I am officially on Spring Break! I know for some of you it doesn't really feel like spring yet. Sorry about that, but at least you'll get some justice. In case you haven't heard the breaking news, this should help.

I'll be away for a few days this week, so I'm rounding up some spring stuff for you before I go. 

Hope you like!

I'll start with the freebies. First up is one of my shaker bottles for spring. The original post and directions can be found here.

Next freebie is Spring Bunny Bump which can be found here. There's addition, multiplication and a blank one so you can bump whatever the heck you like.

Freebie #3 is  Spring Subtraction Slide which you can download here. 

This post explains the game in a bit more detail.

I've also finished up my April Printable Pack (not a freebie, but I think reasonably priced at $4.50) which you can find here. I have to say, of all the monthly packs I've created, this might be my favorite. I didn't want to make it just all about Easter because I know not everyone celebrates it and Easter is actually in March this year, so there's lots in there about Earth Day, Arbor Day and general springy things. There are definitely some Easter-y things in there too though since Easter will be in April in 2014 and 2015. Who do I talk to about moving these darn holidays all over the calendar?? It's really stressing me out!

My April Calendar Center Task Cards ($3.50)  can be found right here. These are a center every month in my room. I really feel good about my kids being able to use a calendar now.

 I think it's really helped them grasp the concept.

If you have a Smartboard, you might like April's Smartboard Calendar Math which you can find here for $3.50. It's made for the Smartboard with the Smart Notebook Software. It will work with other interactive whiteboards as long as you have the Notebook software. You can always download the  Free May Smartboard Calendar math to check.

And finally, I have to say thank you, thank you, thank you to those of you who take the time to leave such wonderful feedback on freebies or purchases on tpt. I do read every. single. one. I don't usually reply on tpt because I'm not sure if you'd even see it and then everyone else checking out the feedback would have to scroll through all my replies along with your feedback. I just want you all to know that it fills my teachery heart to overflowing when I read how much you like the things I create. Of course I understand that not everyone super loves everything I make and that's fine too, but I did get one feedback that was, um, less than nice and kind of unfounded, and man did it sting!  So, again, big love and thanks to all of you who are not big mean meanies who are just mean. ;)

P.S. Check out Sally's Spring Freebie Linky for more goodies!

or visit Mrs. Wheeler's linky for more April ideas!

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I was inspired to do this week's Show and Tell when I was putting up our Lucky Family projects.

You can read more about it and get directions for students here. So today's topic is spring bulletin boards! I know that one of the things I search for the most is new bulletin board ideas, so maybe together we can create a nice collection of go-to ideas.

As usual, I'll start with my featured five. First up is this big, beautiful flower that I found on Rainbows Within Reach.  Is this amazingly eye-catching, or what? There are actually quite a few more ideas on that page as well.

Next up is this fun little frog that caught my eye on Across the Hall in Second Grade. 

When I clicked on it to read more, I found out that he originated over on Dragonflies in First, where she actually has the whole pattern ready for you to purchase. Both are super adorable spring boards!

I spotted these fluffy bunnies over at Daycare Matters. There are actually three beautiful boards over there to check out.

This next one is a great way to help relieve some test anxiety and let the kids spend a little time being artsy and creative (gasp!) right before the BIG TEST! {whatever yours may be called, it still instills that same dread in all of us and the kids...} This one is from a blog I've never visited before called Two Things in Common.

If you were one of my featured five, feel free to grab this button and link back here to show off!

I'd love for you to link up and share your spring bulletin boards. I'd also love to see any cute "craftivities"you might have that would make a great display. The only rule is that it has to be a blog post (not a direct link to a store) and you must include this button and link back to this page.

Speaking of spring, don't forget to spring forward an hour on Sunday! Boo!

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Hey Friends!
I did a little bit of spring decorating, inspired (of course) by Pinterest. What the heck did I do before Pinterest? I have a large window that takes up most of one wall of my room. I love that it lets in so much light and I like to dress it up a bit for the seasons. I've been seeing lots of pennant banners that look super cute so I combined that idea with some symmetry eggs and butterflies I found here. The AC vent blows on that window so it makes the butterflies flutter a little. It was just a quicky activity but the kids had fun with it and it cheers up the place a bit.

Tomorrow night one of my bestest, oldest friends is coming in to stay for the weekend and I'm going to help her start her own blog. I'm so excited because she is an incredible guidance counselor with so much to offer to other teachers. Now, I normally get ready in the guest room (which may be the secret to a happy marriage) and in the process of getting the room ready for her I decided to clean out my makeup bag. This is what I found.

I have been on an impossible mission to find the best mascara. I've even resorted to mixing and matching brushes with different brands, primers, plumpers, expensive to cheap and I was never satisfied. But, that is all a distant memory now that I have found this little beauty:

It's got a different kind of brush with really small bristles, but I am seriously diggin it. Just figured I'd share in case any of you have also been on a quest like me. I'm a pretty simple chick, but mascara and Kerasal ointment are my two beauty must haves. (No compensation from Cover Girl and Kerasal. I just love the products!)

And speaking of feminine products, I'll leave you with this funny story that really, truly did happen just a few days ago. A student of mine came out of the lunchroom (among the mob of 200 other students who all exit at the EXACT same time. really). She tells me that her  lunchbox is leaking. The conversation went something like this:

Kid: My lunchbox is leaking!
Me: Go run into the hallway bathroom and get some paper towels!  we never ever use this bathroom, I'm not sure I've ever even been in it before since we have our own bathroom in the room
Kid goes into the bathroom, comes right out with no paper towels.
Me: Where are the paper towels?
Kid: I don't have fifty cents.
Me: What?
Kid: They're charging for them now. They're 50 cents and I don't have any money.
Now times are tight and budget cuts are severe, so I make my way through the crowd of kidlets and open the bathroom door and see (you guessed it) a big ol' sanitary napkin dispenser on the wall!! And sure enough, "napkins" are 50 cents!

