Weekend Randomosity

Today I did something crazy that I have never done before.
No, I didn't skydive, swim with sharks or climb Mt. Everest.
I did something even crazier for Teachers.
I went into Target, browsed around the dollar spot and walked outside with NOTHING.
Nada, zip, zilch.
Absolutely no purchases were made at Target.
Usually it is unheard of to walk out of the store spending less than $50.
Today I walked out with all money still in my pocket.
It was crazy!
I'm still in shock.

Come back tomorrow to grab your Manic Monday freebie.
I honestly haven't even started making it yet.
I probably should get on that.
The rain for the past 4 days has put me in a funk.
Maybe the Premiere of Amazing Race and Revenge will inspire me.
Are you watching them tonight?
I can't wait!
2 million dollars for Amazing Race this time!
Say what???
I gotta get on that show!

Thanks to all my new followers! I'm getting closer to 100 followers! I'm super excited! 

First Grade Common Core

Have no fear the First Grade Common Core Workbook is here!
For all those first grade teachers who were jealous when the Kindergarten workbook came out, the your prayers have been answered! 

This workbooks is filled with over 550 pages of Worksheets, Activity Centers, and Posters that teach all the First Grade English Language Arts Common Core Standards and all the First Grade Mathematics Common Core Standards! Wow! This is definitely worth it's weight in gold! If you haven't already downloaded a copy of your own you should hurry on over and get one today! Click the link at the top to get your own. It is the best resource out there to teach Common Core!

Weekly Wednesday Freebie #5 Football Edition

If there is one thing I have learned on my teacher blogging adventure it's that there are some die hard football fan's out there. Like crazy obsessed in a good way. I have never been that into football because it just seemed too complicated to me. But with football season in full swing I was inspired. When a freebie football clip art set came available from Dots Of Fun I knew it was meant to me. Football themed activities I can handle, so your wish is my command.

For you all today I have created a football real and nonsense word sort game. I think you and your kiddos will like it!

Click the picture to download 

I thought it was super adorable and fun to make. Who knows, I might even be inspired to watch a few football games this season. You never know!

I hope that your children can use this game in your classroom. If you use it, let me know how it goes! I love getting feedback.

Teacher Technology Favorites Linky

Here I am back with another linky party today! That's four in a row if you count Manic Monday which of course I do. This linky is so much fun! It is courtesy of Mrs. Parker over at Learning with Mrs. Parker. The graphic is just so adorable! What teacher doesn't love a cute clip art apple!

Here are my top five teacher technology favorites:

1. bubbl.us

This is a great website that allows you to create bubble maps for different concepts.

Everything is completely customizable which is wonderful! Did I mention that this baby is FREE! Why yes it is! The possibilities are endless with this program! You should really check it out!

2. Triptico app

This is a downloadable app that features over 20 different programs you can use.
Some examples include student grouping, a class timer, word magnets and a scoreboard. 

There is also a plus version that you can sign up for.
Here are some of the option included in the plus program:

Click HERE to visit their blog and find out more!

3. Common Core State Standards app

I love this gem. It is so convenient to have instant access to the common core state standards on the go. They are organized into math and language arts and then broken down by grade level.
Here is an example of the kindergarten math standards:

This is a gold mine to any teacher. I strongly recommend you download it because it is FREE! Click on the top image to download.

4. Elmo document camera
I love the Elmo! No not the lovable red furry monster. The sleek white document camera. Check it out!

This is a wonderful device. You can put any piece of paper, object, basically anything under the camera and it will project it onto your wall or whiteboard. You can even put a tiny picture book under it and it will instantly turn into a giant book for everyone to see. You can also fill out work sheets whole group and follow along as it captures every motion you make. This is expensive but Donors Choose anyone? It would be a great addition to any classroom!

5. PicMonkey

I have to agree with Mrs. Parker: PicMonkey is the best! When I found out Picnik was closing it was like my world was coming to an end. Enter PicMonkey to save the day. It is this amazing picture edition and collage making site. This website has everything from adding fonts, borders, stickers, removing blemishes, making yourself skinnier, drawing tool and more. Hurry! Head there now before it's too late!

So there you have it, my top 5 teacher tech resources. I hope you found something new to use in your classroom.

