Traceable Monthly Calendars Freebie

Oh, the memories...I can remember when I first made these traceable calendars to use in my classroom in 2006....yes I know that's quite a few years ago.  Back when I was first teaching I went to the 'net' to find wonderful ideas online and browse daily in search for teacher websites...before I even knew about blogs!  

I was inspired to make these calendars when I came across Mrs. Meacham's website and read about how she used calendar binders.  I loved the idea and wanted to make my own calendars for my students to use in their binder.    

I think it was in 2010 when I decided to make my own class website.  It was so much fun learning how to make a class website and I began to share my calendars there.  

This year I had to decide if I wanted to renew or say good-bye to my website, since I was having such a hard time keeping up with it with a laptop that was as slow as growing grass!  Seriously...it would take 5 minutes here and there for it to open anything!  And this is one of the many reasons why I wanted to learn how to create a class blog...but I decided that I would continue having it up for a little bit longer.  

Well anywhoo, I don't want to bore you with me rambling about how I made these calendars.  They are simple, nothing fancy...I like 'simple!'  If you'd like to download the calendars click here.  

I'd love to hear what you think of the calendars and if you have used them in your classroom.  I enjoy reading comments from all of you.:)

Hobby Lobby and Ikea Goodies

I went to Hobby Lobby a few days ago and spotted these cute blue ottoman in the clearance aisle...when I saw that there were two of them, I just had to buy them!  

I asked the cashier if they were on sale, just had to make sure and he said 'Yes.'  Well it turned out that he either lied to me or didn't scan it right cause the price that I saw on the receipt was not what I saw on the clearance sticker!  I was so bummed out... especially since I had to drive all the way back there to return them.  I explained to the person who was helping me that I was returning them back since they were not at the price I wanted them...turned out that that the guy made a mistake and that they 'were' on sale...but get this, not for 80 but 90 percent off!!  This lady made my day, I got these babies for 5 bucks each.  I was in such a good mood, that I went back to browse and bought a few more things.  

I also bought a cute wooden owl.....I'm obsessed with owls, I tell ya!

I found on Pinterest..what looks like a lollipop bouquet/tree.  I love the idea and when I saw the orange flower pail on sale...I knew that I could use it to make it!  All I need now is a styrofoam ball and lollipops! Click here to see how to make one.

I also bought bright felt stickers and a small wooden easel that has two sides (chalkboard/whiteboard).  I plan to use the easel at my kidney table when I'm pulling small groups...I've seen teachers wear a crown or tiara to notify their students that the teacher is busy with a group of students.  So I thought, why not use a small easel!  I'll let you know how it goes, once I use it.:)

It's very rare for me to ever get to go to IKEA, since we don't have one in Vegas...very sad but true.  So when went to San Diego, CA as a quick getaway...I convinced my husband that I had to go to this store, it was a must!  I found these blue containers...I knew that I could use them for just about anything!  I've been wanting to use classroom coupons and thought that this container would be perfect to store them in.

I also bought some colorful cups and a small laundry hamper to store the pillows the students use to sit on at the library center.  These small containers are wonderful!! I bought 3 sets of them in blue/yellow/white years ago and they are still in great condition.  I've used them to store my calendar number cards, magnets, q-tips, labels, erasers, paper clips, etc.   

 

And last but not least...I've been working on my traceable calendars.  They should be ready by tomorrow!  Thanks for stopping by and listening me rant on and on about all the goodies I've found.:)

Schedule Cards Freebie

Hi everyone!  This is going to be a short and sweet post.  I am sharing today my schedule cards that I use in our classroom.  

They are small enough that they do not take up too much space on your board, yet big enough for you to see your daily schedule.  I found a picture of them displayed in my room, but it's not the best quality....so sorry for the fuzziness and extremely blurry picture.  If you look at the picture, they are quite small...right next to it is a small pocket chart from Target.

   

Click here to download the schedule cards.:)

Name Bingo & Editable Giveaway

A fun game that I made last year, to use during the beginning of the school year was a Name Bingo game.  This game was a big hit for us in kindergarten.  The kids really enjoyed playing this game during literacy center.  They love to hear their name and if it's included in a game...well what can I say, it sparks up the interest in playing!

One thing that I did for this game to help my visual learners was that I included everyone's head shot picture with their name.  At the beginning of the year you will be surprised at how many students come to my class not knowing the difference between a letter and a number....and surprise, surprise, they won't even know which letters are part of their name...so having pictures helped them a lot during the beginning of the school year.  I'm also a visual person...so not only does this help my students but it also helped 'ME,' their teacher, lol.

I like this game because it's simple and easy...once I get my class list, I plan to make it, laminate it, and it will be ready to go!

I am doing a giveaway where you can get this file as an editable version.  Want to be able to type in the bingo cards?  The first '3' followers who share what 'name' activities they do with their class during the beginning of the school year will get it! 

Pictures, pictures, pictures

So today I went through all my pictures that I saved in a folder, in search for pics that I took from activities that we did at the beginning of the school.  I must say, I was quite disappointed in myself...I only found two from 2009, haha..yeah I know that way back and a few from 2011.  I am making a promise to myself that I will definately take pictures of everything that we do this school year (no excuses).  So I am sharing a few old school pics but goodies with you.

Taaadaa...here they are!!!  Here is a picture of our chicka chicka boom boom trees.  We used this as part of our data wall in my kindergarten class.  The students would color each letter that they mastered.

We decorated our names with a variety of beans.

We decorated our names with colored construction paper and contact paper.

This picture is was taken in 2009 when I was teaching first grade.  We made an 'All About Me Glyph."

