Blog Swap and Hop

Good Morning.... 

or afternoon 

or evening or

whatever... it is officially 

BLOG SWAP AND HOP DAY...

see proof

I am so excited to have a guest blogger for you today and GUESS WHAT?

when you are done reading my guest blogger's fab post 

you can HOP on over to 

because that is where I am a guest blogger!!!

SO FUN

direct link here http://www.teachinginheels.com/2012/06/top-teachers-blog-hop-swap.html

and if ya want at the bottom of this post I am going to leave you with a whole linky

of all the Swap and Hops...

******************************************************************

Hi Ya'll!!!

I'm Mor from

I'm so excited to guest post and be here with you & Farley today!

I KNOW Summer just started but my head is already spinning with ideas & I'm worried for that first week Back to School & Open House.

After spending 3 years in Middle School and not doing anything worth mentioning
 for the above events, I'm sort of freaking out about it this coming year.
I'm back to the elementary classroom & will be teaching 5th grade.
I am psyched but a little scared  :) I forgot how to be all nice & cutesy....

I wanted to do a fun first day activity with the kids, but I'm not one for arts & crafts that make a mess.
soooooo.... I decided to go for beads!

Upper elementary kids are all about friendships & socialization!!!

I thought I could give them the option to create either a necklace, a friendship bracelet, or a key chain, and they create a glyph using those beads.

Once they finish creating their necklace they can walk around the room with their surveys and get to know their friends better.

Here are the Glyphs I created & I'm giving it to you as a FREEBIE :)

Students will share about their siblings, favorite sports,pets, subjects, and books they've read!

It's a great conversation starter & students will complete surveys to help them get started.

I found these beads at Oriental Trading.

{click on each image to go to the direct link}

$6.25 / 500 Pieces              $6.25/ 300 Pieces                 $8.75 / 2000 pieces

but you could really use any beads you find at the store.

What are some activities you do with your kids?!?
I'd love to hear some of your ideas!

Have a great summer!!!

****************************************************************8

Thanks so much Mor and how sweet is that ...

FREEBIE for you... be sure to tell her thanks when you are on her blog!!!!

OK remember keep hoppin...

kinda like Dory from Nemo

but instead of Just Keep Swimming.... Just keep Swimming

you are

JUST KEEP HOPPING... JUST KEEP HOPPING.... have fun...
and here is that linky list I promised you...
remember I am at Teaching In Heels!!!
TOODLES

tara, GAK, and Whackity Whack

so I promised my bloggy friend Tara I would join her party LIKE YESTERDAY...
I am a really bad bloggy friend.....
I am just now getting to it (9:15 pm)
JUST NOW...but
I do  have a really big and pretty cool project in the works as we speak
but while I am waiting for the paint to dry and I still have to get other what nots for it
I'll let you know what I have been up to...
let the excuses fly
let's start with today...

 this is me before jury duty.... YUCK

 and this is me AFTER jury duty... done and happy to go home
even though I am home RIGHT NOW and my air is not working..
OH it is blowing but NOT cold air... we have a call
A FEW CALLS into air conditioner people and no responses YET...
hello I am hot...
hello I don't like sweating
and CALL ME BACK PLEASE!!!
and just in case you did not see the news... our temp got to 105 today...WHAT???
YES ONE HUNDRED FIVE!!! so I am one HOT MAMA fo sho


OK now let me show you what I did yesterday...

 we went to go and look at my new jeep...
BUT that is ALL we did...
LOOK
 it is hard to tell in this pic but that BAD BOY is
SUPER HIGH off the ground
there is NO running board or any type of step thingy to help me get in
I went to go look at it in a dress and I couldn't get in without showing my valuables...
hey maybe that would have given me a discount.. who knows... BUT anywho...
we left without a new car... WHAAAA... this car just screams my name and I was SUPER SAD to leave it
BUT
IT is what IT is
PLUS
after thinking about it..
my mom and gma and other family members probably would not be able to ride with me EVA...
even if I added a running board or step up
so THO SAD but I am over it...
ok one more thing about that car... the color is called MANGO TANGO!!!
OH MAN...
ok now I am over it

NOW I have 2 things for Tara's

one is this activity I did with Bub...
let me set this up for you...
COVER the TABLE... it can get messy... well with a 3 year old at least

if you look in the background you can see my big project hiding behind my buffet

 Now gather your supplies...
liquid starch
glue
measuring cups (my mixing cups ROCK they are russian nesting dolls LOVE THEM)
mixing spoon
food coloring
and one cute kid (sorry mine is taken)

 you will mix even proportions glue to liquid starch
we did one cup to one cup

 mix together well

 we divided ours out into 3 different bowls

 add a few drops of food coloring and mix well

 looking at his GAK... ours was a little RUNNY so....

