Currently ~ July ~ and Sale!

I know this is my second post today, but I am sooo excited to link up with Farley for Currently!

Listening: My son had his birthday on Friday and received lots of Legos!  He is in heaven!!!! {and, of course, SpongeBob is on! It's Saturday!}

Loving: Summer!  After a long school year, there is nothing I love more than Summer! Sleeping in, getting to spend more time with my own kids, catching up on my reading, swimming with my kids at the local pool ~ there is nothing more relaxing! I love teaching, but after a long year, I love getting to relax! {My kids love it too!}

Thinking: My feet are in desperate need of a pedicure!  I may have to head over and get that done today!

Wanting: Some new Summer clothes!  I need more shorts! I always buy new clothes for my kids, but seem to forget to get some for me!

Needing: To clean house!  We have been so busy, I haven't had time!

Tips, Tricks or Hints: Remember to take the time to Pray! When you are worried or concerned about something, Pray!  I have been trying to do this more this Summer, and it is amazing how more relaxed I am! {Now, if I can remember my own advice during the school year!}

Now, it's your turn!  Go link up with Farley!


and Don't forget ~ Tomorrow I am having a Sale! Read more Here!

and I am having a Giveaway! Read more Here! 

Happy July 4th!!!

Sale!

In honor of my two children's birthday this month, I decided to put everything in my store on sale!

Just click the Kinderland picture to head over to my store!

And, here are some other Awesome Kinderland bloggers that have put their stores on sale! :)

Subitizing {and a Great App!}

Do you know what Subitizing is?  

Subitizing is seeing how many all at once.  So, if a child looks at a bunch of dots, they know the number without having to count.

For some students, this is a very difficult concept.

I liked to play games to get the students to pick up this concept. 

I love "Around the World" - ever heard of it?  

Two children stand at their desks and I hold up a flashcard. The first one to say the answer wins and moves on to the next desk. If they can get all the way around the room, they win. My classes have always loved this game!

But kids are becoming more and more computer oriented. Sometimes I think I need more to keep their attention.

I was recently contacted to look at an app that helps kids learn this concept.

"Counting Together" is awesome!  Check out the creators website {here} and you can check out the free app {here}

 

 and they have a tutorial {click here}

The app teaches subitizing and also addition. 

It is great for multi-players too! If you play on an iPad, each player has a side of the iPad! {This would be an awesome center rotation!}

If you are looking for more subitizing ideas:




I love this Rock, Paper, Scissors pack from Mrs. Lirette.

 
Little Miss Kindergarten has some Number Talking Packs! {click the pictures to see more!}

 

And if you need more Subitizing activities:
* There is a board on Pinterest;  
* Pre-K Pages has a post about subitizing; 
* Math Coach's Corner has a few posts about it; 
* There are some SmartBoard links; 
and if you Google it you will find even more ideas!

Leave me a note and let me know if you have any other Subitizing ideas! I would love to hear them!

Throwback Thursday ~ Bulletin Boards

Have you thought about your next year's classroom yet?  I am 3 weeks into Summer, {only 7 weeks left ~ Whoa! ~ It is flying!}, and already trying to figure out my theme and what I need!

Do you have bulletin board you want to decorate?

I am linking up with Cara of The First Grade Parade for her Throwback Thursday!  Hopefully this will help give you some ideas!  

 

There is also a Pinterest Board you can follow that is all Bulletin Boards & Doors! {click here}.

Happy Thursday!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From July 2012

If you have decided your theme for this year, have you decided what your bulletin board will look like? I thought I would share two from my previous years to give you some ideas:

Back to School - Garden Theme Bulletin Board



Back to School - Safari Theme Bulletin Board



I hope these inspire you!

I am linking up with Fifth Grade Dugout: Back to School Bulletin Board Linky Party. Go visit her and see her cute bulletin board!

This year I will be in a portable building and so I won't get to do a bulletin board. Although some friends of mine were telling me I should be excited, this was one of my favorite things to do each year. I am really very sad! At least I have my pictures! :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Update:  This year I had a small bulletin board in my classroom and I changed it out with the student's art work! It wasn't exactly the same, but I had the same fun changing it out! :) Yay!!!  :)
Happy Thursday!

And don't forget to follow me on Bloglovin' and enter my Giveaway! {click here} 

Bloglovin Giveaway!

Do you love giveaways?

I know I do! They are so much fun!  

Have you signed up for BlogLovin' yet?  

Want to enter a giveaway after you sign up? 

Third Grade Tidbits has started a giveaway linky! Love it!!!!

Ok, ready for my giveaway?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

So glad you entered! Now, want to enter some more giveaways? Check out this Linky!

