Pictures of my room......

I am finally back from our AMAZING vacation to Maui. We had so much fun down there and it was great to just relax together. We don't get too much time to ourselves with both of us working and going to school. Here is a picture from our trip!

This is a picture from our hotel in the morning, right after the sun came up! I am still trying to get back on Kansas time, there was a six hour difference! Ugh!

We also got to go on a submarine!!! This is a picture of a sunken boat that we saw! The submarine was definitely one of our favorite things we did on the trip. 

Ok....on to my classroom pictures....NOT! All of you are working so hard in your classrooms and I am stuck at home! They ripped up our carpet and replaced it with tile. Lets just say it still isn't all done, therefore the 2nd and 3rd grade teachers can't get into their rooms until the day before we go back, which by the way is next week! I am totally disappointed about it, because I usually have my room all set up and ready to go before we have to go back. I guess I will be working some long days and weekends to get it all done. Since I don't have pictures of my room I thought I would show you pictures of all my stuff in my lovely basement, where I have been working all summer!

There is also stuff in that closet!! Ugh! I don't want to have to bring all my stuff back up to school, it is such a hassle! Well I am off to check out what all my bloggy friends have been doing. I feel like I am out of the loop! I leave you with a picture from my bff of my lil helper!! She is very talented!

[Glitterfy.com - *Glitter Words*]

See you in (another) week!

So I have been TOTALLY M.I.A. lately, and I am sorry to say I will be again for another week. Why you ask??? Because I will be going to Maui with my amazing husband tomorrow! I will miss all my bloggy friends, but I won't miss the 110 degree weather in good'ole Kansas!!! (I know 110 next week, crazy!!) I promise once I return from my vacation I will share all my great pictures and start blogging more again. Actually I can't promise too much because I think I have one free day when I get back before school starts! Ugh!! I can't believe summer is almost over. I hope everyone enjoys their weekend and I will leave you with this picture:

Maui here we come!!! 

Sight Word Polka Dot Freebie

In this post I shared my sight word freebie with a bug theme for my magnet letter word work center. I stated that if you would like me to change the theme to anything please let me know and Lisa asked for polka dots, so Lisa got polka dots!!

Click here to get your own copy of all eleven lists!!

I hope everyone has a great Saturday! We are going to dinner with our neighbors who have the cutest baby ever!! I can't wait to hold him!! 

Fashion Friday!

This Friday I wanted to share some of my favorite outfits or items that I have pinned. I will be using these pins to make outfits for school or making a shopping list of things I need!

Some of these great pictures are from my favorite fashion blogs!! 

Click here to check out Kendi Everyday!!

Click here to check out Bows and Sequins! 

I hope this inspires some of you to get back in the swing of school fashion! Happy Friday! 

What have I been up to...

A LOT!! I have been a busy worker bee ever since I have been done with my masters classes (6 days ago). Not only is our whole townhouse organized, ever cabinet, closet, and drawer, I have also been working on LOTS of school stuff!! 

CAFE Strategies completed! Check out my previous post to get your own copy. Just need to laminate them now!

My chair is finally complete!! It took me a looong time, because of all the coats the lime green took to cover up the yucky brown color underneath!

I made banners for my bulletin boards. Look at the oldie tv in our basement, I don't even think the thing works!! 

Sorry it is the wrong direction, but these are my book bags for the Daily 5!! I just bought the bags in a pack of 3 at Hobby Lobby and used iron-on letters. Make sure to wash the bags BEFORE you iron the letters on. My kids have hooks on the back of their chairs that these will hang on! 

Here are some word work items I have been working on: shaker, magnet letters with sight words (need the magnet letters!!), scoop and write, and type out on the ipad (needs laminated). Check out my previous post to get a copy of my sight word cards for the magnets. Lisa asked for them in polka dot theme, so I will be working on those this weekend!

Finished math centers for August and September!! For my September ones I used stuff I had bought and found for free. Check under my MATH Centers tab to get the lemonade ones for free!

Found this idea from Pinterest. They use different types of erasers to create a graphing center each month!! This is the EASIEST center I have ever made!

Another Pinterest idea! Make labels with numbers on them in each ice container. The students use a ball, dice, or whatever to toss in a circle to make problems. This can be used with simple problems, 2 or 3 digit problems!! Great for all year! The ice trays are currently in the dollar section at Target. I got two, one for one digit and one for two digit numbers!

