Attention Dallas Area Teachers!

Do you enjoy meeting new teachers and sharing ideas? Are you counting down the days until summer break begins? (Let's be honest, who isn't?!) Would you like to mix and mingle with fellow teachers while learning new tips and tricks to finish the school year?

Teachers Pay Teachers is hosting an event in Dallas later this month! Join me and other area teacher bloggers for a fun afternoon filled with laughs and learning! We'll share our favorite ideas to help you feel refreshed and ready to tackle the end of the year. 

This event is FREE! To register simply click this link to RSVP. Hope to see you there!

Words To Live By

Hi friends! It's been a while since my last blog post. I had these visions of blog posts in my head, and then back to school season hit! Tomorrow I continue staff development in my district, and continue the mad dash to get my classroom ready before meeting my new minis and their parents Wednesday night. Oh, and did I mention the air conditioning in my classroom is currently NONEXISTENT??? Fix it Jesus!
I just wanted to quickly share one of my favorite quotes with you all tonight.

Don't be afraid to mix up your classroom layout, or teach that lesson you've been wanting to try. Don't let a negative opinion keep you from doing what's best for your students! If you haven't already connect with teachers who will be a support system for you. You deserve to have positive relationships that will energize and uplift you. Your students deserve the positive atmosphere you can provide for them. 

 Whenever you face a hater with a negative opinion or you're feeling gloomy this year just remember this quote! Print it out or screenshot it if you have to. Have a great week! Hopefully I can get back on track with blogging soon!  

July Currently

I'm linking up with Farley again for another month of Currently. Can you believe July is already here?

Listening- I'm catching up on tonight's episode of RHONY. All of the Real Housewives are my guilty pleasure tv. Some of these women are a hot mess!

Loving- I'm so excited for what I call my working vacation in Vegas next week! I'm excited/nervous/slightly anxious about attending my first TpT conference.

Thinking- It's probably a good idea to get a head start on packing now so I'm not scrambling next week. Thankfully I've got a few things such as notes printed and hotel transportation already figured out. I've flown numerous times by myself, so at least there's one less area for me to have anxiety in.

I've been prepping my business cards this week! Some will have a QR code for a freebie and others will have chocolate!

Wanting/Needing- I've been craving a Braum's ice cream sundae so bad today! I'm trying to do my best with eating until next week, but I might cave. Braum's has a delicious strawberry shortcake sundae....

All Star- I've always been a good listener and good at keeping things confidential. My belief is if someone trusts you enough to confide in, then keep your mouth shut! If a friend or coworker needs a listening ear I'll be there.

Don't forget to link up and share your currently!

TpT Seller Challenge Week 2

Happy Monday friends! I'm linking up with Third in Hollywood, Sparkling in Second, Peppy Zesty Teacherista, and Teach Create Motivate again for week 2 of the TpT seller challenge. This week is all about dreams!

Source

I 100% agree with this quote! Dreams are important because they're hope for the future. I've always been a dreamer so this week's challenge is right up my alley.

God loves a cheerful giver! I love giving and helping others when I can, and hopefully as my store progresses I can give and help others more freely and pay off some bills.

When I graduated college, one of my goals was to travel as much as possible when I got my first teaching job. I try to travel somewhere once a year at least. I just got back from a fantastic trip to Disney World!! One of my teaching buddies and I traveled to Orlando for a one day conference, and decided to extend the trip a few days to visit all the parks.The costs were a bit more than I expected, but I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat.

I could flood this blog posts with all my pictures, but I won't! I'm EXCITED to attend my first Vegas conference next month!

I'm not married, and I don't have kids of my own. Each year I may spoil my class and go a bit over the top but I wouldn't have it any other way. I always say the kids in my classroom weren't born from my belly but they'll always hold a special place in my heart. My belief is if the class has earned rewards, then I want to provide for them.

When we follow our dreams and make things happen, we can help others reach their dreams. How amazing is that! I want my TpT journey to be a testimony to others who are considering opening up their own store.

Sunday Scoop

My poor lil blog hasn't received much attention this month! I just realized I haven't blogged since the beginning of the month, eek! It's my first ever link up with Teaching Trio for the Sunday Scoop.

3-I absolutely DESPISE doing laundry! I'd rather do almost any other household chore than laundry, it just drives me nuts. 

My stomach is currently grumbling which means I better eat soon. I can be a  not so pleasant person if I get super hungry.

This is so me. Can I get an amen?

Thankfully my lesson plans are caught up for the next couple of weeks which gives me some wiggle room to plan out and do some other things.

2- Thankfully I did manage to update one of my TpT products. My counting coins task cards were just updated.

I need to clean out my DVR. I will watch just about anything. I'm not ashamed to admit binge watching some Real Housewives or Catfish. 

1-I'm so grateful we finally are getting some sunshine around here! It's been so bleh and rainy lately.

