January Currently

I have had so much fun blogging and stalking over break!  I do not think I have posted this much ever!  It has become like an addiction and I am going to go through some major withdrawal when school starts back.  Boo!!!!!!!  I also cannot believe all the sweet comments that I have been getting on my posts.  Also I am getting closer to my 100 followers.  Yahooo!!   I linked up with my fav blogger, Farley over at Oh Boy 4th Grade and her awesome January Currently.  I love reading everybody's Currently posts.  It is like reality TV for bloggers.  So check in and enjoy the other January Currently.

I definitely have a theme running through my Currently, New Year's Eve and Christmas Break.  Well the New Year's Eve is obvious since I am blogging on the Eve.  Now that I am older (meaning not in my 20's)  I enjoy just staying in my warm house on New Year's Eve.  When I was young I had these romantic expectations for New Year's Eve but the reality was far from my visions of what I thought New Year's Eve should be.  Now I so cherish my warm house and being with my hubby and kids.

But I should be grading papers since I go back to school on Thursday.  Big BOOO!  My break just flew by and to make it worst my three kids do not go back until the following week.  So Thursday and Friday are going to be rough, short but rough.  Maybe I will get home early and keep my resolution to get out of school at a decent time.  I am smiling at that thought. 

Then my OWL is happiness.  My happiness is my hubby and three kids.  Life is good!  I hope everyone's New Year is filled with happiness!

Happy New Year! 



P.S. - Don't forget Farley's rule of 3.

2013 New Year's Resolutions Linky Party

I usually do not make resolutions because I NEVER keep them and then I am just disappointed in myself.  But Amanda over at Teaching Madness is have a sweet linky party that I just have to join.  I have read a lot of other teachers' blogs that have linked up and they say if you make resolutions publicly you have a better chance at keeping them so here I go....  Take a look around Amanda's linky, it may inspire you to make a few resolutions, it did for me.




Work Resolution - I am not alone on this one.... to leave school at a decent time (3:00 / 3:30).  We end school at 2:30 and can leave at 3:00  Especially since my youngest has to stay at aftercare at her school until I am done which then effects my next resolution.

Family Resolution - This resolution is a BIG one that desperately needs attention which is our family debt.  I really want to work on becoming debt free, as in NO credit card debt.  Three years ago I lost my job due to budget cuts but thankfully I quickly found another teaching job at the school I am now at and LOVE.  But with the change in job I lost $6,000.00 in my salary.  Ugh! I really did not think it would effect us as much as it did but it did and our credit cards are screaming!  So to go back to my school resolution of getting my butt out at a decent time I will then have to pay less for aftercare for my youngest.  I know that is small beans compared to what we own but every little bit counts.  We also sell on Ebay and Craiglist.  My husband is notorious at finding and bringing this or that home to sell.  I hate to admit it but some of his  junk "finds" have sold for a nice price.  Just check out taxidermy pheasants (they were given to the hubby by one of his restaurant stops that they were just going to throw them away) on Ebay. So if I do not keep any other resolution but this one I will be a happy camper!

 

Personal Resolution - To eat less processed foods.  At our house we eat a lot of process foods due to our work, school and sport schedules we need cheap, quick and easy.  So I need some cheap solutions to avoid some of the processed foods that everyone will eat.  We have a very diverse eating preferences in our house.  Hubby is a meat and potatoes kind of guy which is the opposite of me because I am a vegetarian.  The girls will eat just about anything but our son is extremely picky!  Think of a diet of only chicken nuggets, mac and cheese and hots dogs.  Yuck!  So please pass along any ideas or suggestions you may have. 

 

To continue while I am on a roll I am going to also link up with Teaching with Moxie.  I just found Diane through one of my favorite blogs Surfing to Success.  Thanks Mercedes:) 

 

Classroom Resolution - To start a math notebook with my fourth and fifth graders when we get back.  I did this last year but thought I could not do it with our new math series, Go Math.  But we so desperately need our notebooks with all the new concepts they are learning and they really have no where to look to review the steps.  So I have requested that all the kids get new notebooks during break. 

 

Blog Resolution - To reach 100 followers......I would love a few new friends.