 I grabbed more glue and added a blob (technical measuring term right?)

 and WHA LAAA... we have GAK
doesn't it look disgusting...
it looks like this because we used mostly clear glue and a blob of regular glue

 he started playing with it... and it was a little sticky

 bub made this and I said it looks like green eggs...
he said chickens don't have green eggs...
OBVIOUSLY I haven't read the book to him...
note to self... read bub Green Eggs and Ham

 Bub likes to mix better than playing with the GAK

 he decided he didn't really like the sticky feeling...
I made him hold the GAK like this to show how goopy it is

NOTE... because I figured there might be questions... the map in the background I took out of the dumpster at school OK REALLY I had our super awesome now retired will never be replaced custodian do it for me and I LOVE IT... the VP used it as a reading incentive... each grade level had a hot wheel car with velcro and every friday the grade level chair had to send the VP the total number of minutes the kids in that grade level read at home... the cars traveled around the map visiting all the major cities in Texas based on the number of minutes they read... pretty cool huh?  The first grade level back to San Antonio wins!!! of course we WON!!! when the VP left this got thrown out... and now it hangs in my dining room... yep that's how I roll... :)

******* squirrel *******
back to the GAK
can't you tell he is tortured by the stickiness???
and when it was all over...
i had a big mess... and one sticky boy who required a bath...

all in all he had a blast...
we put the GAK in a bowl with a lid and it got less sticky
I think this activity was a BUST
BUT with older kids it might work better... JMO

NEXT********************************************


I am REALLY excited about these next things...

here is the new game I made....

 here is a little preview of what all is inside...
flashcards, game pieces, game boards...
the object of the game is to answer the subtraction problem correctly and then try to whack your opponents gopher by calling out a coordinate... like (a,1)
it is similar to the classic battleship... but cuter and with math facts...

 Whackity Whack
don't look back
because there is more than just SUBTRACT...

that was my lame attempt at rapping...
throw your duece up and it could be slightly rapper-ish... right!!!
ok NO
but never fear peeps... I made
this too

 AND
because I LOVE YOU
I bundled them...
for a reduced price you could get both...
it saves to BUNDLE :)

 and that is NOT all...
I have this for the older kids...
HOLLA...


OK if you are interested in the games above... I have them in both stores!!!
TEACHERS NOTEBOOK                      TEACHERS PAY TEACHERS


 and because this heat is getting to my head...or I am just nice... or I am still distraught over my mango tango issue... or I LOVE YOU.... or all of the above!!!
anywho the whackity whack  games are on sale for tonight and tomorrow only :)

well I think that is about it...
we just got a call and the air guy will be here at midnight... ( it is 10 PM now)
YAY
I will wake up in a cool house... well it better be a COLD HOUSE!!!
alrighty... that is it
if you haven't seen Tara's

you need to head over there... RIGHT NOW
there are some REALLY FAB crafts... I am sure they are ALL over Pinterest by now...
really head on over and enter!!!

TOODLES

OOOPS one more thing...

 

go check this out... it is going to be so much fun!!!

click on the pic to go get more details :)

ok NOW TOODLES

SUPER STOKED, chippy not dirty, & my Gpa rocks the stache

 Yes this is an advertisement for no other than
ME (but there is more...refer to title)
BUT I just can't help it...

I LOVE this... even if I did make it and I am selling it
(don't hate me)
at first I was gonna make a few for free
BUT then 8 o'clock (PM) turned into 3 o'clock (AM)
holy shnikeys (sh-nike-s)
and well 31 pages later and add a day for staging and picture taking and
WELL YES I am going to sell it and plug it...
I LOVE IT!!!!

 

if you know me... 

you know I LOVE giving little treats here and there to my kiddos and their parents

AND fellow teachers... 

and well that idea 

sparked THIS

****squirrel****

( start the dramatic award music)

I wanted to thank all my friends that helped me make what this is today... I appreciated you taking the time to look over my rough draft  and giving me wonderful critiques... love ya

NOTE - I always send my rough drafts out for people to critique and look over... IMO it is a good way to get a few extra eyes on it 

*****squirrel has left the building*****

back to the TAGS

here is a pic of just a few of them....

 my absolutely adorable always willing to help or else hubs
went on a grocery run with bub to grab these things (below)

