The Keys to My Future {Classroom}

I just got the email that I will be able to pick up the keys to my new classroom the first week in August!  Holy moly that's right around the corner!!  Last year I made a move to a new school and 185 days later I packed up everything again to make another change.  I'm so excited for another new adventure.  Even though setting up a classroom is a TON of work, I know there's a big part of me that loves it!  The organizing, decorating, rearranging, sorting...yep, it all makes me tick.  Here's a little encouragement for you as you get geared up to take on your classroom (or boxes)...

My new classroom is much, much smaller than my old classroom, which was much, much smaller than my classroom before that.  Maybe that's a clue that it's time to downsize?!?  Haha, riiiiiiight!  Moving on...

Here's a peek inside last year's classroom.

Reading corner

I found the 'READ' letters at Michael's and they fit perfectly with my color scheme!

This is our 'reading wall' next to the reading corner.  The, as I call them, 'bedazzled bugs' are one of my favorite finds.  They are the paper die cuts that you can find at most Dollar Stores.  I simply 'bedazzled' them with scrapbook paper that matched my color scheme.  How simple, eh?

This is the area where I spent WAY too many hours doing report cards.  Take notice of the adorable little bedazzled dragonfly and ant!

My HUGE perfectly sized word wall!  I {heart} that word wall.  My students could see it from anywhere in the classroom.

Welcome to our room!  Can you believe this is just one of the EIGHT doors I had in my classroom?!?

Our writing table.  I made this bulletin board using a roll out beach mat from, take a guess...the Dollar Store.

A view across the room.  I also loved the decor on the front of the cabinet.  It sure did make an ugly piece of furniture much more appealing to the eye!

Last year was my first year with this color scheme/theme (I previously had a jungle theme).  I plan to make several changes this year.  I just ordered these adorable hot air balloons from Oriental Trading Company.  The yellow one is going to be perfect! 

Ok, don't judge this one...You know when something looks/sounds so much better in your head than in real life, yaaaa, this color wall is one of those things...I loathed it all year!  'Creepy colors' was supposed to be a spin off of 'creepy crawlers' since there are bugs on the flowers.  Yeah, not so much!

This was obviously on my to-do list for this summer.  I'm hoping this is better...

I made these kites in 8 (I think) different colors to create a new color wall.  Now I just have to find room for them in my itsy bitsy new room!  

These kites are part of my Polka Dot Backyard/Garden Classroom Theme Set in my TPT store.

I was inspired by, and got many of my ideas, from the amazingly talented Melanie Ralbusky over at School Girl Style.

I haven't been to her page since I started this theme for fear that I would want to change mine again, and OH MY GOODNESS, she has some adorable new ideas!  Believe it or not, she has Monogram Art, just like the 'READ' letters I have in my reading corner.  Pop over to her page and check it out...but make sure you have a TON of time on your hands when you do because there's SO much to love!

My camera is charged and ready so stay tuned for pictures of my classroom for the 2013-2014 school year (which is currently in about 50 boxes)! ;-)  

Introducing Freebie Friday

After spending an amazing 9 days in Reno/Tahoe, I'm home and ready to introduce 'Freebie Friday'!

(A big thank you to Melonheadz Illustrating and DJ Inkers for the graphics and font in this picture.)

You're gonna love this one!  On Fridays, I plan to post a freebie for you to enjoy.  Who doesn't love free???  Be sure to follow my blog by signing up via email, or via Bloglovin, to ensure you don't miss a single one!  My first freebie has already been posted in my TPT store.

Today, my freebie is a collection of bookmarks for parents.  I plan to give them out during our Back to School Night.  I think it will be a great way to welcome parents and reinforce how important it is for parents to be reading at home with their child.  

I printed the bookmarks, laminated them for durability, punched one hole at the top, then tied a piece of ribbon through the hole at the top.  I think they turned out super cute!

What do you think?  Head over to my TPT store, by clicking on the image below, to download your freebie!

Rats!  I didn't arrive home from vacation until about 10pm and it looks like I lost the race against time to get this posted before midnight on Friday....SO, you get your first 'Freebie Friday' on Saturday! ;-)

'Pete' and 'Pigeon' Make Another Debut

Yesterday, I got a tiny bit carried away on Amazon as I started looking at new books.  I started with a simple search to find the author of one book and, well, you know how that goes...I ended with a cart FULL of awesome new books.  Some of which are simply new to my classroom library, others which are brand new, not even published yet!  Whoa, I'm super duper excited to share what I found with you!!

First, I {heart} Pigeon books by Mo Willems (and Elephant and Piggie books, but that's for another day), and he's releasing a brand spankin' new book titled,  The Pigeon Needs a Bath.

The release date is set for April 1, 2014, but it's up for pre-order now!  I complete an entire unit on Mo Willems, typically in January, that I will share with you (but not now...such a teaser, eh?).  

My kids come to love the Pigeon as much as I do.  The books are excellent for discussing themes among books written by the same author, discussing character traits (the Pigeon is very persuasive and persistent), and using picture clues to develop and clarify meaning.  

Second, is the infamous Pete!  He is making several debuts in the coming year.  Pete the Cat:  The Wheels on the Bus was released on June 25th.  

There are also a few You Tube videos for this one.  The video by HarperKids can be found here.  There is also this version:

I could definitely see the kids 'rockin' out' to these at the beginning of the year!  

Pete the Cat and His Magic Sunglasses has a release date of October 1, 2013.

Pete the Cat:  The First Thanksgiving has a release date of October 1, 2013.  

Pete the Cat:  Valentine's Day is Cool has a release date of November 26, 2013.  

You bet your sweet little self that all of these books found their way into my cart!  Will they end up in your cart, too?!

We may not be able to have all of these books yet, but you can grab my character traits activity sheet by clicking here or on the picture.

A Blog Makeover and a Facebook Fan Page!

In the past week, I have learned more about html codes, CSS, and widgets than I could have ever imagined!  Though I know I've only scratched the surface of what there is to know, I'm feeling pretty accomplished.  I can't remember the bajillion blogs I visited, and tutorials I watched and read, but if I could, I would give all the amazing authors behind them a bajillion (and one) THANKS!

Ok, so my blog got a serious makeover AND I decided that while I was at all this techie stuff, it was time to create a Facebook fan page.  This is where I need your help!  I currently have one, yep, you read that correctly, one fan....and I bet you can guess who that is?!?  Me!  A prime example of being your own best fan, eh?!  In honor of my new Facebook fan page, and for your back to school preparations, I have a fan freebie currently awaiting your download!

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. is definitely a staple piece of literature in many Kindergarten classrooms.

I love making class books with my kiddos and want to share this one with you.

Students simply write their name on the blank line and glue their picture in the blank space beside the coconut tree.  This book is great for not only helping your students learn their classmate's names, but for practice with several Common Core Standards, such as:

RF.K.1a-Follow words from left to right, top to bottom, and page by page;

RF.K.1b-Recognize that spoken words are represented in written language by a specific sequence of letters;

RF.K.lc-Understand that words are separated by spaces in print

I've also included an extra option for students to practice identifying the letters in their name, as well as spelling their name.

There is also a class page that can be used as the last page in the book.  Simply add a class photo, if desired.

The ONLY way to grab this class book freebie is by popping over to and 'liking' my Facebook fan page.  You can link to my Facebook page by clicking any of the pictures above, or by clicking the Facebook button on the side bar.  Once you're there, 'like' my page, click on the 'freebies' box, and download the book.

Thank YOU a bajillion times for becoming a fan!

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