TpT Seller Challenge Week #3: Make Your Masterpiece

This was a motivating week!  Making a TpT product is no joke and anyone who creates knows that when you start something it isn't just a small project, but a HUGE process!  From start to finish, it is a major process.  Do I love the process?  OH YESSSSSSS!!!!  I discovered some awesome graphics from I Teach What's Your Super Power and knew I wanted to incorporate them into my masterpiece.  I decided to go with a punctuation pack and this is what I came up with:

This Positively Punctuation Pack comes with 9 posters and cute activities to engage students and provide practice in using punctuation. Activities include clip-its, sorts, flapbooks, and spinners.   Here is a closer look!

Thanks again to the wonderful ladies who have organized this challenge!

TpT Seller Challenge #2: Dare to Dream

This weeks challenge has really made me reflect on my life.  I have been thinking about where I have been, what I have experienced, and where I want to be.  I am 36 years old (ugh, I hate typing that number) and I have seen so much of the world and experienced so many adventures, some good and some bad.  That is life.  We live and we learn, we laugh and we cry.  I can think of so many basic things I want from success with TpT....like pay off my bills, buy a new MacBook, go on a family vacation, continue to attend the annual TpT Vegas conferences, a boat and a camper would be fun!  Maybe I am thinking too into this challenge , but my thoughts and dreams go deep.  So here it is folks!  This is where I dare to dream!

DREAM #1 - I want to slow down and enjoy life & focus on what really matters!   I LOVE education and I LOVE teaching!  With that being said, I also LOVE my family and LOVE when I am not full of stress.  Teaching is an amazing profession, but it is so demanding.  I have been a military spouse for 11 years.  I have a 3 and a 6 year old.  I have practically raised the girls alone do to deployments and not being able to live near family.  This girl is TIRED!  Life has been flying by faster than I can enjoy it and the bulk of my time is consumed in the classroom or bringing it home with me.  I want to be present and engaged at home.  I struggle finding a balance.  It is time to grasp that balance and focus on what really matters.  I want to be at home full time with my family for awhile and I love that TpT can give me the option to grasp this dream while still being engaged in education and making an impact in the classroom.  Do I want to be home forever?  Probably not, but Momma is tired for now and wants to slow down! DREAM #2 - I want to allow my girls to see and experience the world!   I graduated from Purdue and took my first teaching job in Vegas.  While in Vegas I met my husband.  He is in the Air Force so we have spent the last 11 years traveling the world and seeing and experiencing so much!  We've lived in three countries, 4 states, and traveled to more countries and states then I can even count!  I want my girls to do the same.  I want them to see the world.  I want them to see how others live and experience the rich culture and history that surrounds us.  I want them to realize that we are just a small part of a very big picture.  I want to fill them with experience and knowledge and inspire them to be anything they want in this life.  I want them to gain compassion and understanding.  I wish everyone was able to see the world.  I think humanity would be filled with so much more love and compassion if we could all see and experience the world.  Here is a VERY TINY glimpse into some of my memories...

Dream #3 - I want to create a life that brings me purpose, fulfillment, and joy!   Ultimately if we can all feel like we have a meaningful purpose in life and can be filled with joy, what else could we hope for.  Being a mother, a wife, and engaging in education through teaching and creating give me joy and purpose.  It is my hope that furthering my TpT endeavors, will enrich all of the things in life that matter the most.  It will give me more freedom and financial peace of mind to enjoy life. Again, thank you to the wonderful ladies who are hosting this challenge.  You have motivated so many TpT sellers to reflect on their lives and think about their goals and what they want to strive for on their TpT journey.  

New Blog Design & GIVEAWAY!

I am so excited to share this with you!  You could win a custom blog design from Gabby's Classrooms.  I am teaming up with Gabby, Jackie from Neat and Sweet and Hard to Beat, Page & Cristy from Kindergarten Squared, and Lauren from Love, Laughter & Learning in Prep so that YOU can win a custom blog design or a blog redesign.  Your custom design blog will include a custom header, background, navigation bar, sidebar photo/bio, post signature, and much more!  You will also have the option to choose a Facebook cover and tab or a TPT custom banner and widget! Gabby is so great!  I love my new blog!  I told her what I wanted and she nailed it!  She used all my favorite colors and incorporated my blog name so neatly into the design.  I love the airplane and "Fly to the Top" features.  My package included this blog button:

She designed the front and back of my business cards, which will be perfect for TpT Vegas 2015!

