Five for Friday

Does it count if I started this post when it was technically still Friday {11:59pm et}

I am currently sitting on the couch, much past when I should have gone to bed, watching the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles one; you know, the good one.

It has been a very busy week & that's perfect for a link up with Doodle Bugs Teaching weekly Five for Friday.

I got the whole week off from school, a much needed break, & needed to prepare for my parents coming into town from St. Louis for Thanksgiving. They weren't staying with us, but I wanted to use the weekend & three days to get all my Christmas decorations up.

Holy Christmas decor inventory.

 Plus this FABULOUS find from an antique shop. You know that look/move you do when you find a $1 on the ground…I did that when I spotted the moose mug.

You serious, Clark?

No wall goes untouched in our apartment. The catch 22 about living in Central Florida is that we can't really get out of the state easily, but with the exception of the panhandle, we can get almost anywhere easily IN Florida. Our goal while we live here is to make the most of it & visit as many places as we can.

I purchased this 1920 map of Florida from Etsy shop WorkBox, printed it as an 18x24 & glued it to a canvas. Every where that Brandon & I have visited together gets a little pin in it. Still many places to visit!

I found the painting from Hobby Lobby.

Like I said earlier, my parents weren't staying with us in Orlando. We rented a condo in New Symrna Beach. We had a nice, low key Thanksgiving dinner, hubs was able to be off work for the evening to join, & we enjoyed the sunset & ocean view. B & I made the journey to Wal-Mart {ugh} & snagged a voucher to order the 50" TV. Black Friday just isn't the same anymore. Running through Target at 4am 4 years ago when we literally snagged our current 40" was so much more fun.

The weather has been really chilly the last two weeks, I feel sorry for my parents who were hoping for some hot weather. But anything is better than current Missouri weather.

And I have enjoyed getting to wear my "Wellies" & leggings!

Has anyone else had anxiety to go back to work on Monday? I had a legit anxiety attack this morning just thinking about my email {that I refuse to check till Sunday evening--at the earliest}

I really am not ready yet. But the positive side of it is that Thanksgiving was later this year, which means Christmas will come faster!

Princess Half Marathon is coming up in a very short 3 months & I am no where near ready. So what better way to celebrate the day after stuffing yourself than signing up for a 5k? 

As of my last running attempt I was only able to go a mile before I had to walk. Pretty embarrassing for someone who plans on running a half soon.

Another reason I love living in Florida, perfect running outside weather. Now..where is that motivation?

Hope you all had a wonderful thanksgiving break with your family & friends.

Positive Thinking, Thanks, + Threads

It's Thursday & I'm thankful, thoughtful & threading.

First linking up with Mrs. Laffin's Laughing: Positive Thinking Thursdays

The most positive thing I can think of is that tomorrow is the LAST day of school before a WHOLE WEEK off for Thanksgiving. 

Time to decorate my apartment full of Christmas decorations, catch up on work, get some much needed rest/rejuvenation, & prepare for my parents to come visit for Thanksgiving.

Now, I can get all sentimental on you & do the basic "thanks" for my husband, my family, my friends, my dog, my job…

Which I totally am but I'm trying to get a little more specific.

I am thankful to live in Florida as the winter season rolls around. I hate the cold & do not miss the hell that was outdoor recess duty from November-March. Orlando had a recent cold front blow through, and while it was a rude awakening to what I don't miss about Missouri, it was nice to pull out my boots, scarves, & layer up.

Canvas Jacket - Old Navy (here) Purple/Grey Shirt - TJ Maxx last year

Leggings -HUE (here) Boots- Target (3 years ago) Scarve- Gift

Didn't realize it wasn't very clear, but I was very happy with my ootd. It was in the lower 40s in the morning & I couldn't wait to bust out this jacket! I fell in love with it in Old Navy but after it was purchased, I realized it was harder to style & it's been way to warm to wear.

