Houston Blogger Meet Up Recap!

Yesterday I met up with these fabulous Houston area bloggers at Chuy's!

Pictured from left to right is Diane @ Teaching with Moxie, me, Kelly @ Koonce's Korner, Lindsay @ My Life as a Third Grade Teacher, Barbara @ The Corner on Character, Sandy @ Fearless in 5th, Juan@ Teaching 3rd with Mr. G, Kristin@ Teach n' Tex & Megan @ I Teach. What's Your Super Power?

Back in February, Lindsay hosted the first Houston area blogger meet up and I felt kinda like a party crasher!  I wasn't actively blogging at the time, but stalked many of these fabulous peeps blogs.  Lindsay was kind enough to include me.

Megan and Diane hosted the 2nd Houston meet up yesterday @ Chuy's in the Woodlands.  It was so much fun! Several of the ladies I had met at the first meet up, but I got to meet some new fabulous peeps.  Now I get to stalk Barbara, Kelly & Juan's blogs too!

A BIG thanks to Megan & Diane for hosting this meet up!  And Diane, the directory is FABULOUS!!! It was awesome and I hope we do it again soon!

Currently July...almost!

I am SUPER excited! I'm linking up with Farley @ Oh Boy, Fourth Grade for the very FIRST time!  Farley was one of the very first bloggers I started stalking.  It was almost borderline creepy stalking...kidding (ok, not really)  So here we go....

Listening:  My girls have discovered He-Man & She-Ra on Netflix and now they run around the house yelling..." I have the POWER!"

Loving:  We are leaving on July 4th for the Jersey Shore and I'm super excited.  My husband is originally from New Jersey and this will be our first trip out there.  Super pumped that we'll be making a stop in NYC too!

Thinking:  I can't believe summer is flying by so fast!  July already, really!?!  Am I the only one who feels like this?

Wanting: A mani/pedi because it's been several weeks and my toes are not looking so pretty!

Needing: Not looking forward to the never ending laundry and the packing for 4 people (my husband is kind enough to pack for himself)

Tip/Tricks/Hint:  I'm new to this blogging thing, so when I say "Blog like nobody is reading"...literally, nobody is reading it.  Seriously, I think it's important to be yourself.  Although, I have to be careful because not everyone gets my sense of humor.

Until next month...

Made It Monday (June 24th)!

 I'm packing my bags and heading to the beach to meet up with my BFF from college. Yes, just the TWO of us for 3 WHOLE days...no kids, no hubby, no worries! But, before I go I thought I'd link up for another Monday Made It with Tara @  4th Grade Frolics.  I managed not to screw up last week. Yay, me!  

I've spent some time "playing" around with new fonts & backgrounds.  Thanks to A Turn to Learn, I learned about this awesome website called Font Space. Love it!

This week I actually made something for school!  I don't know about your school, but EVERY year we have a new theme.  I know the kids like it, but I really wish we could rotate our favorite themes every 6 years.  This way there's a "new" theme for the kiddos K-5, but we actually get to reuse our stuff.  I'm a hoarder...I don't throw anything away!

So, this year's theme is Back to the Beach!  Thanks to Megan @ I Teach. What's your superpower? I used her fabulous background to help create a class poster.  Take a look...

Yes, I am aware that rays is not spelled correctly in my poster.  R.A.E are the initials to my school and we try to incorporate RAE into our theme each year.

If you're interested in this cute little summer pack, go visit Megan's TPT Store!  

Now, I must make a little confession on the next Made It...I actually completed this over Spring Break.  I wasn't actively blogging at the time, so it's new to you, right?  Anyway, we've been in our house for almost 4 years now and we hadn't painted the girls' room yet & they had been begging me to do it.  So, I spent the ENTIRE spring break working on their rooms (with a little help from my overhead projector that I borrowed from school).  Take a look...

This is my youngest daughter's room.  Her name is Audrey, so my inspiration was Audrey Hepburn.  The color is a Tiffany Blue (sadly, can't remember the exact name)  The Audrey Hepburn portrait was found at Garden Ridge Pottery for about $40 (including the frame...I think that was a steal!). The little table & lamp were also purchased at Garden Ridge.  The bedding was found on Walmart.com (which was a steal too...I think $35)  The pillows were found at Home Goods (love that store!). Eventually, I want to dress up my little Audrey like those pictures of Audrey Hepburn and frame her pictures around the room.

