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Saturday, November 17, 2012

It's one of those days

I just feel BLAH! I'm not sure why either. I woke up in a great mood, wanting to accomplish a lot. I made a quick errand with Mrs. D and then went to the UPS store. I did send off my advent calendar stuff for Jenn! :) I can't wait until she receives it!

Then, I went to Starbucks to grab a drink. I still have a gift card there, so luckily I didn't spend money there. Money has been a huge stressor lately, but I'm trying to not think about it and just go on with my day-to-day activities. Then, I tried calling The Boy because I hadn't heard from him all morning and he worked late last night. It was about noon. He answered but was cranky and short with me. It just added to my BLAH day.

So, I came home and decided to make some book marks for my students and some Carmel Apple Spice Cider. Here is the original pin that I repinned. Fortunately, I already had all the stuff. 

And here is mine. I used a dip crock pot because I wasn't making a huge batch of it, but wanted enough to last me a couple days and it worked perfectly!!

As this was cooking away, I started cutting out retelling bookmarks for my students. I had leftover paint chips (FREE from WalMart!) that I used for another literacy center and just typed up what I wanted the students to recall.

This year, we're trying to really push retelling. Specifically, so it can align with DIBELS testing. In theory, they read a passage for one minute and then they have to retell the story they just read accurately in one minute. So, we decided to make these little bookmarks. I think I'm the last one to make these in my grade, but hey, it's better late than never. I'm hoping, as my students read, they'll look at their bookmarks afterwards to try to recall what they just read about. Hey, anything to get them thinking. 



Directions (pretty simple):
Cut out typed out words.
Glue onto each color strip.
Laminate and then cut out and waaaa-laaa!!
You now have wonderful, STURDY, retelling bookmarks!
Here are the final products.
My goals this week are questionable. I'm scared to look at them tomorrow to see how I did. I'll wait until tomorrow. I'm hoping some carmel apple cider and good TV tonight and change my mood. I can't wait to be home in 3 days!!!!

Monday, November 12, 2012

5 for Five- Week 5


I'm linking up, once again, with Jessica and Jenn for 5 for Five this week! Join in on the fun!

Link up with us at the start of the work week to set five goals that you want to accomplish in the next five days!! 

FantasticallyAverage

Green are things I accomplished and the ones in red are the ones I didn't do- opps! And a new color- ORANGE are the things I half did...if that makes sense! :)

Last Week's Goals:
1. Start reading my new book.
2. Book my flight home for Christmas
3. Figure out my living situation (This place is too expensive for me- I hate living paycheck-to-paycheck!)
4. Get My favorite things giveaway sorted out and bought! :) YAY!! (This means figuring out how to do a giveaway. Tips and suggestions are wanted! lol)
5. Finish everything in my fridge before I buy anything else (excluding milk and bread!)

Explanations: 
-I have researched some other apartment complexes, but have yet to discuss breaking my lease with my current apartment leaser. 
-My giveaway is coming together. I'm going out today (on my day off :) to finish shopping for it!

Now, this week's goal:
1. Book my flight home for Christmas. IF I don't do this now, it'll get more expensive! Wah!
2. Finish taking pictures and getting the post written for my giveaway.
3. Go in and talk to my leasing office about this apartment.
4. Keep a food journal. No, I'm not going on (or been on) a diet, but I have the most unbearable stomach pains. I WILL get to the bottom of this. If you want to read what I've already tried and my journey through frustrations, read it here.
5. Go send letters and advent calendar by going to the UPS store. (You might laugh, but I've had 6 letters addressed and all, sitting on my desk for 4 weeks and so I need to do this!)

Hope everyone has a great Veterans Day! Thank you so very much Grandpa for serving our country so long ago! Love you and miss you everyday!!


Don't forget to enter in Pencil Books and Dirty Looks giveaway! Awesome stuff here!!