I got a new Facebook cover photo!

A new TpT Banner!

In addition, new watermarks!  

Gabby's work is so clean and crisp.  We communicated via email and it never took her long to respond.  She always had several options to choose from when asking what I liked.  I highly recommend Gabby to anyone and hope you will enter this awesome giveaway! Use the rafflecopter below to enter:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For an additional 5 bonus entries, don't forget to share one of the giveaway images to Instagram using the hashtag #teachersofinstagram!

This giveaway ends on June 21, 2015.

Good luck!

TpT Seller Challenge #1: Makeover Madness

I am loving this TpT Seller Challenge!  How fun!  I totally needed this motivation and although I am busy getting ready to make another move across the country, I am doing it!  This first challenge made me look at some of my old products and simply think, "WOAH!"  Even though it made me realize some of my products need updating, it also made me realize how far I have come!  I am loving it.  For this challenge I took my Word Collector product and gave it a fresh new cover and changed out some fonts.  Here is the before and after!

If you don't own this product yet, you can get it now for 15% off!  Click HERE to check it out!

Thank you to the wonderful ladies who are hosting this challenge.  You have motivated so many TpT sellers to better their stores and freshen their products.

Groundhogs Nonfiction Unit

I have purchased so many great products for Groundhog's Day, but needed some nonfiction to throw into the mix.  I just created a unit to accompany any Groundhog's Day fun you will have in your classroom.  I can't wait to use it in my classroom.  There is much to offer and it is complete with cute graphics and real-life images.  Here is what you will find:

Did you know groundhogs are TRUE hibernators?  They don't just sleep.  They basically go into a coma state for months!  Also, did you know that they are solitary animals and young only stay with their mamas for five to six weeks?!  I hate that they are pests because they are so cute!

I hope you can find this nonfiction unit to be useful in your classroom.  I taught myself so much about groundhogs while completing this product.  Keep warm blogging friends!  Happy winter!

Polar Bears

Polar bears! Polar bears!  Let's learn about polar bears!!!

I have just completed a nonfiction polar bear unit!  It is complete with loads of visuals, activities, and printables.  The unit includes cute graphics and real life images.

 This unit would be perfect for some of my advanced firsties and great for a second, even third grade classroom.  I took some pictures of the unit.  However, I am embarrassed because the photography is awful and taken with my phone on our kitchen table.  Yikes!  Here goes......

Vocabulary Match-Up activity with recording sheets.

Posters and activities for research and writing!

Nonfiction Reader and so much more!

 I am hoping to use this with my first grade RTI group that needs much challenging.  I think this will be a great project for us to do.  Especially with all this cold weather.  Brrrr!  Plus, who doesn't love to study polar bears?!?!  They are fascinating animals. 

Christmas in the Classroom

I love exploring blogs and seeing how other classrooms celebrate the holidays!  I've seen so many great projects and love getting ideas from all the amazing teachers and teacher authors out there!  So my question is, what do you do for the holidays in your classroom?  Please share!

I do many things in the classroom during Christmas, but a few little projects stand out.  I always do gingerbread houses (with graham crackers and milk cartons from the cafeteria) and a book exchange.  Here is a look at the gingerbread house making.

I even have some activities to complete after we make the houses!

I love doing a book exchange instead of doing gifts such as toys.  I send home book plates for the students to place inside the books they are giving to a classmate.  Boys get a new book for a boy and girls for a girl, never to exceed $5.00.  This is easy with Scholastic orders and I always have books on hand just in case.

I also make candy cane mice to hang on our class tree.  The kids adore this project:)

Finally, we make ornaments with our fingers.  Have students grip the ornament with white acrylic paint on their fingers.  When they are dry give them different colored permanent markers and have them turn their finger prints into snowmen.  I attach gift tags to the ornaments and you can snatch them up for free!  Just click here!

Share your little projects too!  I would love to see them and hear about them!