 

 and with some tape and some ribbon
WHA LA
you have SUPER ADORABLE WHO WOULDN'T WANT THESE appreciation gifts

 here are some more pics....
don't you just love the staging... burlap (not ironed...hubs drew the line) on a dinner tray up against my
chippy shabby chic holds all my crafts stuff cabinet
had a fear it looked dirty and wanted to change locations of the shoot...
hubs drew another line.. he usually doesn't draw lines so
I knew he was serious... NO really he just said to do this...
"IT IS CHIPPY NOT DIRTY... it is character NOT dirt"
thanks hubs... they get it
anywho here are more pics
be sure to admire the cuteness

 and here is another example...
all you have to do is get some popcorn and tape
print out and cut out and
UBER CUTENESS and all of a sudden you are the best teacher ever
EVA...
no really it does help bridge the gap (Reagan's direct quote from her critique) between you and your parents
letting them know you appreciate them
NOTE- if you look on the bottom of the TAG page... I give you ideas of what you can attach the TAGS to...  (((SMILE)))
 
 I like this one...
REFRESHING....
now don't go and think you have to give a little treat to ALL of your parents
sometimes I gave one to ALL
BUT most of the time I gave them to parents that went that EXTRA mile (that TAG is in the pack)
it really does let them know you appreciate them...
I tried to hand them out at pick up time or pull the kiddo aside and stuff it in their bag
and tell them
MAKE SURE YOUR MOM GETS THIS
anywho let's be FO REALZ...
you don't give a bone to a bad dog
well maybe sometimes you do...
to win them over... ok bad example BUT maybe a good one too
TRY AGAIN
not everyone gets a gold star
my point is (do I really have a point)
is.... sometimes all get one...BUT most of the time it is just a few special ones

those that are refreshing get more :)

and if you just can't wait  to get your hands on this pack...
just click on the image below...
I showed you about 10 TAGS
there are 25 different TAGS in the pack
that is enough to get you through the whole year
you can use this pack over and over.. year after year

 *****squirrel*****

 I am linking up with....

the link tool is NOT working... DRATS
here is the link old school style
http://www.missnelsonsgotthecamera.blogspot.com/2012/06/erin-condren-giveaway.html

 I don't sew... so I can talk about ...make it....bake it... and grow it....
here we go...
MAKE IT
here is something else I have been working on...
my FAB VOCAB needs a makeover and so I made this...

chippy not dirty

*****squirrel*****

BAKE IT

and she wants us to share a recipe... 

WELL look what's a cookin

if you had smell a blog... you could smell the greatness of this

it is in my crockpot right NOW..

(ok maybe not right now if you are reading this tomorrow or later BUT ya get it right??)

SUPER EASY EVEN FARLEY CAN DO IT... recipe

you can use less water... but hubs turns the liquid into gravy dip stuff... so we use 2 cups just FYI

 ***** squirrel*****
this squirrel is all over the place... CRAY CRAY
GROW IT
anyways another thing I can share is what I am growing or a growing trick...
well here is what is growing in my back yard

 don't let it fool ya... 

this is a container pond... made from a horse trough...

I LOVE IT.. 

anyways it doesn't require much...

I have had it for over 5 years and now it is established... the lilies come back every year... the gold fish and koi eat all the mosquito larva and whatever else... so I don't have to feed them... it is its own little habitat... self efficient....

and the lily blooms usually only last a day 

so consider yourself lucky that I saw it

grabbed my camera

took a pic

and uploaded it for you to see too...

you are welcome

and now for my growing trick...

straight from Gpa's mouth....

if you don't want the critters to mess with your tomato plants... hang RED Christmas Ball Ornaments on them

before the REAL ones grow... the critters will try to get the ball ornaments and  that way the critters think the real ones are FAKE too...

I love Gpa's advice... 

well maybe not all of his advice...

measure it once

and measure it again... because once you cut it there is no going back...

and might I add my Gpa cut his thumb off one time... using a SAW...OUCH

not really the whole thumb BUT ENOUGH of the thumb you can tell he CUT IT OFF... 

so he might want to add 

measure it once and measure it again and get your fingers out of the way... because once you cut it off there is no GROWING back....

I LOVE MY GPA

see...

 and not to mention Gpa and Gma are super cool too :)

OK that is about it... I am SUPER STOKED about my TAG pack...

I mean really excited... 

click on pic to head to TpT

??????question time??????

Do you give special treats out?

Did you understand it is CHIPPY not DIRTY?

Are my grandparents cool or what?

Have you linked up with 

 

YOU SHOULD the prize is FAB!!! (((Crossing my fingers to WIN that)))

http://www.missnelsonsgotthecamera.blogspot.com/2012/06/erin-condren-giveaway.html

TOODLES