11 in '11

 I decided I needed to link up to this awesome party! So here goes..... 

11. Favorite movie you watched:

The Help - (Although The book was so much better!)

10. Favorite TV series: 

Burn Notice - on USA network -  I love me a Spy show -

and Michael Westen (or Jeffrey Donovan) is super cute!

9. Favorite restaurant:

Pei Wei

8. Favorite new thing you tried:

Blogging! I was scared at first, but I am soooo addicted!

7. Favorite gift you got:

One of my Kinder students donated a water well to a third world country in my name. It will give fresh water to over 300 people. I felt so honored! When I opened the card, I just cried.

6. Favorite thing you pinned:

So cute! I sooo need to make this! :)

5. Favorite blog post:

Wow - I kinda feel like each post is like my kids - I can't pick a favorite.

Okay... if I must....

my Christmas - The Most Wonderful Time of The Year!

4. Best accomplishment:

Having my family's recipe on posted on another blog!

3. Favorite picture:

My family at Thanksgiving

2. Favorite memory:

My daughter receiving an award for all A's all year and on the same day, my son graduating from preschool! I was a proud Mom! :) 

1. Goal for 2012:

(I do love Miss Kindergarten's goal.. "Laugh a lot, learn a lot and live life to the fullest! That pretty much sums it up!"), but I would have to say I would love to open a teacher store!

This has been a great year! Here's to 2012!

I am ready for it!

Here's to sending happy thoughts your way! :)

Awards Galore!

I am such a blessed person! I have so many bloggy friends and everyone is so loving and giving! Thank you!  I have really been blessed with some wonderful awards!

Holly from Crisscross Applesauce in First Grade, Barbara of The Corner on Character,  Lisa from A Teacher's Bag of Tricks,  Julia from Loving and Learning in Pre-K, Michelle of Inspired by Kindergarten, Diana of Cole's Little Pups, Kinderdi, Molly of Classroom Confetti, and Traci of Dragonflies in First awarded me The Liebster Blog Award:

Here are the rules:

1.  Copy and paste the award on your blog.
2. Thank the giver and link back to them 
3. Reveal your top 5 picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog. 
4. Hope that your followers will spread the love to other bloggers!!  

To Spread the Love, I am giving this award to:

MelonHeadz Illustrating (don't you LOVE her clip art!)

 KinderKaren

Class Full of "Special" Kinders

Busy in K

Trainin' to be a Texan

Mrs. Egley's Kindergarten

Thanks again to all my wonderful Blog Friends! I love y'all  too! (in my good Texas twang voice!) :)

In other good news.... Thistlegirl had a 12 days of Christmas. On day 12 she a gave away a 50% off coupon! (If you hurry before 11:59pm tonight - Dec. 27th, you might be able to snag one and use it on anything in her store!) I used it to buy my Lifetime Membership and Reseller License! Yahoo!!!! Whoop! :) Super excited! Now, I am getting closer to making items and opening a store! :)
(and FYI - DJ Inkers changed their T.O.U. policy and no one can post their freebies using their products anymore - so sad!) :(

I am hitting the Texas roads to visit family in Granbury! If I don't get a chance to post again, HAPPY NEW YEAR! Hope everyone has a safe and happy 2012! I know it is going to be a super, exciting and great year!!!! :)

Holly Bloggy Christmas Everyone!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! I know I did! It has been so nice lounging with my husband and playing with my two kids! We made handprint ornaments, Gingerbread playdough, and lots of treats to eat! We visited family and opened lots of gifts! I love seeing everyone so happy! This is such a WONDERFUL and MAGICAL time!

This year I had so much fun participating in the Holly Bloggy Christmas!

I had MJ of Teaching in Heels and I gave her a cute bulletin board and purple blingy earrings:

I opened the best present! My Secret Santa (Kelly of Busy in Kindergarten) gave me this beautiful item:

Thanks Kelly! I LOVE it! Can't wait to add my car keys to it! :)

My husband opened up this great item my 12 year old daughter painted:

(She is so talented! I am a proud Mom!)

Thank you Caitlin of Ms. Preppy and Sarah of Kindergarten Korner for putting together the Holly Bloggy Christmas! It was so much fun! I hope we do it again next year! :)

I hope you had a Magical Christmas and have a wonderful New Year!