 

BlogLovin

 

So, have you heard????  After July 1, 2013, you will no longer be able to follow me through Google Reader.  {I would love for you to follow me through Bloglovin'!}  

I know, it sounds a little scary! Some have said Google Friend Connect is eventually going away. So sad! I will miss that cute little button on the side!

Have you made the switch yet?

If you have not jumped into Bloglovin' yet, there are some wonderful tutorials:

The Brown Bag Teacher
She will teach you how easy it is to get started, import your current blogs ~ she makes it super easy for you! 

Kickin' it in Kindergarten 
She will teach you how to claim your blog!

 Maggie's Kinder Corner

She will teach you how to add a cute Bloglovin button to your blog!





I would love for you to follow me! Please click the little button so we can stay connected! Happy Lovin!

Throwback Thursday ~ Gift idea revisited!

I am linking up with Cara from The First Grade Parade for Throwback Thursday!

She is looking back at some of her old posts and I thought it would be fun to look back at the teacher appreciation gift I gave my son's teacher!  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Post from May 2012

Thursday I made my son's teacher her end of the year gift - I was so excited about it that I went ahead and had my son give it to her and I forgot to take a picture - Cracker Jacks! I was so mad at myself - I wanted to rush to her room and ask for it back so I could take a picture, but was afraid she might think I was weird and decided against it!

Well, I got the idea from Teacher Tipster on his Facebook page - (here). I made some labels using Graphics From the Pond Rainbow Days Paper Border. I made them in Word and printed them on Avery Labels 5163 (Shipping Labels). I put M&M's in a cute jar I bought for $2.95 at Wally World. Put the cute poem label on one side and the jar and the You are an M&M Teacher! label on the other side of the jar and a cute ribbon around the lid and Voila! A cute end of the year Teacher Gift! 

My little one loves his teacher so much and is asking to give her another present, so I may make a cute cup for her (check it out here).

If you would like the labels you can download the labels from my TpT store!

What do you do for your child's teacher? :)
Leave me some ideas! or Just leave me some love! :)
(Been needing it lately... But that post is for another day!)

Enjoy! :)

May 2013 Update:  
{you can click here to read this post}

Here is are pictures from the M&M jar I made this year: 

We got to Skype with Debbie Clement!

Do you know Debbie Clement of Rainbows Within Reach? She is an awesome singer and author! She has written some amazing songs and books!

So, this little teacher from a small town was asked by this big name singer to Skype with her!!! Of course, after I stopped jumping up and down, said YES!!!

I was beyond excited, but had never Skyped before! Ah, time for this teacher to get with the real world and learn something new!!!

I set up my account and then asked my principal. She was, of course, hesitant, but after lots of reassurances, she agreed!

Our Tech Guru helped me set up the school program room to Skype! Yay for Help!!!

I asked a few of my teacher friends to join us {our program room is tiny, so only a few classes could join us - but we had approximately 80 students, 4 teachers and a Counselor in on our Skype session}.

Let me say, she is beyond amazing!!!  All 80 students were mesmerized by her talent!  She kept them entertained for 40 solid minutes!  My class normally can not sit still for 40 straight minutes, but with Debbie, they did not have to! She has them moving and grooving!  So awesome!!! 

We had so much fun singing and dancing!  Then they got to ask her questions!  Needless to say they kept asking me for her songs to sing days later! 

I love her blog and her music!    We had sooo much fun!!! Thank you Debbie for Skyping with my students! We  ♥ You! 

Right now, she is giving away a registration to the I Teach K! conference!!! Hurry and go enter!  {Click here or on the picture below}

 

End of Year Behavior and Patriotic Craft!

Wow!!!  What a year! I LOVE LOVE LOVE my class!  They are the sweetest class!!!  I am sooooo going to miss them! We only have a few days left and when they give me sweet notes, I just tear up knowing I am going to miss them!!!

But this time of year, even the sweetest students can turn a little “cray cray”!

I took my daughter last week to the Taylor Swift Concert! It was AMAZING!!!  If you have never seen her in concert,  you must go! She is an awesome entertainer!!!

Do you see how she is floating?

At the concert I picked up the cutest light up stick for my daughter and I to use at the concert.  I thought when I came back to school I would use it as a cute pointer, but this idea has been even better!

 I turn the stick on and put it in the middle of the quietest table. 

Wow!!! I cannot believe how my class goes from super loud to super quiet in a snap! 

They all want it on their table {but who can blame them! The colors change from green, to red to yellow to blue and it is so pretty to look at!} 

Now, don’t get me wrong, I never mind my class talking, but right now I am report card testing and DRA reading testing and I need a little quiet so I can hear the students (They know they can still whisper, as long as it does not get loud).