Now I'm off to read other posts...then hunt for food!

March Currently

It's time for more currently fun with Farley! I'm praying March brings warmer weather very soon.

Listening- Bravo is one of my favorite channels. I'm not ashamed to admit I love watching all of the Real Housewives series.

Loving- Nothing beats a cozy blanket to keep you warm. Seriously I wanna stay on the sofa forever...or at least until I have to use the bathroom.

Thinking- Last week we missed Monday and Tuesday due to bad weather. When we finally returned Wednesday it was an early release day on top of parent teacher conference night. Friday we started getting snow again around 9:00 that morning. Kids started getting picked up and my classroom quickly shrank throughout the day. Let's hope this week is as normal as possible!

Wanting and Needing- If I'd get off the sofa I could fix my hungry problem. 

Spring Break Plans- I plan on sleeping and relaxing! My mom's birthday is the Friday during spring break, so we'll celebrate that. I also need to updating on my TpT store.

Don't forget to link up and share your currently!

February Currently

I don't know about y'all but I thought January would never end! It's time to participate in my favorite linky with Farley.

Listening- It's a rare moment where I don't have the tv on as background noise. Sometimes silence is a great thing. 

Loving- I'll be 31 on the 10th of this month! I still have no set plans yet, but the wheels in my head are turning with ideas. 

Thinking- My laptop has been all kinds of cuckoo lately and slow. Please Lord let it last until I get a new one.

Wanting- I've got a craving for a red velvet cupcake (my fave) and some good 'ol Blue Bell vanilla ice cream.

Needing- The laundry pile is looking horrible right now. I vow to tackle the growing pile soon as I finish this post.

Pageant Title- Sometimes I have self control, and sometimes I don't. The last two weeks I've had very little self control. Of course I needed that clip art from TPT, and that cute dress I saw at Forever 21 because it was picture day and I couldn't look a hot mess. And of course I gotta look for a new birthday outfit right? 

Don't forget to link up and share your currently! I don't care who wins the Super Bowl today, I'm just happy to socialize and eat!

Five for Friday

TGIF!! What a jam packed week it's been. I haven't linked up with a Five for Friday post with Doodle Bugs Teaching in a while, so here we go!

Monday was staff development in my district, and I did my first solo presentation! I was all kinds of antsy/nervous/excited. I received a nice email and a sweet compliment on Instagram from someone who attended one of my sessions.

I went to the Mavericks game Wednesday night with a friend who got me floor seats for Christmas! Sadly the Pistons won, but at least I was close enough to see all the action and get a pic with one of the Maniaacs after the game.

 Have you seen the new student bag idea on Pinterest? I prepared a couple back in August, and let me tell you it was a huge time saver when I got a new student Tuesday.

The sweet person in front of me at Starbucks this morning paid for my Friday treat! Caramel apple spice with extra whip and a chocolate croissant, delicious.

It's too cold for me outside, so my weekend will consist mostly of Netflix. I started watching House of Cards and I'm hooked!

14 in '14

Do you hear that sound? It's the sound of teachers everywhere sleeping in, watching Netflix, eating long lunches, and going to the bathroom when they want to! Thank God Christmas break has finally arrived! I have so much Pinterest and Bloglovin posts to catch up on during break.

While scrolling through Bloglovin I found this fun linky hosted by some fabulous bloggers! Hop on over to Miss Kindergarten and link up!

Sorry for the not so great quality of some of the pics! Here's my list in no particular order

1. I turned 30 in February! I heard some horror stories about crying and all out denial about this milestone birthday. To be honest 30 has been a good year to me! 

2. I took my first trip to NYC in April. It was too cold for this Texas girl, but I'll definitely return again in the future. Oh the funny stories I could tell about this trip.

3. I celebrated my two year Crossfit anniversary in April. Crossfit is the hardest and best thing I've ever done for myself all at once.

4. I took a leap of faith and joined TpT! 

5. This particular verse of Jeremiah was really put into my heart this year. I'm telling you this year has been full of growing and changes.

6. I got to present at summer staff development in July, and share some fun with a group of sweet teachers at my school. I was having a bit of a hot mess hair day, my bad!

7. This hasn't happened yet, but I did find out a few weeks ago I'll be going to EdCamp Magic next June in Orlando!! I'm so excited and can't wait to visit Disney World again! Fyi teacher friends attending EdCamp Magic is free and tickets are still available.

8. I ran my sixth 5k in October!

9. I enjoyed lots of pool time this summer! I don't have a pool of my own, but I house and pet sat this summer. Luckily both houses had a pool!

10. I attended a Kagan workshop a few months ago, and my second Ignite conference in June. This school year I've put a focus on trying new things and doing the best possible for my class.