Tomorrow I have a fun freebie planned! Be sure to follow me so you can be the first to know! And leave me a comment below. I love hearing from you all! It makes my day!

Letter Linky Love

I just love linky parties! There are so many great linky parties out there lately that I am in blogger Heaven! They are so much fun! You get to connect with so many wonderful bloggers and hear all their fabulous ideas. The new linky hosted by Jeannie over at Kindergarten Lifestyle is no different. This linky is called:

This linky is so much fun! I love love love teaching letter identification/formation activities! There is something so thrilling about introducing children to the letters that unlock the magic of reading. Here is my absolute favorite way of teaching letters!

I just LOVE playing with shaving cream! It is amazing!

The kids LOVE it! Actually, I take that back. Some are deathly afraid of it. I was like I said go stick your hand in a lion's mouth and write the letter A on his tongue. However, once they get started, they don't want to ever stop playing!

To keep the mess contained, I add a plate, pan, or pie tin and have them draw letters on that. That way the shaving cream mess is limited and it cuts the risk of getting all over the place like in their ears, on the rug, or in their hair. Shaving cream is really easy to get out of clothes though if it gets on them which is another reason why I just love it!

Sometimes I think I enjoy this activity more than the children. You can take it further and practice writing numbers, doing math equations, writing their names, or drawing pictures. I would teach this center every day! Do you have a shaving cream obsession or am I the only one?

Thanks for all the new followers guys! I am so honored to share this little blog with you all!

Once Upon a Manic Monday

Here it is: Monday again. My goal was to make one freebie a week but I can't seem to stop making them so I usually make a Freebie on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Sometimes more, sometimes less. But never a week goes by without a freebie.

Here is this week's freebie in celebration of fall and all the changing leaves.

I hope you enjoy this freebie and can use it in your class.

It isn't required, but I would love it if you would follow my blog so you never miss any freebies.
To all my followers, thanks! You guys are the greatest! I love all your comments! They make my day!

Halloween Picture Book Linky Party

So I am not going to lie. Holiday picture books are just my favorite things ever! Every holiday season I always scour the shelves at Barnes and Noble to find the newest holiday themed books. I read them cover to cover along with all the little children and their parents. It brings back the good memories of reading books in the bookstore as a child. After reading the book, I decide if it is something that I am interested in or if it isn't worthy of being on my holiday book shelf. Space is very limited you know. It is practically overflowing. Then, I come back right after the holiday when the books are marked down 50% off and I buy all the good ones. I have never had a problem with the books being sold out when I go back. However, now that everyone knows my secret, they probably will be gone.

Halloween books are my second favorite holiday themed books behind Christmas ones. I am just in love with all Christmas books. They are so magical and the pictures are always so magnificent. But Halloween books take a close second. They are so spooky and whimsical. I just love seeing the different illustrations. So when I saw that Chrissy over at First Grade Found Me was doing a Halloween linky party I knew I couldn't wait. Be warned: There are a lot of them! But who are we kidding, we teachers love books. I should make a some e card. I hate books said no teacher ever.

Without further ado, here are my favorite Halloween picture books.

I have almost every story in this collection. I just love them! It always brings me back to being a kid with the anticipation of the night before a holiday.

I just adore Spookley. This is such an adorable story about a square pumpkin who is different from everyone else but realizes that he is very special and saves the day. It is a great story about self acceptance and tolerance.

This is a fun story with a lot of repetition and rhyming. What young child wouldn't be enthralled to listen to a story that combines rhyming with cute animals!

I love this book! I remember reading it as a child. It was so fun to listen to. The children are always so amazed by how big the pumpkin is. I follow it up with looking at real life giant pumpkins which always impresses the children even more!

This book is so much fun to read. The kiddos really get into it and love to say the words right along with me. It is fun to connect it to a writing assignment "I am not afraid of anything... except:" Some of the fears the children have are priceless.

This is a very simple book. I am not going to lie about that. However, the children love it. It is so simple that they can follow along almost immediately. And it doesn't hurt that there is an adorable finger play based off of it. I love finger plays! It also has great connections to math which is a huge plus!

I love any There Was an Old Lady book. Now that they have one for every season I am all set! How can you refuse! The little ones just love repeating along with me and guessing what comes next.