I reassured her that she didn't have to pay for napkins (yet, anyway) and we just dripped down the hall until we got to the free paper towels in our own room. Although the ones they sell in the hall bathroom are WAY more absorbent!

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I've been shakin' it up again, my friends! I had a little nudge from a fabulous reader (hi Becky!) and came up with this Springtime Compound Shaker! This one looks a bit different from my other shakers {click HERE and HERE for those} because instead of a Trop50 bottle, this one is made from a Voss water bottle. My next door teacher neighbor was drinking from this most awesome shaped bottle and I'm sure she thought I was a loon the way I was staring at her. And I'm sure it didn't help matters much when I asked if I could have the bottle when she was done! All's well that ends well though. She started saving them for me and now I have several in my plastic pile o'crap that may one day overtake my house.

This shaker centers around 15 compound words. Half of the word is in the shaker, half is on the students' answer sheet. There are also a couple of extension activities on the answer sheet as well. This should make a fun word work center for next week. The download includes everything you'll need, except the rice and water bottle. You'll have to stalk your friends yourself for that.  The label is the same size as the other labels so it will fit perfectly on the Trop50 bottle if you have some of those saved up. Click {HERE} to download the project from GoogleDocs.

Here are some helpful tips that you might find useful based on my past posts on the shakers:
•Be sure to click on the links above to read about the first ones I made. They explain in a bit more detail. And if you didn't get the set the first time around, there's no time like the present!

•To dye the rice, put it in a gallon ziplock bag. Add a couple of tablespoons of alcohol and food coloring. Mix it up until you like the color. Spread it out on a sheet pan to dry. It dries fast! Go ahead and dye a 5 pound bag. It keeps forever. I dye it in different colored batches and mix it together.

•Yes, glue the lid on. Use hot glue or my favorite E-6000

•I lift the edge of the original label off of the bottle with a razor blade and get off the remaining goo with Goo Gone

•I laminate the label and use my Xyron machine to turn it into a sticker to attach it. (I have three different machines and love them all! I  should get in touch with them about a giveaway!) If you don't have a Xyron, you might want to invest in an ATG tape runner. Both are great adhesives. Spray adhesive works well too. Glue stick - NotSoMuch.

And finally - Weekly Math Magic set one is finally posted on tpt! Sets 2-4 are written & they're getting the finishing touches. Click {HERE} for another freebie and {HERE} for set one. Psst...Jenny, Haley and Maureen: email me at ShopSunnyDays@me.com so I can send your free set!


See you tomorrow for Giveaway Monday! It's a really good goody from Learning Resources!

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I am so crazy excited to be blog swapping today with Brandi Jordan from The Teachers' Lounge which is Really Good Stuff's blog! If you're covered in snow today, hopefully our posts will help you think ahead to the first signs of spring! Enjoy Brandi's super cute recycled flower idea and then head over to check out my Lucky to be a Family St. Patty's Day project!

Recycled Flower Craft by Brandi Jordan

Spring, with its warmer weather and bright colors, cannot come soon enough after winters dull browns and dreary grey skies.  It is the perfect season for sparking children’s imagination and seeing wonder light up their eyes when they see that first tiny  flower shoot making its appearance.  Unfortunately, spring is also filled with rain that, while it makes the flowers grow, can also lead to restless students (and teachers!).  On those days when you cannot go out to explore the flowers growing on the playground, bring a bit of spring sunshine into class with a recycled craft that is perfect for the new season.

I am a big fan of flowers and love flower-related crafts, because they are an instant pick-me-up.  It is rare to see someone grumpy over flowers!  This craft turns ordinary paper strips into a flower with the help of a bit of glue or tape.  To conserve materials, I used old scrapbook paper that I had from a previous project, but strips from old magazines, leftover strips of construction paper from paper chains, or the pile of not-copied-quite-right papers in the copy room would work well.  The more colorful you want the flowers to be, the more colorful the paper should be, so keep that in mind when selecting materials.

You Will Need:

9 strips of paper per flower - approximately 1.5” wide by 11” long (the length of whatever paper you are using should be fine)

Strong Glue Stick or tape

Getting Started:

1.   Start by separating the paper strips into two piles.  One pile should contain the 7 strips that you want to use for the flower petals and center.  The other pile should include the strip of paper that you want to use for the stem and leaf.

2.  Make a circle out of one of the petal strips and glue or tape it to the end of the stem strip.  Make another circle for the center of the flower and glue or tape it to the opposite side of the same end of the stem. 

3.  Continue making circles with the paper and taping or gluing them around and to the center circle on the flower.  There should be enough room for about 6 petals including the one that you attached first.

4.  After the petals are on, create a circle for the leaf and glue or tape it to the opposite end of the flower stem. 

5.  When the glue has dried completely* and the flowers are done, hang them on a bulletin board or send them home with a Mother’s Day or spring message.

*Tip:  If you are having trouble getting the end of the paper to stick together, use a paperclip to hold each juncture in place and remove it after the glue has dried.

What are some of your favorite spring crafts?  Do you have one that you do year after year or do you alter your craft projects for variety? 

About the Author

Brandi Jordan is a mom, teacher, wife, author, and expert multi-tasker.  She is the Managing Director of Really Good Stuff’s blog, The Teachers’ Lounge, and her newest ebook, A Teacher’s Guide to Using Social Media and The Internet in the Classroom, was just released for free download.  Follow her on Pinterest and chat with her during #TeachChat every other Wednesday night from 9-10pm EST.

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