I got my new leggings from Nordstrom two days ago & I love them too! It was time to say adios to my Forever 21, college leggings, & make an adult purchase.

It's hard to tell in the picture but the shirt is a grey/purple color & the back is see through chiffon, so you have to wear a tank underneath. It's to the waist in the front & long (passed the bum) in the back & keeps me falling into the "leggings as pants" fashion fails.

I currently don't know where I'll put my mirror yet, so it's hanging out in my closet (hence the amount of clothes behind it).

Im thankful for Florida sunrises & sunsets! Every day is some beautiful painting!

I am thankful for creativity. I love crafting, DIYing, & drawing on my chalkboard.

And I'm thankful for the discovery of Once Upon a Time. Silly, I know, but I haven't had a new show in awhile & tend to get stuck watching reruns of reality junk I've watched 100 times. 

Disney + drama = duh!

Hope everyone has a wonderful evening & if tomorrow is your last day before break: Congratulations! You made it!

Weekend Recap + Frozen Breakfast Burritos

Another weekend come & gone & the Sunday night blues have set in.

Friday night I got to hang out with my friend's new puppy, a King Charles Cavalier, named Pearl! Pearl is just 10 weeks old & just the cutest. But no "puppy fever" over here. That was fun to do just once.

Saturday I made a trip to the Gift For Teaching warehouse that is offered to Title I teachers in Central Florida. We are allowed to go once a month to stock up on classroom supplies for free. I got a ton of black folders donated by a lawyer's office to make privacy folders for my students.

I saved over $300 this trip! Such a blessing to have this for support.

Saturday was cleaning day & Sunday was crafting day!

I had planned on doing a little decorating for Thanksgiving, I had actually started a craft project using burlap & white pumpkins (I started it a few weeks ago) & haven't had time to finish. I decided just to pack it all up. Project will be waiting for me next year!

After Halloween I usually take down anything holiday specific and leave up the pumpkins and leaves. I am not one of those people to decorate for Christmas early, sorry I'm not sorry, those pilgrims and indians deserve their holiday fair & square. I will though pull out the Christmas decorations next week since I am spending Thanksgiving with my parents in New Symrna Beach & have Monday & Tuesday off from school. 

There may be bags & bags of new decorations in my car waiting to come inside!

Sunday the hubs had to work & I surprisingly woke up semi-early & had the desire to go for a run. Those are few & far between & with my second half marathon just 3 short months away I needed to take advantage of it. It was a absolutely beautiful morning & another reminder of how much I love our neighborhood & living in Central Florida…I believe it was snowing back in Missouri today?

I was able to do 2.6 miles. I ran the first mile at a 10:20 pace, which isn't too bad, & kept a 13 minute mile for the second at a walk/run pace.

I played my Half Marathon playlist while I was running & it was a happy reminder/painful awakening that I was struggling to do 2.6 miles compared to the 13.1 I was doing just 6 months ago.

I worked on two projects on Sunday. I think my run inspired me to finally frame my Nike Women's Half Marathon memorabilia from last spring. It is such a great reminder of all the support I received from everyone while I was raising money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

The second project is also running involved, but not completed yet. Stay tuned!

And finally the breakfast burritos! 

My coworker & I are determined to get healthy & more gym visits so I made us breakfast burritos that we can keep in the freezer & thaw in the morning at work. I am awful at eating breakfast in the morning, I think it has more to do with how early I have to get up & leave. My stomach just doesn't want to eat food at 6:45am & my body doesn't want to get up early enough to make anything. I ate much better when I was working an office job & didn't have to be there until 9am, & was able to make breakfast & eat at my desk.

Hopefully this will help! Took about 30 minutes of prep, 30 minutes to cook & 30 minutes to package. Makes about 15

I watched Addams Family Values while I cooked. 

(I believe it qualifies as a Thanksgiving film)

I had to make two separate batches because my coworker can't have peppers. Her's had mushrooms, spinach, and tomatoes. Mine had everything.