And I have received numerous awards - Thank you to everyone! Sorry I haven't posted sooner - I will make that my next post - right now I am enjoying my holidays with my family! :)

Santa!

Thanks to Erin Eberhart I found the greatest blog with the cutest artwork! Her name is  Nikki and her blog is MelonHeadz. Look what she made after she read my blog and I sent her an email! Isn't he adorable! You can get him {Here}. He would be great to send home as a family activity to go with the book Santa's New Suit. If you haven't read this book, it is adorable! I have a small post about it {here}.  Head on over to Nikki's blog and check out her cute artwork! She is so sweet! You will love her blog! :)

(Isn't he just the cutest???? Looks like he is ready for bed! Love him!)

Christmas - The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!!!!

Wow! Has this year flown by or what?!  I have had soooo many blog ideas to post, but time is just slipping away! (And my husband says I am a "Blog Addict" and I need an intervention, so he has been hogging the computer or having my children hog the computer, so I can't "feed" my addiction. I manage to sneak in a few minutes, but then he notices and starts shoving  pushing gently moving me out of the computer chair, so I won't "feed" my addiction. Ahhh... to have a husband who understands... That is my Christmas Wish!!!) Anywhoooo.... He is hunting (smiles!) so the kids are eating pizza and watching Prep and Landing and I am blogging! Wahooooo!

I had two wonderful Bloggy Friends bless me with the Sunshine Award! Thank you Crisscross Applesauce in First Grade and Climbing the Monkey Bars! Y'all Rock!!!  Wow! Y'all picked little ol' me! :) Smiles are on my face as I say Sunshine! (I love the song You are my Sunshine and every time I hear the word I smile!)

Here are the rules for this award:

1.  Thank the person(s) who gave this award and if you would like to, write a post about it.
2. Answer the following questions below.
3. Pass the award to 10-12 fabulous bloggers, link their blogs and let them know you awarded them.
My answers:
-  Favorite color? I don't have one, but when someone asks I say either Pink or Purple
-  Favorite animal? Koala bear :)
-  Favorite number? 8
-  Favorite drink? Hot Tea
-  Facebook or Twitter?   Facebook (but as Holly of Crisscross said "blogging has sort of replaced that addiction though!")
-  Your passion? God, My Family, My Love of Teaching, and Blogs!!!!!!!
-  Giving or getting presents? I SOOOO love to give!
-  Favorite day?  Saturday
- Favorite flower? Daisy

Wow.... I can only pass this on to 10-12 blogs? Really???

Well.... If I can only do 10-12, here goes:

Can Do Kinders

Heather's Heart

Herding Kats in Kindergarten

Kinder Kraziness

Kindergarten Korner
Kreative in Kinder

Little Miss Kindergarten
Live, Love, Laugh Everyday in Kindergarten
Mrs. Miner

Mrs. Wills

Ms. Preppy

Now... To talk more about Christmas! (Oh - Prep and Landing is over, thank goodness for Phineas and Ferb Christmas! OK - don't judge me because my kiddos are being "babysat" by the TV while I blog - yes I am an addict! Isn't  admission the first step in recovery? Except, I don't want to recover!)

This week my class read the book Santa's New Suit   by Laura Rader.  Then we talked about what Santa should wear for Christmas. Then I sent them home with an adorable Santa in his underwear and they get to dress him up!  I love this family activity! When I get some finished Santa pictures, I will take pictures and post them so you can see how cute they are! At right is a picture of the Santa I use, but I have no idea where I got it from so I really

don't think I can share it. Anyone have any idea where I can buy some clipart with Santa in his undies? I do have a letter to the parents I send home I could share (if it wasn't at school!).  I will have to post that later!
Teaching Blog Addict is having a favorite Holiday Book Linky party. For more wonderful Holiday books head over there!

Have you visited Oh' Boy 4th Grade's 12 days of Christmas yet? Look at her cute pic?

Isn't she creative? Some awesome teachers! Some awesome goodies!

I do love Christmas! Enjoy your weekend! Rest up! This is a busy time of year! :)