11. This year I was introduced to and have become somewhat obsessed with Lush products. If you haven't tried them, you're missing out! All natural amazing products that are worth every penny.

12. Without being aware of it, I've developed this strange habit of taking pics of my feet when I go somewhere, then uploading those pics to Instagram.

Before yoga

 Silly socks day during Red Ribbon Week

 At the gym

One of those super nice movie theaters where you sit in a comfy reclining chair. My bestie is a shorty, lol.

13. This quote has stuck with me all year, love it!

Original source

14. I've been integrating task cards more this year. After considering the layout of my room, and browsing Pinterest I began work on a solution. Hopefully I can share a picture of the finished area in another blog post. I expanded the area and evened up the rows.

November Currently

Well, I don't know about y'all but I don't think this whole fall back time change is doing me much good so far. I tossed and turned last night and feel like I didn't get the rest I needed.How were your class minis Friday? Surprisingly my minis did a great job most of Friday even with the Halloween anticipation setting in during the afternoon. Look at one of my cutie pie minis all decked out!

Is that not the cutest outfit ever?!

 A new month means a new edition of Currently with Farley!
I bow down to all your amazing bloggers who are able to get your currently up so quick! Maybe one day I'll catch up.

Listening- I know I really shouldn't complain but it's a little cold right now in my part of Texas! I know someone up north will look at our current temperature and laugh, but we haven't seen a forecast like this in a while. Last night before going to bed, I had to turn the heat on. I'm still freezing.

Loving- Yesterday I FINALLY made it to get my hair done! It's all nice and polished...when I haven't rolled out of bed 30 minutes ago. I'm not ashamed to say I'm blogging with bedhead right now. Another thing I'm loving is a new scent I found at Victoria's Secret on Friday.

I posted this pic on Instagram but it's worth posting here because it smells so good. It's called Oh What Fun and I believe it'll only be around for the holidays. I'm definitely going back to stock up on some more.

Thinking- After church today I must go to the grocery store or I'll starve. I was also thinking of a Lakeshore visit today since Mardel will be closed. I'd like to get some letters to match my November bulletin board. After that is the usual blah stuff like laundry and preparing for Monday.

Wanting- I'm currently covered in three different blankets but I need more.

Needing- I always want an extra pair of hands on Sunday, mainly because I do most of my household chore like stuff Sunday afternoons. It normally ends when I decide I'm bored!

Reading- Do teaching blogs count as reading? I haven't read a book for pleasure all year which isn't normal for me. Any book suggestions?

Can y'all believe it I made it through a currently without mentioning The Real Housewives, ha! Don't forget to link up with your currently.

Liebster Award

Happy Tuesday y'all! Today has been a whirlwind of a day! During conference time today I checked my personal email on my phone and learned I've been nominated a Liebster Award!

Thank you Colleen from Literacy Loving Gals for considering me! The Liebster Award is for bloggers with less than 200 followers. I got a nomination for this award earlier this year by my blogging buddy Angela from Southern Fried Teachin but never wrote my post! Shame on me I know. School and person craziness combined with being sick didn't work out in my favor. I'm just so glad people take time to read my little slice of the teacher bloggy universe!

1. Why and how long ago did you start blogging? 

I started my blog in June 2013. I had been blog stalking for a couple of years and loved seeing all the pictures, creativity, and passion from other bloggers. Teaching like any profession isn't perfect, but I can honestly say I LOVE what I do. I decided to take the plunge and start sharing my teaching ideas. There's something so recharging being connected with other teachers who share you commitment and excitement. 

2. What one word sums up the heart of your blog and why?

Authenticity. What you see is what you get. Sometimes I ramble in a post. Sometimes the grammar and punctuation aren't perfect. These things are fine with me. My goal is to always keep it real whether it's through a blog post or face to face. We're all unique and one of a kind teachers, so I think our blogs should reflect that as well.

3. Is there something you learned late in your blogging journey you wished you knew before?

Since I still consider myself a blogging newbie I'm not too sure. I will say though I wish I'd gotten a custom blog design from day one. 

4. What is your favorite past time other than blogging?

I love to travel! I've always enjoyed visited new places and trying new things. My two favorite places to visit are New Orleans and San Francisco. 

5. How many hours per week do you dedicate to your blog?

My goal is one post per week, so about 1-2 hours. One of my favorite weekend activities is scrolling through my Bloglovin feed.

6. What category of blog posts do you enjoy the most?

Oh man this is a tough question. I love seeing pictures of classrooms and students working together. I also love reading about linky parties. 

7. Where does your blog inspiration come from?

My inspiration comes from my day to day classroom experiences. I love using technology in the classroom, so I also get some inspiration to share when I try a new app with the minis.

8.Which post that you've written are you most proud of?

My favorite posts are the ones I've written after attending an EdCamp because I always learn something I think is amazing and can't wait to share it.