Ingredients:

2 small containers of Egg Beaters (16 oz)

1 red pepper

1 green pepper

Baby Bell Mushrooms

1 tomato

spinach

Chicken Sausage (I wanted turkey but couldn't find what I wanted)

Skim Milk

Low Fat Cheese

Whole Wheat Tortillas

Dice peppers, mushrooms, and chicken sausage. Cook on a skillet until sausage is cooked and veggies are soft. Mix both containers of Egg Beaters with 1/2 cup of milk. Add egg mix to the skillet, let cook for 20-30 seconds (I let it go too long & got a little burnt. Keep mixing until it looks like scrambled eggs. Put into a bowl & take to the counter. Dish one big spoonful onto a tortilla & wrap. If you are like me & don't know how to wrap the perfect burrito, just google it, very helpful. Wrap in plastic wrap, put them in a gallon bag & place in the freezer! Excited to try them out in the morning.

I'll leave with you with some Monday morning inspiration.

Good night dolls!

No Excuses & My First "Teacher Threads"

I have been absent for a very long time, and I have no excuses why.

I have been fighting to survive the first quarter of school and keep above float for the second. Everything I do in my classroom comes from a pre-determined lesson plan and there is very little time available to do much beyond that, so I haven't felt as though I had too much to share.

Every fun thing I get for the kids or do with them is a beg, borrow, or steal!

Thanks TpT and Pinterest!

 

I promise to get better! But I have said that before...

 

I have thought of doing an outfit segment for awhile but have yet to follow through on it. Mainly because I don't have a full length mirror.

I totally walked out of my last apartment on move out day thinking we had it all packed up....

 

guess what was left behind? snuggling behind our bedroom door.

 

So, when I was back in St. Louis, Mo this past weekend, I took full advantage of my high school full length mirror :-)

 

I want to use "Teacher Threads" (we'll see if that name sticks around) so show how to find/wear comfortable, affordable (!), and stylish clothes, while also being functional, to school. No matter where you live!

I spent my first 3 years teaching in Missouri, where it'll rain, sun, and snow all in one week, to now Florida. Where I can make flip flops last all year if I wanted!

 

But my first two outfits aren't even what I wore teaching, but it doesn't mean I won't adjust them to wear to school soon!

I flew out of Orlando very early and I knew I needed something with layers for the plane, and when I landed in St. Louis. I also was going to get breakfast with my dad, so I needed something that could be seen out in public.

 

Jacket- Old Navy (similiar here) Grey t-shirt-Old Navy (here) Scarf-Old Navy last year (similiar here ) Leggings-Forever21 (OLD) Ballet Flats-Jessica Simpson (here)

 

I still managed to get cold on the plane, but pulling my jacket hood over my face while I tried to get any sleep I could helped.

 

The only items I paid full price for was the ON jacket and the JS ballet flats. The leggings are SO OLD--college old--and I finally ordered a good pair of leggings today from the Nordstrom sale.

The grey shirt I found in the clearance section at ON for $8.

 

I am obsessed with the jean jacket with sweatshirt sleeves and hood.

When I "browse" in Old Navy I usually end up with 10 things in my arm and I talk myself out of most of them by the time I make it the check out.

I was getting ready to leave with a few choices when I saw this jacket on display and HAD TO HAVE IT! I put everything else back and got it.

 

The next outfit I wore that weekend was to a country concert in downtown St. Louis.

Again, I was coming from sunny and seventy Florida to breezy and chilly Missouri, so I made sure to layer.

Jeans-J. Crew Factory (similiar here) Shoes-Target (here) Shirt-Target (here) Vest-HWet Seal last year (similiar here) Scarf-Old Navy (here)

 

With the exception of the jeans and vest, most of that outfit was purhcased that day.

An outfit on Pinterest had caught my eye the day before and after seeing it; I didn't want to wear anything else.

Pinterest Link

 

I'd say I hit the nail on the head pretty well.

