decorating a classroom.  I've had a monkey theme for so long now, I can barely remember what I did in my classroom before the monkeys invaded.  So, as I slowly begin to think about packing up my classroom for the summer and put a few monkeys in the closet, (No, not the kids) I began to wonder what everyone else does to decorate their classroom.  Do you have a theme?  Or do you just keep it tidy & organized?  Do you change your theme often?  Please share your thoughts, cool ideas, and/or leave me a link if you have pictures!  I'm a visual person.  :-)  The picture here shows my Reading corner, otherwise known as the "Jungle." It's a little difficult to see, but I have a cool tree hanging from the ceiling, along with vines wrapped around the area. Yes, I normally have student work displayed on the bulletin board in the jungle,...but with the state testing that just took place, I had to take everything DOWN and/or cover it up with newspaper, so it's currently BLANK.  Looking forward to hearing what you do in your room.  :-)
 
The TpT sale ends after today, so finish loading up your carts & check out so you don't lose out on some great deals!  The TN sale continues until May 11th!  Be sure to ENTER my giveaway on TN...it's a great Genres unit with loads of activities you can do with a few different genres.   The giveaway ends on Saturday, May 12th...just in time for Mother's Day!                                                        
 

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Spotlight Saturday on a Sunday?!

Yes, Spotlight Saturday is a day late...one of the hazards of being a mother of boys in the middle of the playoff season for Lacrosse.  :-)  I didn't even see my laptop for 24 hours.  But the good news is they're WINNING and one step closer to the state championship!  


 I DO have some freebies for ya'll (in my best Kentucky/Tennessee twang)  to check out.  With Teacher Appreciation Week upon us, you know you'll be writing some Thank you notes to your students.  Why not save yourself some time and print these FREEBIE PRINTABLE THANK YOU NOTES from Sue over at SOS Supply?  They are simply adorable and just LOOK like you've taken tons of time to put together...when Sue's done all the work for ya'.  The image will take you right to them!  


The next FREEBIE highlight is really a WHOLE BUNCH OF FREEBIES...That's right...you've hit the JACKPOT!  Several fantastic bloggers/teachers are giving away some incredible items for ONE DAY ONLY!  So take some time today to visit the following blogs (Click Jackpot image) for hundreds of dollars of savings!  Don't forget to take the time to THANK these teachers for their generosity!  


In closing today, have you shopped the sales at TpT and TN?  There are some amazing items at huge discounts up for grabs!  :-)  I know I am a teacher and I feel quite appreciated from my students' parents, but I'm a mommy too.  So I want to give a shout out to my own children's teachers who touch their lives daily!  I truly appreciate you and all you do for my own kiddos!  I am thankful for each of you!


Bananas for ALL teachers and the hard work and dedication that you unselfishly give each and every day!

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Giveaways, Sales, Jackpots...What Else Could You Ask For?

Wow...this is the weekend to be a teacher...You can't help but feel appreciated after what's taking place this weekend.  FIRST, TpT is having a HUGE Teacher Appreciation Sale.  Most teachers are posting items at 20% off and TpT is tacking on another 8%. (with a special code) "TAD12"  That's a total of 28% off your favorite items.   I know I've got EVERYTHING in my store marked for a sale this weekend.  Don't forget to leave the creator some feedback so you can earn MORE POINTS for MORE SHOPPING!  Click here for deals May 6-8th!  

  Keep a close eye on some of your favorite blogs too...A little birdie told me there's a BIG JACKPOT up for grabs from some fabulous teachers & bloggers!  
  You also can't forget to check out Teachers Notebook this weekend.  Tons of stores are having a Teacher Appreciation Sweepstakes Sale with items anywhere from 5%-50% off! (Including me!)   You can't miss, no matter where you turn for classroom materials this weekend!
As if sales aren't enough good news, I decided to celebrate all the MOMS out there with a little GIVEAWAY on TN.  Entries for that giveaway will be accepted from May 4- 12th....Just in time for Mother's Day.  It's such a fun 45 page unit on the genres.  It currently has activities for fairy tales, biographies, fables, and a project to use with any genre.  Click on the unit to enter the giveaway (starting May 4th)
School may be winding down, but it's never too late to start stocking up for next year!   
So as the weekend progresses...HAPPY SHOPPING!  HAPPY WEEKEND! :-)  

Bananas for SHOPPING & SALES!!


nomonkeybusinessmichelle@gmail.com

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