On the opposite wall, I stenciled 2 of these chandeliers and the vanity was my grandma's that I painted black (adding the cute little crystal knobs) The stool & cushion were from Ikea & the little white mirror came from Home Goods.

Now, my oldest daughter is ALL princess and my inspiration was from this...

I found this at Home Goods for about $40. Can you tell that I love that store?  I  put this over her bed!  Sorry, no pictures of the entire room.  I don't know why I didn't do that & right now it's too messy to post pictures!  So, this is what we did with her room...

Every princess lives in a castle, right!

Gotta have some trees & flowers!

We can't forget about the original princesses!  

Now, I wish I could say that the frame and two-toned coloring was my idea, but NO!  That was my husband's idea, he's the creative genius in the family!  He bought some molding at Home Depot and painted it...Viola! Also, I have to give a shout out to my awesome sister-in-law, she helped out A LOT!!!  Did I mention that she's an Interior Designer?  Yes, I have a Web Designer & Interior Designer in the family.  YAY, me!  There's so much more I'd love to do to the house, but after this, my husband said NO MORE projects for a LONG time.

If you are interested, I have the stencils (and more I didn't use) to all these pictures.  Just click here!  Happy Monday!

Five for Friday Linky Party-June 21st

It's Friday and that means it's time for Five for Friday with Doodle Bugs (at least that's what I've seen...it's actually my first time to link up to this PARTY)

Monday-I took the girls to the library.  I signed them up for the Summer Reading Program, so we stopped off at the library to stock up on some books.  Take a look...

My youngest daughter is in LOVE with Spongebob Square Pants.  When she gets upset you'll hear her say "Ah, tarter sauce!"

Tuesday-We went to lunch with my sister-in-law.  She recently got a new job and we hadn't seen her new office. These are my girls with their Aunt...

Wednesday-We had to make a trip to the store for ONLY 4 items, but we walked out with 15 because they were doing the shopping...

Thursday-We hooked up with some fellow teachers from my school for a play date.  A fabulous kinder teacher puts together a schedule of events every Thursday throughout the summer.  It's nice to stay in touch with my peeps over the summer.

Friday-Just hanging out and relaxing at home!  Although, I will be making some FABULOUS green sauce.  If you live in Texas you NEED to get this stuff @ HEB...

O.M.G. this stuff is the BOMB!  If you are interested in trying it out, follow the steps below...

1. Smash 3 avocados
2. Add 1/3 jar of That Green Sauce
3. 1 cup of sour cream
4. several tablespoons of ranch dressing (optional, but really good)
5. Add some seasoning for taste (I used Adams Reserve House Rub)
6. Mix all ingredients together and ENJOY!!!

WARNING:  It's super addicting...it even says that on the jar!

Is Teaching Worth It?

Have you ever asked yourself "Is teaching really worth it?" Sometimes I wonder if this is really what I'm meant to do with my life.  I put in so many hours at school & home, neglect my own family and I'm completely exhausted most days.  And, if I have to hear someone say "Yeah, well you get the summers off" one more time, I might actually punch them in the face. (Ok, not really, but I'd be thinking it) Am I the only one who feels this way? Is it really possible to be a passionate teacher without sacrifice?  If you have the answer, please share!!

Is teaching worth the sacrifice?  The answer is YES, it is worth it, but you have to be reminded every now and then.  At my school, the 5th grade teachers give the students an optional assignment at the end of the year to write a letter to one teacher (it can be anyone K-5, interventionist, specials teacher, ect...) that has made an impact on their life in elementary school.  Last year, I received a letter from a sweet young lady, who I had the privilege of teaching in both 3rd and 4th grade, that she loved my class and I was such an inspirational teacher (WOW!).  On the last FULL day of school, I walked to my mailbox and this is what I found...

Not one letter, but 6 letters from former students who took the time to write me a letter and tell me how much they loved my class.  This right here is why I do it! Yep, it's worth it...you just need a little reminder sometimes!

In case you haven't been told lately...You are AWESOME!!!!

Tried It Tuesday Linky Party!

