My girls bloggin over at Owl-ways Be Inspired have come up with a genius idea. They've asked all the other Owl bloggers to share some of the resources that we really depend on in our room. What a great time to share this too, considering there's a big sale on TpT Thursday and Friday. {As if my wish list wasn't already long enough...}

For me, this was easy. I have three things of my own that I've really come to rely on. First are my Monthly Printable Packs. I first started making these a few years ago and they keep evolving. In fact, I've even been slowing changing over the name to Ready, Set, Print! for each month. I just finished the March update which added about 10 new pages, including a bulletin board pattern, title, and printable. I've also been adding Common Core standards to each page as applicable for grades 1-3 to help with planning and documenting. This is one reason why I won't be bundling these packs. I just keep updating and adding more and more, so updating the pack and the bundle as well might just put me over the edge!

These really come in handy for sub plans, early finishers, homework supplements, and morning work. I've been adding some independent research projects, reading comprehension, and complete writing activities. Yup, these are a life saver.

Here are the links to each month: Back to School, October, November, December, January, February, March, April, May, June and July

Next, I'd have to say I'm super in love with the printable companions I've started adding to my monthly writing task cards. I've had these task cards for a really long time, but I wasn't always happy with the results the kids were producing when working on them. I would notice them taking a crazy amount of time to set up the paper leaving little time for the actual writing. So now, they have a printable journal with the topics right inside! They match the task cards, but I honestly haven't been using them since I have the companions. I been choosing about 10 topics from the printable companion, stapling them into little books and using them as a teaching opportunity. We brainstorm together, turn and talk about ideas, model, and then they write and share. I've been careful about mixing up the activities to include all different forms of writing to make it fun and meaningful. I only wish I had done this back in August! 

Easy links to each month: Back to School, October, November, December, January, February, March, April, May, June

These are bundled:  The printable companion is NOT in the bundles (yet!) but if you buy the bundle, just email me and I'll send the completed ones to you. Bundle One & Bundle Two.

And finally, number three would have to be my monthly bulletin board banners. There are at least 2 for each month and they can easily be done in class or sent home for a project. No prep is involved and your work display for the month is done in a snap! I have a clothesline across my window where these usually go making a nice bunting, but shooting a picture into the light when they're hung up has been a total disaster, so here's an idea of how they look laid out on my table. They're on tpt HERE.

They're formatted to print on legal, but they come out just fine on letter size. In fact, the ones above are letter sized. Sometimes I cut colored construction paper to size which makes them really pop.

There are some other really amazing products keeping me afloat that are created by incredibly talented girls who I now call my friends. All of their blogs are linked up below where they are all sharing their must-haves. You will not regret hopping around to visit them. Each of us is also throwing a little giveaway, like a little party favor for visiting. Here on my blog, just enter using the Rafflecopter widget below for a free product of your choice from my store.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

An InLinkz Link-up

Read more »

SunnyDays

With my big trip to Carson Dellosa, 2 bouts of semi-serious sickness, celebrating the 100th day, and my formal evaluation near the end of January, all the fun stuff of February just kind of snuck up on me! For the first time in many years, I didn't even decorate my room - at all! And I have super cute Valentine stuff to decorate with! I didn't even do a February bulletin board. I just took down our New Year's Resolutions and MLK stuff yesterday. I'm super thankful to have an amazing admin who is not on our case about that kind of stuff, but I didn't want to push my luck.

So, I'm determined to get a jump start on March so it doesn't slip away from me. I really only have 3 months left with my super adorable little nuggets this year! What??

One of my very favorite March projects is my Lucky to be a Family bulletin board.

  You can click on the picture to download a freebie version on TpT.

I also included another version in my updated March Printable Pack {which are now known as Ready, Set, Print! I thought it sounded a little snazzier.}

In the version that comes with the pack, I included a printable pattern and a printable title that you can just print and cut around and add to the board. Which is noticeably absent in the pic above! I'm going to use the smaller patter this year so I can fit them all on the board.

Of course the printable pack is chock full of other timely, relevant, and rigorous, CCSS aligned goodness for you!

I'm also going to get my banners for March done ahead of time so they can actually be hanging up ON March 1st or maybe even before <gasp!> That would be a nice change of pace. I like these for the clothesline that hangs across my window and the cork strip outside my classroom. I'm planning on doing the March "In like a lion, out like a lamb" one in class as a great way to start our study of idioms. The Ireland research will be a homework project. These were meant to print on legal paper to give the kids a lot of room to write, but they really print fine on letter size too, just be sure to check your printer settings. These come from this pack of 25 Quick and Creative Bulletin Board Banners which has been a HUGE timesaver for me this year!

I really start to realize how many monthly themed products I create when it comes time to update them or make the new set for each month! I hate when I start to rely on a monthly resource and I go to snag the next month and it's not here! So, trust me, I'm working on all of my other March goodies as we speak. In the meantime, be sure to download my free March Bump Games

You might also like the March Calendar Task Cards which have been updated through January 15.

I've also got March Smartboard Calendar Math, 

I'm also working on adding the printable journal companion to my March Writing Center Task Cards, 

and I'm hoping to finish my March Homework Helper set this weekend. Here's a peek at the February set if you're not familiar with them.

See, I'm all about the monthly resources? It keeps me busy. 

Now let's hope not too busy to actually use them!

Read more »

SunnyDays

So, where shall we start? How about at the part where I missed my fight? Yup, me - the TERRIFIED flier, missed. the. plane. First of all, I had to leave out of Miami, which is a crazy, big, perpetually under construction airport. Secondly, I was a sad, nervous wreck because my husband was supposed to be coming with me and at the last minute we made the decision that he was going to stay behind because he was sick. Sick, sick. Like pneumonia sick. So we got to the airport in plenty of time, but it took a while to find a spot to park. Once we did, we saw a sign that said "American Check-in" right as we walked through the door. Perfect! So, we walked right up, counted our blessings that we were in the right spot and waited on line. And waited. and waited. As I looked around, I saw just about everyone was bringing a T.V. up to the counter, and most were holding passports and everyone was speaking Spanish. I started to get a sinking feeling after spending about 25 minutes on line and finally asked someone if I was in the right place. Uh no. Turns out I was in line for a chartered flight to CUBA!

So, I'll spare you the details of the SpEcTaCuLaR cry-baby meltdown I had pleading with the absolutely compassion-less woman working at the counter. But trust me, it was ugly. Fast forward 8 hours later, and I was finally on my way. I think my seat was the one they reserve for dingbats who mess with the check-in lady. It was the very first one on the plane. A single seat, across from the flight attendant and next to the server cart. No overhead. No tray table. But I was on the plane, dangit! So, off I went.

As soon as I landed, I saw this out of the window of the plane - SNOW!

Here's the view from my hotel the next morning. Honest to goodness snow!

I wasn't the only one fascinated. Here's my fellow Florida girl Cheryl from Primary Graffiti, also diggin the white stuff!

We got a late start because of the crazy weather in Atlanta that delayed the flights of the other bloggers, but when we finally got to the Carson Dellosa offices, we were greeted by the most warm and wonderful people you could imagine. And tons of stuff!! We were all joking that it was a bit like being on Design Star. We had a big white room,  tons of amazing products, and the freedom to do whatever we wanted to showcase them.

There's lots more to show and tell, but for now, I'll leave you with this little video. I LOVE it! And before you ask, the shirt I'm wearing at the end is from CafePress.com ;)

Read more »

SunnyDays