9. Is there any post you have been planning to do, but have postponed it for a while now?

Definitely! I had these grand plans of doing a blog post about organization with materials from Dollar Tree and how I rotate math station. Maybe one day I'll actually get them finished.

10. What is your favorite aspect of blogging?

Two things: I love how blogging keeps me excited about teaching, and I love when you connect with another blogger and it's like y'all have been buddies for the longest time.

11.Which recipe, project, or idea on my blog would you be most likely to try yourself? 

This is so not teaching related, but Colleen mentioned boxing on her post. I'd probably fail hard at boxing but I'd love to try it one day!

Whew! That was a mouthful. Here are my nominations:

1. Chantelle from Little Learners

2. Natalie from Tales From Miss D

3. Alexis from Mrs. Hudgens Hears a Who

4. The Inspired Owl's Corner

Quick side note: There are supposed to be 11 nominations, but I've searched high and low for almost two hours! There are lots of fabulous bloggers who have already been nominated.

The rules for accepting a nomination:

*Insert drum roll here*

1. In your post, link back to the blogger who nominated you as a thank you and "shout out."

2. Answer the 11 questions given to you (the ones I answered above).

3. Nominate 11 blogs of your choice that each have less than 200 followers.  Provide them with 11 questions to answer or have them answer the questions above.

4. Let your nominees know that they've been nominated and provide them with a link to your post so that they can accept.

5. Send your nominator a link to your post so that s/he can learn more about you as well! 

Meet the Teacher Linky

Hey y'all! Today was our first day of inservice and oh my goodness the back to school chaos has finally hit me! The good news is my room is 90% done. I'm so glad I got a head start this year and won't have to full on panic come next week when I meet my new set of minis.
I'm linking up with Falling Into First for a fun filled meet the teacher linky just in time for back to school.

 I've seen this linky floating around for a few days now, and I've hesitated on joining. I'm not one to talk about myself much and can be fairly shy. This will be the most pictures of myself I've ever put into a blog post.

I'm a 30 year old Christian, daughter, sister, friend, Cross doing, Texas twangin' second grade teacher! I'll start my fifth year of teaching in a couple of weeks. I've always loved school. I was the kid who played "school" with stuffed animals and graded their papers. 

Traveling is one of my favorite hobbies! My two must do's (do's? Is that correct?) while traveling are a spa visit and cupcakes. 

It was windy and the hair was a hot mess but I had to venture out to the observation deck!

The big piano at FAO Schwartz was one of my must visit places when I took my first trip to NYC in April.

New Orleans is my all time favorite place to visit. I try going every year if possible.

THESE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS.....

Cupcakes, pink, anything sparkly, Target, Starbucks, pedicures, almost anything on Bravo, lounging poolside under a big umbrella with a yummy beverage, Christmas, QVC.

IF YOU WEREN'T A TEACHER, WHAT WOULD YOU WANT TO BE?

I'd love to be an event planner or someone who hosts one of those awesome traveling shows so I get to visit amazing places.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE YOU.

Caring, calm, creative

FINISH THE SENTENCE, "_______, SAID NO TEACHER EVER!''

"Analyzing data AGAIN and going cross eyed from all the numbers is just so much fun, said no teacher ever!"

Q: IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY AND YOU CAN INVITE ANYONE {DEAD OR ALIVE} TO THE PARTY. WHO ARE YOU INVITING?

I'd invite Oprah. I've always been a fan of hers since I was little. Anyone who supports teachers is a favorite of mine.

Q: IF SOMEONE WROTE A BOOK ABOUT YOUR LIFE, WHAT WOULD BE THE TITLE?

Stronger Than Yesterday

 Q:YOU GET TO PICK ONE SUPERPOWER. WHAT IS IT?

Hmm, this is a tough one. I'd have to go with super human strength.

Q: WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE QUOTE OR SAYING?

"Be careful not to do something permanently stupid because you are temporarily angry, stressed, tired, or hungry"

Q: IF YOU HAD TO SING ONE SONG ON AMERICAN IDOL, WHAT WOULD IT BE? 

I'm currently obsessed with the song Fancy by Iggy Azalea, but only sing it in my car. Trust me y'all don't want me to sing in public!

Q: ARE YOU A MORNING PERSON OR A NIGHT OWL?

Definitely more of a morning person once I wake up and get energzied for the day.

Q: WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE RESOURCE THAT YOU'VE CREATED IN YOUR TPT SHOP?

I don't have a TPT shop yet, BUT I am moving forward and hope to get it up and going in the next couple of months. I've thought about a TPT shop before and God placed it in my heart this summer. It's exciting and scary territory for me.

Q: SHARE SOMETHING WE MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT YOU!

I have three tattoos! My most recent on my right ankle and favorite I got a few weeks ago. It's still in the healing/peeling phase.