We love Splat! He is so funny and his facial expressions are so vivid. It is the perfect series to go along with teaching emotions. Series are a huge hit with me and the kids. Once you read a book you get hooked on a character and want to read more and more about him or her. Splat is perfect for that. So combine Splat with Halloween and you have a winning combination.

This is just another great book that connects to so many. It is very funny but has a great message that is perfect for the classroom. Everyone will love it!

Here it is. I have a confession. I am obsessed with Fancy Nancy. I want to be her in my next life. She is just so fabulous! I love all her stories! I think what makes me love her the most is that she uses fancy words. I am a firm believer that young children can use sophisticated words. Combine Fancy Nancy with Halloween and it is just a winning combination in my eyes.

So I hope I didn't overwhelm you with all those Halloween books. It was only 10 which isn't too bad. Hopefully you found some new Halloween books you can use! Can't wait to see all the other books!

Next month we are going to link up for Thanksgiving books and I am so excited already! It is going to be so much fun!

Dollar Tree Halloween

Fall is officially in full swing here. That means Halloween is right around the corner! I love holiday themed activities. And Halloween is so much fun! I couldn't resist picking up a few festive things when I went into the Dollar Tree the other day. Here is what I snagged:

1. A cauldron
2. A couple packs of foam pumpkin shapes
3. A pumpkin themed ice cube tray
4. Some Halloween erasers
5. A Halloween stamp set

The cauldron was a great find. I love making witches brew and now I have the perfect tool to do so. The children will love it! In addition, I can also use it to play rhyming games, math games, or writing activities. The possibilities are endless!

Then I bought these foam pumpkin shapes. I thought I would write some math facts on the back, or some sight words and the children could play memory games. I'm hoping they will still have some left on clearance for 50% off in the future and I can go back and buy a bunch more.

Then I found this. This ice cube tray was perfect for a tens frame! They had other themed ones such as bats and ghosts but they weren't tens frames. Still cute though! This pumpkin one will be a great hands on activity to use with some Halloween themed erasers that I picked up at the Target dollar spot.

I picked up these erasers not really sure what I would use them for but they were so cute I couldn't pass them up. I was thinking maybe to pick partners for an activity. Still figuring out what to do with them. If you have any ideas comment below! 

Finally, I got these foam stamps. I thought they would be perfect for a stamp-a-story activity. The children could stamp a picture and then write about what they created. I have a ton of other really nice wooden stamps that I picked up at A.C. Moore earlier this month that would also work well with these.

Some really great purchases don't you think? You should hurry in and grab some of these great items before they're gone! They already have Thanksgiving and Christmas set out at my Dollar Tree. Do they have it at yours too? However, I didn't see anything for either of those holidays that struck me yet. I'm hoping they get more stuff in after Halloween because I can't wait to stock up!

Do you all celebrate Halloween in your classroom? If so, what are some of your favorite Halloween activities?

Come back tomorrow for a fun fall Roll and Cover freebie!
Be sure to follow my blog so you never miss a freebie!
I'm working towards getting 100 followers so I can plan a very fun giveaway!
You won't want to miss out!

Bloggy Blessings Giveaway {Heather's Heart}

I am here to share with you a wonderful giveaway that is happening now.
Heather from Heather's Heart is having a giveaway to celebrate how much of a blessing her blog has been.

Click on the picture to enter.
 
There are some great prizes to win!
$50 Target gift card
$25 Lakeshore gift card
$25 TPT gift card
And there are 2 winners who each win all three prizes! 
What teacher couldn't spend all that money in a heartbeat?
I encourage you to all head over and show Heather some love.
Her blog is full of fantastic ideas, prizes and giveaways.
You won't be sorry you did!

Oh, How Pinteresting Linky

As we all know, Pinterest is an addiction. It consumes all hours of the day. Sleep is no longer an option. Due to this pandemic, I am linking up with The Vintage Apple for her genius linky party:

 

Here are some of my favorite finds:

For the fall:

For the weddings:

For the funny bone:

For the classroom:

For the home:

For the beautician:

For the tummy:

Hope you have found some great pins!
If you want to follow this blog on Pinterest click HERE!