 

I had wanted to purchase beige booties for awhile and I finally had my motivation/reason/excuse--you pick.

I found the vest almost a year ago. I searched high and low for a fur vest. I couldn't even tell you how many stores I went into to find it. I also gave up before I passed by a Wet Seal..a store I haven't been into since high school..and up on the wall I saw it! I was over the moon! I also purchased it in black.

 

The outfit was really comfortable and I ended up taking off the scarf after awhile because it got so hot with the crowd. But I felt very comfy and country in it!

 

Hopefully this can become a regular thing for me, as I've always had a love for fashion, and especially the "Look for Less" and recreating inspirations.

 

I will tell you, the photograph quality will never be anything except my phone (which currently is a very old iPhone 4--thanks apple) or my camera that is nothing special.

Don't except high fashion blogging over here...just a twenty-something, regular gal, who spent one semester as a Fashion Merchandising major before becoming a teacher.

:-)

 

Toto, I'm Not in Private School Anymore…& Classroom Reveal

Sorry I have been absent from the blogging world for two weeks, the first two weeks of school have put me in over my head busy. 

As stated before, this is my fifth year in the classroom, but my first year back in public school since student teaching, first year teaching fourth grade after four years of primary/ECC, and my first year having to do Marzano, data tracking, and state standards.

Needless to say, I feel like a first year teacher all over again.

There is SO MUCH to do in the intermediate grades, I was either staying at the school late getting organized and ready for the next day, or running errands for hours after work getting what I need, OR printing/laminating at home till late at night, to only get to work early the next morning to do more work.

Seriously, who stays at school till 6:15pm on a Friday? Me, that's who.

I am not hear to rant, and I am definitely preaching to the choir. 

But I do LOVE my fourth graders. They are CHATTER BOXES though, if anyone has any chatterbox tips please let me know----

I had to change their desks after day 3. But if talking is my only behavior problem this year, I'm fine with that. They are a great group and I'm so excited  to go through this year with them.

Below is my classroom reveal. I waited to take the pictures until the end of the first week, I finally have all the kids stuff out after adding four new kids to my roster and losing one. Plus, it looks more realistic to what it looks like most of the time. Including my messy desk. If it's organized and clean, I must be dead.

Looking from the back of the room. This was the desk arrangement AFTER day 3. I had them in groups, but I immediately realized that was a bad idea.

Looking at the room from my desk.

Taped to to the top, I have their class number, name tag, Marzano scales, and behavior punch cards--which we will start Monday. 

 My board, I wish my Promethium board wasn't in the exact middle, it cuts down on my white board, but I'm getting better at using it.

The left is the daily schedule, also where I will need to write What we are learning in each subject and how we will learn this.

The right has the weekly schedule to help the class remember important information of the week, like if there is a test or need to bring something special to school.

Sources:

Schedule {here}

ABC Chart, that I just ADORE {here}

Closer up of my weekly schedule, Marzano Learning Scale, bulletin board, and the mail center. I'm not sure what I'll do with that bulletin board yet...

During the day the student's cold lunches also go on the table.

Which also, I was shocked that my students had never heard lunches referred to as "Hot Lunch" or "Cold Lunch." 

I didn't realize this wasn't used at every school?

Underneath are three bins that hold the student's backpacks.

Back of the room: their cubbies and book boxes {from Ikea}

Above the sinks are frames to hold the essential questions for the four main subjects for each unit {to come Monday Made It}

The mat on the floor was a find from Walmart that says Be Awesome Today, I couldn't pass it up!

My classroom library and reading center:

 My reading area with my t-shirt pillows, the kids loving having the pillows to read with!

Rug from {Ikea}

My in progress writing center. Right now it serves more as a place where students can escape the chatter to work more quickly or read.

My behavior management and classroom jobs. Both will be started on Monday. I've never used the clip system, so I hope it's successful. I will connect it with their punch cards. As they move up, they get more punches on their cards, in addition to earning it throughout the day. When they fill it up, they get a choice from the treasure box.