Sunday, November 11, 2012

Catch Up Sunday

Wow! First let me apologize for the blogger MIA. I have had quite the week. My week started out not so good and by Friday I found out my 2 best girl friends were coming down to see me for the weekend! Needless to say, it was a fantastic, much needed weekend with my best friends! I was also dog sitting for Mr. and Mrs. D and she was so kind to let all 3 of us stay at her house with her babies. It was a fantastic weekend!! Here is our weekend in pictures.

It was 80 degrees here Saturday!!
Tired pups=love!!


Us before going out in Nashville.





Saturday morning headed to the Country Music Hall of Fame!

Out in Nashville!! It was an amazing weekend!!


Now onto updates about my favorite things giveaway, 5 for Five and the very anticipated Advent Calendar swap. :)

Favorite things giveaway is coming sometime this week. I don't have school tomorrow, so I'll be shopping for my favorite things, just not for me, but for some lucky reader!! :)

Update on 5 for Five:
1. Start reading my new book.
2. Book my flight home for Christmas
3. Figure out my living situation (This place is too expensive for me- I hate living paycheck-to-paycheck!)
4. Get My favorite things giveaway sorted out and bought! :) YAY!! (This means figuring out how to do a giveaway. Tips and suggestions are wanted! lol)
5. Finish everything in my fridge before I buy anything else (excluding milk and bread!)

My 2 week meal plan is going great!! I love knowing what I'm eating the next day! :)

Today I did some looking shopping for my advent calendar swap! So excited to participate in this!! Now, back to watching football! Have a great relaxing Sunday!!

Monday, November 05, 2012

5 for Five- week 4


I'm linking up, once again, with Jessica and Jenn for 5 for Five this week! Join in on the fun!

Link up with us at the start of the work week to set five goals that you want to accomplish in the next five days!! 

FantasticallyAverage

Green are things I accomplished and the ones in red are the ones I didn't do- opps! And a new color- ORANGE are the things I half did...if that makes sense! :)

Last week's goals:
1. Figure out my after school plans this year (I'm just going to stick it out- I need the extra money and I'm going to stop stressing over it!)
2. Do not buy ONE thing this week---I really want to accomplish this! (I did this!! YES! Except I went out to lunch with coworkers Saturday, but I didn't count that because I needed that adult interaction this weekend-lol)
3. I want to start reading a new book. (I picked out a book last night-now this week I'll start reading it. Or at least that's what I tell myself)
4. Make meal plans for the next 2 weeks (trying to use everything in my refrigerator and pantry) (Proof in this picture. And yes, I eat cereal for breakfast every MORNING!)

5. Be confrontational when it's necessary. (This one wasn't really necessary this week-but it's still good to think about!)

New goals for this week:
1. Start reading my new book.
2. Book my flight home for Christmas
3. Figure out my living situation (This place is too expensive for me- I hate living paycheck-to-paycheck!)
4. Get My favorite things giveaway sorted out and bought! :) YAY!! (This means figuring out how to do a giveaway. Tips and suggestions are wanted! lol)
5. Finish everything in my fridge before I buy anything else (excluding milk and bread!)

Don't forget to go out and VOTE tomorrow! Yay for no kids tomorrow but Nah for staff development- blah!

Sunday, November 04, 2012

A few reminders and updates

Reminder: If you haven't changed your clocks already, I'd suggest you do this now so you don't go to work a hour early tomorrow--- Just saving you some time. :)

Reminder: tomorrow if the 5 for Five link-up with Jessica and Jenn. I also refer to it as "What Kristen does and doesn't get done each week". Update: I'll just let you know I have done 3 1/2 out of 5! I'll let you know which ones tomorrow! :)

UPDATE: If you've been a reader for awhile, you'll know my Grandpa passed away a little over a year ago. If you are a new reader (yay for new readers), you can read more about what an amazing man he was here and here (my tribute to him last year on Veteran's day), and read about our trip to DC to burry him at Arlington National Cemetery here. We had a military service for him here. The only thing missing was the iconic and heroic tombstones that line the Cemetery. We had a temporary headstone that worked while we were there.
This is what it looked like when we went there in April 2012. 
UPDATE cont.: Well, I received an e-mail from my mom the other day saying the real headstone had replaced the temporary one!! YAY! Finally, my Grandpa's final resting place is beautiful and more importantly, it is there indefinitely. The way it should be!
How pretty is that? I love it! RIP Grandpa Dick!

