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Monday, July 14, 2014

Let the Good Times Roll!


This is how my day started last Thursday.  I was on my way to the first Teachers Pay Teachers Conference in VEGAS!!  I have a *slight* slot machine addiction, so this trip was a no-brainer for me.   Once I saw TpTs announcement that the conference was in Vegas, I signed up, booked a room, and never looked back.  {Those are APPPLES, by the way--my husband thought they were cherries!}


You're reading my picture correctly...I hit the JACKPOT in more ways than one.  Yes, the Wheel of Fortune picture was from my slot machine frenzy {too bad it was only 1000 quarters, not dollars, huh?}  The biggest jackpot of all was meeting all of the TpT Team and sellers.  Here's a picture of the TpT founder, Paul, and two of the top TpT sellers, Deanna Jump and Dee Dee Wills!  I had to pick my jaw up off of the floor when I spotted them!!  I also had the thrill of meeting Amy, the heart and soul of our TpT sellers!  Rick and Laura were also two TpT sellers I've admired from afar, so I had to capture the moment!

The sessions were uh-mazing, as expected.  I attended the sessions by Fluttering Through First Grade, Nikki from Melonheadz, Rachel Lynette, and Erin Cobb from Lovin' Lit.  Each session was thoughtfully prepared, funny, inspirational, and packed full of bits of wisdom.  They even had some fun raffles and giveaways.   




Thanks to Erin for this CD full of clip art and organizational tools to keep us organized!  Now, if I could just have her husband talk to my husband about filling in all the stats, I'd be in heaven! :)




Lucky me!!  I won two $50 certificates--one from Nikki to use towards her adorable Melonheadz clip art.  The other was given by the Fluttering in First Grade team, which goes towards clip art from a clip artist named Sonya De Hart.  Both prizes are just what I needed to inspire more resources for my classroom and store.




The day ended with an exciting Happy Hour--photo booths, snacks, more mingling.  I finally bumped into a California seller who I've been wanting to meet for a long time.  Sarah Magallano is ALWAYS beating me in the California rankings, so I had to show her who's the boss.  Ha ha!!

All in all, this trip was one of the highlights of my life!  Yep, really it was!  And I have a pretty nice life, so that speaks volumes!  Can't wait to let the good times roll again next summer!

Until then,



Monday, July 7, 2014

The Power of Proximity


Ok, I know...I'm supposed to be unwinding during summer, taking my mind off of teaching.  I can't help it that teaching stuff just keeps popping into my mind.  So, there I was this morning, taking aqua aerobics class.  (By the way, this is not a real picture of us.) I'm in the pool with a buncha grandmas, which is a ton-o-fun.  They went CRA-ZY when a Tom Jones song came on--not kidding!!  I take this class because it feels so good on my aching feet and knees.  It's a great workout and a great way to energize.  Anywhooo, so there I am, rocking out to Tom Jones, feeling proud of my cross country move, doing it exactly as the instructor is demonstrating on the side of the pool.  I'm in THE ZONE, feeling pretty good.  The grandmas around me were moving along at their own pace as well.  Then, the instructor whips her shorts off, and jumps in with all of us.  She's moving around, weaving in between all of us, shouting out new moves.  I've never...repeat NEVER...seen the power of proximity work so well.  These grandmas {ok, ok, me too!!} started moving SO much stronger.  We were trying much harder whenever the instructor was next to us.  We all had a better workout because she got involved with us.  This, my teacher friends, was a gentle reminder to me to get up and move around more during the school day.  Sometimes, I can get trapped at my reading table or in front of the class.  What kids really need is the power of proximity... the teacher moving around to motivate and help children see that what they're doing does matter.


Wednesday, July 2, 2014

July Currently

July...the start of the slippery slope towards the start of school.  Yipes!! Where did June go?  I'm hooking up with Farley from Oh Boy, 4th Grade! for the monthly July Currently.

Listening:  I just love Aloe Blacc's music--so uplifting.  His music has been my go-to music on my iTunes that motivates me to walk each morning.  

Loving:  Loving the June gloom that is sneaking into July.  I can handle life with good weather; I'm not a big fan of humidity or heat!

Thinking:  The TpT conference is upon me--one week to go.  This opportunity is like a dream come true.  I can't wait to meet some of the most creative, dedicated teachers on the planet!  I'm mostly looking forward to putting faces to names, and taking my lil TpT store to new heights with all of the tips I'll be learning.

Wanting:  A new purse is on the horizon.  My old one got smushed, slimed, and worn out on our family trip to the east coast.  It's a mess!  I'm hoping to get a lil Kate Spade crossbody bag--oooh!  Can't wait!

Needing:  Just about everything on every Target aisle.  Could be dangerous.

4th Plans:  Good ol' fashioned fun...pool time/bbq with neighborhood friends, and fireworks in the evening with a different set of old friends.  Couldn't ask for more.  Oh, yeah-almost forgot.  We're making some of my grandpa's classic, secret recipe homemade ice cream.  It's going to be the first batch of the summer, so I'm not sharing with anyone.  haha!