So, today I'm linking up with Holly @ Fourth Grader Flipper for Tried it Tuesday!

My Tried It Tuesday is a "Pinspiration" and I'm sure you've seen it before, but maybe not!

My Tried It:

Pinspiration Shrimp

Now, it's suggested that you do the following:

Melt 1 stick of butter @ 350 degrees.

Slice one lemon & lay on top

Add shrimp & top with 1 package of Italian Seasoning

Cook @ 350 degrees for 15 minutes

But, this is what I did:

Melt 2 sticks of butter in pan @ 350 degrees

Slice 2 (small) lemons & lay on top

Add a bag (1-2 lbs) of shrimp 

Top with Italian Seasoning.

Cook @ 350 degrees for 15 minutes

It was yummy, but it wasn't seasoned enough for my taste.  I like a little "kick" in my food.  My parents are originally from Louisiana, so I grew up on spicy Cajun food.  Next time I think I'm going to try to add a little more spice to the shrimp by adding this bad boy...

Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Monday Made It Linky & Jersey Shore, Baby!!

I'm super excited!  This is my first linky EVER!!  I hope I don't screw it up!  I'm linking up with 4th Grade Frolics for Monday Made It.

So, my Made It item isn't exactly a "teacher product"(I haven't been on vacation long enough to start thinking about next year), but maybe you can find it helpful and I hope I'm not breaking "linky party" rules.  We are going to the Jersey Shore this summer.  Nope, I won't be hanging out with Snookie or The Situation.  My husband is originally from New Jersey and I've never visited his hometown.  Now, if all you know about people from New Jersey are from shows like The Jersey Shore or Real Housewives of NJ, they aren't ALL like that.  Just like not all Texans walk around sporting a gallon size Cowboy hat, massive belt buckle, Cowboy boots and sayin' "Hey, Y'all".  Ok, so the last part isn't a lie...we all say that here in the south!

Well, we are going to be flying and it's my girls' first plane ride.  I wanted to put together a little "fun" box to keep the girls occupied.  Take a look...

Now, my silly husband seemed to think all we needed to bring was their leapsters, our Kindles and Iphones, but they will get bored with those things after a while.  Plus, I've downloaded several books on my Kindle that I want to read...it's all about me. (kidding!)

A few years ago, one of my students gave me a box like the one in the photo for teacher appreciation week.  I thought it would be perfect...big enough to hold several things, but slim enough that it won't take up too much room.  It's called a "project box" and I bought it at Office Depot for about $7.  The coloring books, puzzles, markers, crayons, stickers were purchased from the dollar section at Target (I love Target!)  The Tic-Tac-Toe, Dot-to-Dot and playing cards were all purchased at Target too, but they were found in a different section.

Well, that's my Monday Made It!

 

Houston Blogger Meet Up

Diane @ Teaching with Moxie and Megan @ I Teach. What's your superpower? are hosting a Houston Blogger Meet Up on June 29th @ Chuy's starting at 2pm.  The address is 18035 I-45 North Feeder, Shenandoah, TX  77385.  If you plan on attending, please click on this Google Document to RSVP.  I went to the first blogger meet up and it was super fun! I'm planning on going again.  It also gives me an excuse to make a stop by the H&M store at Willowbrook Mall, since I'll be in the area (ok, short detour).  I hope to see you there!

My First Blog Post!!!!

 I did it!!!  I finally created my blog! I've been saying that I'd start one for about 6-9 months now, but life and school got in the way.  Now that I'm on summer vacation, I really had no excuse.

The blog is still a work in progress, but I'm hoping to spend much of the summer trying to figure out how to use it.  What do you think of the background?  Super cute, right?  My wonderful husband helped me put it together.

 My plan was to hook up with Megan @ I Teach. What's Your Superpower?  to help create my blog. I met her at a Blogger Meet Up and she's super talented.  Well, when I told my husband my plan, he was a little offended.  My husband what like..."Hello?  Do you know what I do for a living?"  My husband is a web designer.  I was like..."Duh, I'm an idiot!"  I have a FREE designer at home, well, not totally free..*wink, wink*  Anyway, it took him no time at all to put this together.  Are you impressed?  Yep, me too! I think he might be sorry he offered to help me.