Reminder: if you haven't already, go check out my post about renting textbooks. I swear it will save you so much money!!

UPDATE: I'm thankful November is here. There was something about October that just stressed me out. I'm over October and onto November. Bring on all things Thanksgiving baby!!

Reminder: Pencils Books and Dirty Looks is hosting a 300 follower giveaway this week!! Go on over and enter. I'm a new follower of hers and her teaching stuff is fabulous! Not to mention all of the things that she is giving away just happens to be all of MY favorite things as well. How awesome would that be if I won! :)

UPDATE: My coworker and friend, Mrs. H just found out she's expecting a little BOY in April!!! I am so excited for her that I now might have baby fever. The other girls on our team helped celebrate with her Friday morning by bringing her in blue balloons, some adorable onesies and blue cupcakes. I was in charge of making cupcakes and they turned out so cute! I hope she enjoyed all of her surprises as much as we loved putting it all together. Here is a picture of the cupcakes I made.

And last but certainly not least...if you love Christmas and everything about it, go on over to Sarah's blog at Scissors and a Whisk  to join in the fun of an advent calendar swap! I am so excited about this!!
25 Days of Christmas Advent Swap

I hope everyone is going out to vote Tuesday! I don't care who you vote for, voting is a privilege and is a way to get your voice heard! This is mine...
(I'm semi-joking lol)

Along with this ecard that I just LOVE! So true!!


Also, once I get to 100 followers I'll do a my favorite things giveaway!! I can't believe I'll be at 100 followers!! This is crazy. First, I need to find out how to host a giveaway, which might be another story in itself. :)

Saturday, November 03, 2012

All College Students...

I'm not sure about you, but when I was in college I had a love/hate relationships with college textbooks.  Can't live with them and can't live without them. After my sophomore year of college, I never had a hate relationship with textbooks again---except when I had to study for an exam. :)

Throughout my whole college career, (I took the 5-year plan) I had to purchase or use textbooks for every SINGLE class. It just comes with the territory of going onto college. When I was a sophomore in college, I was sitting in a Child's Literature lecture complaining to one of my classmates that this textbook was $109!! She then told me about CampusBookRentals.com. No joke this site saved me HUNDREDS of dollars, especially because it did take me an extra year to graduate. All of the books I rented from here were 50-90% off the bookstore prices. I was hooked after my first rental because...
1. The site was EASY to use.
2. I choose when it was sent back (instead of other sites telling you when it NEEDS to be back)
3. Free shipping both ways! Major bonus :)
4. And I was even able to highlight in it.

This was the last textbook I ever bought. It was $109. This site has this book here for a rental price of $42.26.  This picture is proof of my last textbook because I still own it and I haven't opened it since 2010---until tonight to see if I can use anything in it for my 1st graders! :)

If you want to know more about how this fabulous site works watch this great short informational video. 

If you have any questions watch this funny youtube video. If you still have questions call 855-200-0021. They are SO helpful!


ONE BIG BONUS: For every textbook you rent a portion of it goes to Operation Smile. This organization goes out to help save lives of children that need cleft lip surgery. This organization does great things for children around the world! How awesome is that?!?! 

Thursday, November 01, 2012

Christmas is almost here...

I have to admit something....I follow Santa Claus on Twitter. No, I'm not ashamed. I love Christmas and everything about it! Santa Claus tweeted the other day that there are 54 sleeps until He comes! YES---I can't wait! That makes this girl super happy.

So, when I saw this '25 Days of Christmas Advent Swap' on Sarah's blog I said DONE DEAL. I'm sold!


25 Days of Christmas Advent Swap

Come link up and see when all the fun starts. What a great idea- can't wait!