 

Happy New Year,

Sharp, Sharper, Sharpest

My 4th & 5th graders & myself got an early Christmas present this year by way of our first ever product review.  Yahoo!!!!   We were sent the Quietest Pencil Sharpener to try out & keep.  I have been reading on other teacher blogs about a pencil sharpener that is super quiet from Classroom Friendly Supplies.  So I had to investigate.  My classes were so excited to try out the new pencil sharpener especially since...

our "traditional" wall sharpener was not so efficient.  The old wall sharpener was only great at devouring pencil after pencil & we had become quite frustrated.  I did buy an electric sharpener that broke thankfully since the noise drove me crazy every time someone went to sharpen their pencil.  We even had a student who had a hand sharpener that would sharpen all our pencils by hand because the wall sharpener was so crummy.   So we were definitely up to the road test challenge.  Here is the fancy new pencil sharpener which reminded me of an old fashion electric can opener.  My kids were like, "Huh???"  I know I am showing my age - sorry.

I had a quick training session for each class but after you get the routine down WOW what a great little sharpener. Quiet, quick, & sharp points every time. No more pencil eating monster.   The fifth graders went crazy and became very protective over "their" sharpener, not wanting the fourth graders to touch it!  One of my fifth graders who is very artistic said that he wanted his mom to buy one for him for Christmas.  I did have to eventually hide the pencil sharpener from the fourth graders since they thought it was ok to have the entire class in line up waiting to sharpen their pencils while I was teaching.  Ugh!  But this sharpener is definitely worth every penny.  I also think it is very cool that this amazing little sharpener was designed & sold by a teacher.  So if you are looking for the Quietest Pencil Sharpener this one is up for the job.  Check out Classroom Friendly Supplies.  We also wanted to thank Troy over at Classroom Friendly Supplies for giving us the opportunity to road test the Quietest Pencil Sharpener.  We LOVE it!!!!

Silence for Sandy Hook Elementary

12 in '12 Linky

I am linking up with A Teeny Tiny Teacher and Miss Kindergarten for their linky party....

 So here I go with my top 12 favorite things.
12.  Favorite Movie - Hmmmmm?  I am not a big movie person just because taking a family of 5 to the movie could cost a family a mortgage payment.  Ugh but I did enjoy taking my kids to see the Lorax.  I remember being so impressed with the animation. 

11.  Favorite TV Series - I enjoy Parenthood even though lately it makes me sad that the mom is fighting breast cancer.  Just a little too close to home since my closest aunt (the one that filled my mom's shoes after she died of lung cancer 17 years ago)  died 2 years ago from breast cancer.  I do a lot of crying during that show.  I also love Modern Family and The Middle which makes me laugh my head off and I need that after watching Parenthood. 

10 Favorite Restaurant - Great Lakes Brewing Co - Had a romantic date night with the hubby on a warm summer night.  Ate a delicious dinner and drank beers under the stars:)  We need to do that more often.

9. Favorite new thing - One word Blogging!  Wow what an amazing other world.  I love writing and sharing about my class and I really love reading other teachers' blogs.  I have "borrowed" many ideas from some amazing teachers.

8.  Favorite gift - Ok I am going to be corny but the greatest gift I ever received was my 3 children.  I truly believe that they are a gift from God.  Even though they may drive me to the brink of craziness.  They are my pride and joy!

7.  Favorite pin - This is a tough one since I LOVE and I mean LOVE Pinterest.  I am truly addicted and can get lost for hours scrolling through all those pins.  Then I get wrapped up going from one blog to another. This is my favorite and one of my first pins which I will tell you more about when I tell you about my favorite post next.

6.  Favorite post - This goes with my favorite pin from above and was one of my first posts and first linky parties.  I linked up with Tara over at 4th Grade Frolics for Made It Monday to show off my hallway table inspired from my Pinterest pin from above.  Ugh I can't find the picture so I will add the link so you can look at it for yourself.  Here!

5.  Best Accomplishment - Hands down was earning my teaching degree!  I worked full time while living on my own and went to school full time.  I looking back and can't believe I had the energy to do it all and planned a wedding for the week after graduation.  I can only dream of that energy now 17 years later.

Favorite picture -
 

 

 This is our newest family member, Bella.  We adopted her from a humane society outside of Toledo which is about 2 hours from our house.  We already have an adopted, white, deaf boxer named Gigi who has been lost since we had to put asleep our other white boxer.  My hubby and kids have been begging me for a bulldog and we have been looking on the internet for one at a shelter or humane society.  Those rescues are way to picky and pricey. Bella's story is she was rescued from an Amish puppy mill outside of Columbus.  She is about 5 years old and had about 8 puppy litters in her lifetime.  She was and still is terrified of people, loud noises, sudden movements and only knew life in a very small cage including doing her business in that cage.  She did not know how to potty outside and I compared her potty training to potty training an 80 year old. lol  She has come a long way in a short period of time but will not be like a typical dog.    All of us including Gigi have fallen head of heels in love with her and can't imagine our home without her.  Please think twice about buying that sweet puppy from a pet store.  Your local shelter & humane societies are overflowing with cute sweet puppies and dogs and yes some are even purebred.