Word Wall letters, need laminated. From Kristen at Ladybug Teacher Files!

Also from Kristen!

Numbers for my clock...not sure who I got these from??

The next pictures are of my files!! I organized all my reading files...threw old stuff away. I also organized my social studies and science files in these stackable drawers from Target. I put two themes in each drawer. I don't have the labels on the front yet!

I got all my books organized, since I had to bring them all home. We are working on creating a new reading curriculum based on the common core, therefore I have been using my books to help us out!

Last but not least I found this great idea on Pinterest for Homework Bingo! I loved the idea and create my own Bingo poster, using my bug theme, mixed with all the bright colors I have been using. I will also be making lottery scratch off cards for the kids for prizes! I have them printed, but not painted!

And my hubby says I don't get anything done......whatever!!! Happy also Friday! I am meeting with one of the assistant superintendents tomorrow...wish me luck!

Freebies Galore

I finished the rest of my CAFE posters and of course I will share with you. I had a comment asking if I had some tips for using the Daily 5 and CAFE, well I haven't used it before in my classroom. This is my first year as well so we will all be learning together. I can't wait to read everyone's ideas and comments about how it is going in their classroom!

Click here to get the big picture ideas from my previous post.

Click here for the C Comprehension strategies.

Click here for the A accuracy strategies!

Click here for the F fluency strategies!

Click here for the E Expanded Vocabulary!

I also found some great word work ideas from Tara at 

This one is a shake and write activity. The container is from the Dollar Tree, which of course I went and picked up yesterday. I will post my version when I get them completed. 

This is practicing sight words with magnet letters. Again the tray is from Dollar Tree I also found some really cute containers their to put the magnet letters in. So since Tara teaches 4th grade I had to make a few changes to her sight word cards. I ended up typing all 11 lists up for my kids to use. I figured I would start with the lower ones out at the beginning of the year and move our way up! 

Of course they are bug themed, like my room. If you would like me to change the theme to something else just shoot me a comment and I will see what other clip art I have! 

Click here to get all 11 lists!

Well I am off to spend another day with my mom. The hubby is working an event again today so it is girls time! We will be working on my reading bags for the Daily 5. I also got my chair completed so I can't wait to link up tomorrow for Made it Monday with Tara!!

Happy Sunday!

Fashion Friday Find

So I know all of you have seen the bubble necklaces that JCrew has all over the internet and pinterest. I looove these necklaces, but when I went into the store to check them out and I wasn't going to pay the 150 dollar price tag. I knew I could find them somewhere else cheaper and just as cute. I was looking around one day on Pink Peonies blog and found this cute little shop that sells them for only 49 dollars!!! (Ily Couture)

Click here to check out Ily Couture! Click below if you would like to check out Pink Peonies. I love her blog and read it daily!

So of course I ordered two necklaces.....the yellow one and the blue one. Here is a picture of the yellow one! I can't wait to wear it when I get back to school and to Hawaii! (two weeks!!)

Oh and P.S. Kristin's blog is one year old!! She is having a HUGE giveaway and of course I am involved! Go check it out!! I am still working on the rest of the CAFE strategies posters. I am going to work on them right now and will have them up later today or for sure tomorrow! Happy Friday!

[Glitterfy.com - *Glitter Words*]

CAFE Freebies

Next year I will be use the CAFE and the Daily 5 in my classroom. I am starting to do some prep work to get everything ready. My team and I have already merged the Daily 5 and CAFE lessons for the first 22 days of school, where they are learning some of the beginning CAFE strategies and building stamina in Daily 5. It took a lot of work, but I am glad to have it all done. In the mean time I have been working on my CAFE board. I got these cute letters for Hobby Lobby and painted them to go on my board. I plan on using a black background on this board:

Today I was working on making the strategies cards and the Big Picture cards to go underneath. Here are what the Big Picture cards look like:

Click Here to get your own copy! 


I also have completed the strategies signs that go under the C for comprehension!

Click here to get all of the strategies. I am hoping to get the AFE strategies up within the next couple of days. As you can tell all my colors will match according to what letter they are under. I know the CAFE wants the kids to write the strategies on the note cards, but I think it just looks nicer this way! I hope everyone has a great 4th of July!!