Big News and Money Makers

Dear Blog World,

I have been gone for many moons however, I was not gone, just super busy!

Big News: Effective May 29th, I am now a SAHM to 5 lovely kiddos!  My husband and I decided that now is the time to embark on this journey and see what the future holds.  I am really excited but super nervous because teaching in a school setting is all I have done for the past 13 years!  I am settling into my SAH status nicely - mainly because it's my usual summertime routine.  The true test will be in August when school begins.  In the meantime, I am trying to use this time to get some things done around the house and make some money for our family.  On my SUMMER to do list...

- Make some new products for TpT (comment below if there's something you'd really like to see!)
- Purge some clutter in my home
- Organize the 13 years of classroom that is currently residing in my garage

WHEW...I'm just tired thinking about this list!

I'll leave you with these 2 quick money makers that I have discovered that take little to no effort on your part!!

#1

If you own a fitness tracker (like FitBit), you can link your tracker with your Walgreens Balance Rewards card!  You earn points automatically based on your tracker's information!!  SCORE!  I have earned 2,110 points in just 3 days with my steps, stairs and calories burned!  Those points add up to money that can be spent on Walgreens products!  Check it out today...Walgreens Balance Rewards

#2

Swagbucks pays you SB (swagbucks) when you do internet activities...such as Shop your favorite stores, Search the web, Answer surveys; Discover great deals; Watch videos; or Play games.

Swag Bucks can be redeemed easily for cash or gift cards to your favorite stores. With over 13 million members, Swagbucks.com has awarded over 85 million dollars in real rewards. Always free to join, Swagbucks.com is the smartest and most rewarding way to spend your time online.
Interested...signup here SwagBucks SignUp



PS.  This post contains a referral link.  You are not obligated to use it.

TpT Annual Back to School Sale

My entire TpT store is on sale! Check it out HERE!

Beginning of the Year Preparations

I am one of the teachers who really wants to set up my classroom before I can start thinking about printing things, making labels, etc.  However, I had twin girls back in January and am returning to work full time (with 5 kids total).  I will have 1 week to set up my class and 2 full days of that are workshop training!  Therefore, I need to do as much as possible over the next 2 weeks so I'm not up till midnight or later every evening trying to have everything in place before the first day of school.  

Because I have 5 kiddos running around, its hard to sit down and think of all the things that need/could be done so I thought I'd ask the best of the best - teachers around the world - to help me get my list started.

What can I do during the summer at home to prepare for the new year?

Thanks in advance for your help! 

Adjusting to Life with 5 Kiddos at Home

So...as you can see, once I started back at work part-time, my blog life completely screeched to a halt!  Life with 5 kiddos at home, especially twins, has been tough...to say the least.  I was glad for summer to come so I could tackle my mounting "To Do List" and get a head start on Back to School time, so I could have all my ducks in a row for the start of school. 

However, I quickly realized that with a 20 month old and 4 month old twins - MAYBE one thing gets crossed off on a "To Do" List each day and you find yourself staring longingly at your computer while you're picking up cheerios from the kitchen floor or breaking up the 15th fight of the day between my 10 and 5 yr old!

Needless to say, I have lots I've had written down to share with the blog world.  I'll be working on some new posts for this week.  Talk to you soon!

Math Games Giveaway!

I'm excited to unveil the "I Have...Who Has..." Math Games set!! I have used these games in my class for several years now and the kiddos LOVE to play them.  I expanded and included a Time to the quarter hour, Addition to 20 and a Coin Combination game!  I will be putting them all to use in my class during Morning Meeting beginning next week.

I've posted it both in TpT and TN.  If you click the picture link above, it will take you to TpT.

How would you like to get a set for yourself - for FREE??!!! Check out the details below!

1 entry - Comment below with other math concepts you could use in "I have...Who Has" games.
Earn another entry by indicating you already follow or by becoming a new follower of my blog.  Earn yet anther entry by becoming a follower of my TpT store.  Include each entry in  a separate comment. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Can't wait to hear all your great ideas!

Saying Goodbye Freebie

I don't know about you, but depending on the kid, it's hard to say goodbye when students leave your classroom mid-year.

I have had 2 students leave this school year. When the first student left, the other kiddos were really sad and confused why he had to leave. To help them and the leaving student, I created a "Goodbye Book" as a gift to remember their former class.


The kid was so appreciative of the Goodbye Book and the other kiddos poured their hearts into their pictures for him. I received an email from his mom thanking me for doing it for him and that he was super-happy to receive it.

I revamped my Goodbye Book today as I'm starting to go through things and decide what to use next year.  This one's definitely a keeper!  I've uploaded it to TpT as a freebie.

Do you do anything special when students leave your class mid-year?  I'd love to hear about it - leave the details of your class' special send-off below.

 

TBA Freebie Friday

In my class, we do a "FRIDAY DANCE!"  At the end of Morning Meeting, I cut on Kids Bop Dance Party and as the kids line up for restroom break, they get to dance into line.  Since I'm maternity leave, I'm not there to do the Friday Dance, but I plan to blast some Kids Bop music with my at-home kiddos and do our own Friday Dance!





Today I'm linking up with Teaching Blog Addict for Freebie Friday!  Check out the great freebies and have an amazing FRIDAY!