Have You Heard the Word?

I'm guessing that you've already heard the big news, but TpT is having their annual Cyber Monday sale this week! It's actually a two day sale, so technically it's Cyber Monday and Tuesday. TpT will automatically discount your purchases 10%, then I'm also discounting all of my products 20%. So, in my brain that's 30%, but someone much more math savvy than I am has figured that it actually equals 28%.  Either way, still a nice discount!

Button Credit: Crazy cute Ashley Hughes

I have to say, I pretty much shop exclusively on tpt for all of my teaching resource needs. See, I've got lots on my own wish list and I even have a bunch of credits to spend!

I used to spend lots of time browsing the teacher stores and book stores looking for things to use with my kids, but now the first place I go is tpt. One of the things I like best is that I can usually just buy what I need. Lots of times when I buy a resource book, I can only use a few pages from it, but when I buy from tpt I can just buy an activity or a center to use instantly. Plus there are tons of freebies there too and I snag them up just as fast as anyone else! I also love that my filing cabinet is now virtual and I no longer have stacks of books making my shelves sag and providing homes for the paper-munching critters I have to contend with here in South Florida.

As much as I love to create teaching materials, I know my strengths and weaknesses so I have my favorite sellers that I stalk for my social studies and science needs! I'm constantly amazed at the level of professionalism my peers have reached when creating materials and I'm so proud to be part of a community of teachers who are lifting up the profession as a whole and showing the world that we can do amazing things for our kids inside AND out of the classroom.

You also have to know that there is a whole lot of cool behind the scenes networking that goes on between bloggers. We meet and chat regularly in virtual groups and have come to rely on each other both professionally and personally. To say that  many of the ladies I blogstalked and idolized for so long are now true friends of mine is amazing. I've never been so uplifted, encouraged and motivated as I am by these women - and that's saying something because I've been fortunate to work with some pretty amazing people in real life.

I try not to use my blog to focus on tpt too much because I don't want to turn anyone off or feel like a constant commercial for my tpt store. I know that feeling when a blog you love suddenly becomes nothing more than a constant advertisement to buy their products. I do sneak in a little blurb once in a while when I make something I'm particularly proud of or especially if it's something I've been getting constant requests for.

So, thanks for indulging me today in my tpt ramblings! I know I don't always have time to respond to everyone's comments, but know that I do read each and every one. Feel free to comment today and let me know what you're thinking about. Do you shop at tpt? Do you mind when bloggers post new products? Who are your favorite sellers? How am I doing walking that line between keeping my blog useful, purposeful and relevant without crossing over into that disappointing commercial zone? {Be nice though, I cry easy.}