These were taken in kindergarten during a Parent Power Day.  Parents helped their child decorate their person - (we didn't make a glyph for this one - we just free styled it)

I shall make sure to have a camera on me at all times and remind myself to take 'MORE' pictures, it's a must!

Target Findings and a Freebie

All I can say is wow!!  Thank you so much for the wonderful comments and I'm so happy to have a few more followers to my blog.  You have truly made this a wonderful Sunday!  

As for my Target findings...today my husband surprised me with coming home early and told me to get ready because he was going to take me out for breakfast.  He knows what make this girl happy...and that is 'food!'  Anywhoo, right afterwards we stopped by Target since I didn't have time to check the weekly ads in the morning for school sales.  I love to browse and shop, who doesn't, right?  It was so nice to see the store so calm and mellow...there really wasn't that many people inside the store at 8:30 in the morning...so that was a bonus!  

These are the things that I found at the store and this time I bought everything that I found!  I was hoping to find more goodies in the dollar spot at Target but these were the only items that stood out.  I'm thinking of using the snack bags to include small back to school items for the kids.  I haven't quite thought about what I am going to use the foam hands...but I'm sure that I'll figure out something.  As for the Dr. Seuss paper cut-outs...who doesn't love Dr. Seuss!?  This will just go as part of my Dr. Seuss themed unit.  

OMG, I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw these stickers.  Do you see what I see?!  It's the owl stickers that were used make this wonderful Reward Jar!  I remember pinning this on my Pinterest board awhile back and told myself once I saw it...'I gots to have it!'  

Click here to go to website where I found this adorable owl jar!  I am sooo planning to make this, especially since I found the stickers!:)

The last thing that I found were these books.  I can't get enough of Pete the Cat and the Pigeon books.  The authors are amazing and I am all about singing and reading silly stories.  I love to laugh and even though I will admit that I do not have the best singing voice, I will always and mean always sing for my kiddos.  Even if I make a fool out of myself.  I also bought the book This Is Not My Hat.  

Oh my...your going to think I'm very weird, but I tend to read books aloud to my husband at the store to make sure that I like it before I buy it...yeah that right, I'm the weird lady who reads children literature books to a grown man at the store with expression and all, LOL.

Well I had to buy this one...he laughed at the end and if my hubby thinks a book is entertaining, it's a must buy for me.  As he pulled me away from the children literature book aisle...I told my husband that I seriously have a 'BIG' problem with buying children literature books.  I have sooo many of them and the collection seems to keep growing and growing!  He, however seems to encourage it...he says there is nothing wrong with buying books that I like, even if they are meant for a younger reading audience, heehee.  Well, if he approves..then so be it...I will continue to buy more books!

The 'Kissing Hand' Mini Unit giveaway will end by tonight at midnight!  You still have an hour to become a follower to receive the unit and don't forget to leave a comment...by sharing an idea that you use with the story (also don't forget to include your email).  I don't want anyone to feel left out, so just in case you arrive here late and missed the giveaway...I have included a freebie to this post. Here is a Chester the Raccoon coloring sheet freebie.

Click here to download the file.  Enjoy!:)

Sneak Peak: Kissing Hand Giveaway is Tomorrow!!

Sooooo, are you as excited as I am about tomorrow's giveaway!  Just so that you don't miss out, here is a little sneak peak of what will be in the mini unit.

I'll be quite honest, I've been working on this for a week or so and have been adding so many activities that I had to tell myself to 'stop.'  This girl needs her sleep...yikes!  I realized that the mini unit was becoming more of a super long unit so I had to decide which ones were best to keep with the mini unit.  Even though I've shrunken it down to half of what I made to make this a true mini unit, I promise that you will 'love it!'  Isn't this little raccoon adorable?!;)

Don't forget...I will only be sending by email to the ones that become a follower for my blog.  Please make sure to leave a comment sharing your ideas of what you do in your classroom for the book 'The Kissing Hand' and also your email so that I can send it to you tomorrow.  You don't want to miss out, because I think that you will really, really, and I mean really like it.  It is pouring outside in Vegas today...so this girl needs to get off of the computer and enjoy the rain...it's very rare for it to rain here!  Happy posting!:)

Walmart Goodies for my Classroom

So, we went to go buy dog food at PetsMart and there so happens to be a Walmart in the same shopping center and I kindly asked my hubby if we could go to browse for a bit....since we were short in time and he doesn't do browsing.  I'm so happy that he said 'YES' or else I wouldn't have found these!  Take a look at the goodies that were there...but sadly I didn't buy everything that I found.  I had to fight the urge to buy it all.

These owls would look so cute for the owl theme that I doing for my classroom!

I was very tempted in getting these Birthday Kits for my kiddos to wear when it is their birthday...it would make such a great picture for their memory book.  Super cute!

Wouldn't these be awesome to use for math and science journals!  They are the perfect size! (Sorry for all the exclamation marks but I am just super excited about all the goodies.)

This is the first time I have ever seen Mr. Sketch markers in Walmart.  I love, 'LOVE,' love these markers.  They smell so good and the kids love them too. 

I don't know about you, but I am a fan of mustaches!  When I see something with a mustache, I must have it....even though I don't really, really need them.  So these magnets went straight in my shopping basket, lol.

I forgot to take a picture of these oval plastic plates that I found at Walmart.  They were on sale for a dollar for a pack of 3.  I wanted to buy more...but told myself to wait.   Sometimes I have to talk myself into not getting everything that I see or else I will end up spending way too much dinero (money), yikes!

Out of all the pictures that I took at Walmart, these were the only goodies that I bought for the day.  I plan to use the owls as part of my decor in my classroom and plan to hot glue one of the plates onto our classroom restroom for students to write their name when they are using the restroom.  

As for the mustache magnets...well those are just for me, heehee.  These will look super fab on my refrigerator at home.:)