3.  Favorite memory - Watching my two bigger kids make their first homerun and soccer goal.  Our little one is starting soccer this Spring. So no picture yet.  I love seeing the surprise and happiness on their faces.  I am their biggest fan and I hope they will always know that. 

2.  Goal for 2012 - Trying to reduce my worrying.  I am always worrying about everything and it just brings me down sometimes.  It is just not healthy.

1.  One Little Word - Grateful - Everyone needs to find things they are grateful for.  It is just too easy to get trapped into moaning and groaning and all those negative thoughts.  Take a look around and find your happiness.

1st Product Endorsement - WOW!!

Ok I can't wait for my new teacher friendly pencil sharpener to come from Classroom Friendly Supplies.  For the next week I will be racing to the mailbox each day after school for my first product endorsement.  I have been reading on all my favorite teacher blogs about this amazing pencil sharpener.  The most recent was Mercedes at Surfing to Success who mentioned that you could request to do a product endorsement and you get the pencil sharpener FREEEEEEEE!  Yahoo!  So last night I went on the Classroom Friendly Supplies website and clicked the link and left the required information. Guess what I got an email this morning!  At first I read it and it said that I had to have at least 100 followers.  I only have 61:(  Boo!!!!! But then I kept reading and the owner Troy said I had a really cute blog and my blog was the type of blog they are looking for to endorse the pencil sharpener and get the word out.  It felt like Santa had came early for me.  I was hootin' and a hollerin'!   So I am writing about my first endorsement before I even get the product because I cannot contain myself to wait for the sharpener to come in the mail and for my class to take it for a test run.  I also wanted to thank Mercedes at Surfing to Success and Troy over at Classroom Friendly Supplies.  I cannot wait!  Yippee!!  Come back soon to see how this pencil sharpener stands up the pencil destroyers, A.K.A. my fourth and fifth graders.

December Currently & Ornament Swap Linky

What a fun blog to write today.  I can't wait to share Farley's December Currently for this month.  Especially since I at last figured out how to do the December Currently!  Yahooooooo  I did download a free 60 day trail of Microsoft Office to get the powerpoint software.  Hmmm I may need to invest in the software & buy the program.  Ugh! 

So Ta Da here it is...
I am listening to (not watching because I am typing this blog post) my favorite thing to do on the weekend which is to watch the weekend news shows with a hot cup of coffee.

 I am loving the fact that I was able to finish decorating the house for Christmas.  Some years I am into decorating and some years I am not.  It is just so time consuming probably because as I am putting the Christmas stuff up, I am also cleaning.  Ugh!  It was quite precious this morning to listen & watch my youngest run around ohhh-ing & ahhhh -ing over the decorations that were magically put up while she was sleeping.  Sweet!  There will not be many years of that so it was so worth all the work.

Ok this is always what I am thinking on Sunday, that I need to do my lesson plans but what fun is that? 

I am so wanting Christmas break this year to come quicker.  I am not sure why since I am having a pretty good year at school.  I have been feeling this year a nagging feeling to stay home with the kids so I can be there for more activities. It frustrates me that there is many school things that I cannot go to because I work especially with my youngest who is in preschool & I hate the fact she has to go to aftercare until I get done with work.  I have been racking my brain for a job that I can do from home but make decent money.  I even looked into teaching at one of those online schools but wow it is a ton of work with little pay.  Oh well off to work I go.

I am always in the need of more money especially this time of year. We do sell on Ebay & Craigslist & that helps.  I would love to open an Etsy shop.  Hmmmmm  maybe a summer project.

My RAK is do give my Advent Prayer Buddy a little something extra to pick up her spirits.  We are only suppose to pray for our buddy but my buddy is having a really rough year & needs a little more then prayer.  So I am going to leave her s little something in her mailbox at school every Monday so I need to think, think, think!

Wow this is a long post, sorry.  Trying to avoid breaking that blogging rule of only posting once a day.

So on to my last thing that I want to share which is that I linked up to this really cute linky party which was an ornament swap over at Ginger Snap Crafts.  Jennifer's rules were that you can buy or make an ornament for your partner that she assigned you trying to stay with the partner's blog theme.  My partner was Alecia over at Mrs. Leigh's Blog.  She has a cute blog about her daily life as a new wife & college student.

Here is my "melted snowman" ornament I made.  I saw this all over Pinterest & couldn't resist.

 

Here is what Alecia sent me.....

 

 

It is so cute on my "teacher tree."  Thanks Alecia!!

 

Well I hope everyone has a nice Sunday.