To move down: two warnings, they have to move down one and it's teacher's choice for consequence, two more warnings and it's parent contact.

I only have 12 jobs because a lot will have two students at them.

Sources:

Class Jobs {here}

Clip System {here}

 My small group table..full of supplies and assessments. I still need to get storage for the coloring supplies and I spent most of the day assessing my students. Organization is low on the priority list.

Behind is my word wall and a drawer organizer from Big Lots.

Sources:

Word Wall {here}

My desk, no apologies :-)

 Right when they walk in. Homework bins and calendar.

Close up of the homework bins I made {bins from Dollar Store}

I like that I kept it separate…and I just realized I was supposed to bring the "In Class Work" bin home this weekend to grade…boo.

This used to be a plain wall, but I stapled butcher paper and border to the wall to make another bulletin board! 

For our first week, we focused a lot on how to be a successful student. The students answered questions:

What can you do to be successful this year?

What will Mrs. Alexander need to do to help you be successful this year?

What do you expect to learn in 4th grade?

School is important because…

In the hallway:

 And what's better and more reassuring than finding wonderful notes from my kiddos. 

Happy Friday friends, I'm headed to bed.

Monday Made It & A Peek at my Week!

Double Linking Party today with 4th Grade Frolics for Monday Made It and Mrs. Laffin's Laughings for a Peek at My Week.

Only one made it project this week, my focus is the fact that this is the last week before pre-planning and work officially begins.

I just LOVE my WRITE sign that I painted this week. I bought a roll of white burlap from JoAnn's and yellow and black paint. I cut out the pencil shapes and painted. They are probably about a foot long. 

I can't wait to hang it above my writing center.

Now a peek at my week. Last week of summer, but I already feel like I'm back at work with everything that's happening this week to get READY for work.

Monday

I was up bright and early to get started on my classroom. I was excited and anxious. I received our schedule of pre-planning week Saturday night and it sent me into a mini anxiety attack. I keep telling myself it will all come together. It always does.

Now, my classroom.

This morning was rough; really, really rough.

I got everything out of my apartment and up to my classroom, but my room was a SAUNA!

It was 87 degrees in my room, I'm on the 2nd floor, and it's Florida.

It was so miserable. The top left picture is me after about 10 minutes sitting in the room. I was seriously DRIPPING sweat, it would not stop. I felt dizzy and nauseous. Unfortunately, there wasn't much that could be done about it. I was told it should be on next week.

 I could only stay for 1.5 hours total and really did not get anything done. I just unpacked my bins from home.

Again, I feel overwhelmed and stressed.

I allowed myself a few little tears on the way home.

But sucked it up and told myself again:

It will come together, it always does.

It will be okay.

I'm now home blogging, cleaning, and a little crafting. 

Add guacamole and mac 'n cheese and I'm feeling much better.

Tuesday and Wednesday

All new hires are required to attend a two day conference on district rules and regulations, code of ethics, classroom management, diversity, etc etc. 

Thursday

One word: FOOTBALL!!

I have been waiting for this day for 8 long months! 

Granted it's pre-season, true Sunday football starts September 7th.

But I am just so happy to see it back.

And I will squeeze in some day time in my classroom, hopefully the air will be on, or the TWO fans I purchased today will help.

 Friday

Last day in my classroom before work officially starts Monday.

Saturday

Working at the child development center in the morning, but hoping I can squeeze in a little back to school clothes shopping for myself. 

(using my CC rewards)

I feel like I'll need a little pick me up.

Sunday

Hopefully RELAXING with the hubs.

Yesterday, B and I were able to spend the whole day at Cocoa Beach with our friends and their family. It was such a great day. B got to surf and I got to lay out and have girl talk.

My skin may be paying for it today, but it's always worth it.

And it ended with a fabulous BBQ by the ocean. 

I'll leave with a picture of the beautiful sunset. Florida does it better than any place I've ever been.

Cheers!