Whichever table has it at the end of the day gets a surprise reward. {On Friday it was an M&M, but some days it is a sticker for their Wow! Behavior Chart or a smelly dot on their hand or a sticker for their shirt, just whatever is easy!} 

On Friday, we learned about Memorial Day and what the holiday really means.

My students made a craft they could take home and help their families remember the reason for this special holiday.

One of the teachers on our Kindergarten team found this cute craft and shared it with our team.

These Memorial Day wreaths are really cute and my class was  having the best time making them! But, before I knew it, they  began to get a little loud. I just pulled out the stick and the loud behavior became instant peace – all I heard was the sound of scissors! 

These wreaths are adorable and they loved making them!

{Want the link to make them in your classroom? Click here}

This is one of my sweeties working on their wreath!

 This is a few of the finished wreaths!

Aren't they adorable?

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

And take some time to remember

what the weekend is really all about!

Need some more patriotic ideas?

Debbie Clements of Rainbows Within Reach

has some great ideas!

And she has an amazing book!

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Easy Parent Gift! {Glitter Included!}

Wow! This month is flying by (and so is this year!) I can hardly believe we are nearing the end of school! My class made a super easy gift for their Mom's - but it would be great for Dad's too!

Supplies you will need:

*paint

*glitter {a must in Kindergarten!}

*glitter pom poms

*a paper plate
*a 2 liter bottle (full of your favorite drink - we used Dr. Pepper!)
*white construction paper (one sheet for each child)
*green construction paper  (two 3 x 9" piece for each child)

After you pour the paint on the paper plate, take the 2 liter bottle (the prettiest flowers are if the bottle is brand new and full) and dip the bottom in paint.

Next, pick it up out of the paint and put it on the paper.
Voila! A beautiful flower!
Now, before it dries, sprinkle some glitter on the paint - Pretty!

Let dry several hours.

Now give your students one piece of green construction paper.

Have them trim a stem for each flower (we had two, so they cut off two stems). Have them glue it under the flower.

Next, have them cut out leaves out of the green paper.

Now, you can have them use the leftover green paper and trim it up and use as grass (I had them cut small slits at the top to look like grass) or you can give them a new piece of green construction paper to glue down for the grass.  

Next, you will want to hot glue on the glitter pom pom

If you used a large piece of construction paper and folded in half, they make great cards!

I love that every picture was unique to the child!

I hope you can use this idea in your home or classroom!

Leave me a note letting me know how you plan to use this idea {or tuck it away for next year!}

Mother's Day Tea {freebie included!}

I hope everyone had an amazing Mother's Day!

I had so much fun playing games and the Wii with my two awesome kids! They made me cards and took me to lunch!
I love my sweeties! I feel so blessed to be their Mom!

I always have a Mother's Day Tea to celebrate Mom's! My class had their Mother's Day Tea on Friday! It was so much fun!

First, let me show you pictures from {Mother's Day Tea 2012}:

We made Mother's Day Coupons from childcareland.com

My Mom and Me book from Lil Country Kindergarten

I used A Cupcake for the Teacher craft to make our place mat

Mother's Day Purses from Miss Kindergarten

These are our Mother's Day Cards

We used HeidiSongs directions to draw our Mom

Here are pictures from this year {Mother's Day Tea 2013}:

I used Pink Bulletin Board paper and tied a bow using Pink Tulle for our chair covers

I used a white paper bag and stapled a cute drawing

of their Mom to make their gift bags

{click here to get the freebie from Simply Kinder}

We use HeidiSongs directions to draw our Mom

and I made this freebie for them to write about their Mom

{click here to get this freebie - you can tuck it away for next year}

My class sang the song I Love Mommy

{to the tune of Are You Sleeping}

This year's Mother's Day cards

I sent home a few cookies for my Kinder's to have

a party of their own at home with their Mom!

The labels are from Kinder Craze!

One of our local stores gave away these cute Brighton boxes,

so I die cut hearts and had my sweeties write

Hugs and Kisses and I filled with a few Kisses!

The labels are from Kinder Craze's Mother's Day Tea Party Pack

I love that it's editable!

Here is their plate of goodies!

These are Miss Kindergarten's Mother's Day Purses!

Aren't they adorable!

I didn't have time to use ribbon on them, so I put Velcro dots on the handles to keep them closed.

We glittered them!

We LOVE glitter!

These cute signs are from Kinder Craze's pack!

I hope you got some great ideas!

Feel free to pin and save for next year!

Make sure you follow me ~

I have a great craft coming up on my next post!