Let's Get Acquainted Tic-Tac-Toe Style!

Latoya is back in action with her Let's Get Acquainted linky party and I couldn't be more excited! 

I will say it was definitely worth the wait! This week's linky party topic is just so much fun! One of my favorite games when I was little was tic-tac-toe! This week we are playing tic-tac-toe, kicked up a notch, blogger style! 

How it Works:  

Look at the graphic below.  It is a Tic Tac Toe board filled with different categories.  You will post about three of these categories but they have to make Tic Tac Toe.  For example, you can choose to write about 3 topics that go vertical, or 3 topics that go horizontal, or 3 topics that go diagonal.  

I have chosen to tackle the middle column for my tic-tac-toe! 

1. My favorite subject to teach and why...

If I was filling this out last year I without a doubt would have said math. I have loved math for as long as I can remember. It was always my favorite because it was straight forward, you were either right or wrong. Then I got into the classroom, and honestly it wasn't too fun with the school's math program. So math pretty much wasn't a fan favorite of mine to teach anymore.

Then, I took a class on teaching language arts and fell in love! I was able to work with kinders in the classroom on reading and writing each week. To be able to see their unique thinking processes and then that magical moment when it clicked was something I will never forget. I just love seeing the children fall in love with book characters and using kid spelling in their writing. It enables us all to get creative and just have fun in the classroom which I love! All throughout my later school years, language arts was like torture for me. I never would have imagined that language arts would be my favorite subject to teach but I am so glad that it is!

2. My favorite school memory as a kid...

All of my favorite school memories revolve around kindergarten. I had the best experience with the most amazing teacher. That's obviously why I want to teach kindergarten one day. I had a hard time choosing just one favorite memory from the year but I ultimately narrowed it down. 

My favorite memory was our class field trip to the beach the last month of school. It was like a final bonding experience for my classmates. We hopped on the bus and there was no turning back. The weather was horrible but you would never know with all the smiling and laughter that filled the air. We got to paint our own beachy themed t-shirts to wear the day of the trip. We had a scavenger hunt collecting items hidden all over the beach. We had a picnic on our beach towels. We competed to see who could build the biggest sand castle. We got to sit in a lifeguard boat. We got to play all kinds of games in the sand. It was one of those days that you couldn't forget if you tried!

3. Favorite clothes and shoes store...

I am a pretty basic girl. Drop me off in an Old Navy and I am good to go! Love their fun patterns and bright colors! They have the perfect essentials for layering clothing which is crucial when teaching! I love that their clothes are always so cheap and they have great sales all the time! 

For shoes, it's a different story! I want them all! Shoes every color of the rainbow. Shoes in every style imaginable! That's why DSW is shoe paradise! They have shoes as far as the eye can see and they are so easily accessible! I hate stores that you have to wait for the person to check the stock out back and then they bring back one shoe at a time for you to try on all while supervising every move you take. DSW has great sales and they send coupons in e-mail all the time! Luckily the store is a ways away or I would be buying shoes every 5 seconds! If you have never been, make a trip to DSW for back to school! Your feet will thank you! 

Thanks so much Latoya for hosting once again! I cannot wait for next week!

Don't forget to enter my 600 follower giveaway if you haven't done so already! There are some great prizes up for grabs!

 

600 Follower Giveaway! {2x the fun!}

I feels like I was just celebrating 500 followers, oh wait, I was! My followers are seriously the best! I have to keep pinching myself every day to make sure it's not a dream! I thank each and every one of you who took the time to click follow and care about what I have to share. With each milestone comes great new friendships and I am truly thankful for each and every one of you! You are much more than a number to me, you are a true friend! 

It's hard to believe that June was celebrating 500 followers, I will be celebrating 600 in July, and in August I will be celebrating with a HUGE 1 year bloggy birthday bash! Boy, I just love giveaway celebrations around here and I know you do too!

This time around, I'm celebrating 600+ in style with one of my blogging buddies Kelly from First Grade Fairytales! I have always wanted to do a milestone giveaway with a friend and it just so happened that Kelly and I hit 600 followers the same week! It was meant to be!

Without further ado, I will let you at the goodies!

But seriously, can I win my own giveaway? These prizes are awesome! I could buy so many laminating pouches from Amazon, or clip art from TPT, or washi tape from Hobby Lobby! I could get a great discount on another Erin Condren teacher planner which I just adore! I could also get some amazing common core aligned lessons from Kelly's store. I would be all set for back to school! 

Well since I can't win, why shouldn't it be you? Enter below using the Rafflecopter and we will select one winner on Friday to win it all!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Best of luck to all who enter! 

Thanks so much for helping us both reach 600! We are truly grateful!

Currently July?!?

Well technically we still have one more day of June left but let's face it, another month down! I swear the days don't fly by this fast any other time of the year!

I am linking up once again this month with the fabulous Farley from Oh Boy 4th Grade! 

In honor of July, I decided I would fill out the Currently with my PS July font! This font features a stars and stripes theme which perfectly matches the currently slide! 

Listening: The AC seems to be on pretty much all the time now. However I cannot complain! I don't know how you all in Arizona/Vegas are handling 120 degree weather! I'd die!

Loving: I desperately needed a weekend to just relax after the week I had! I couldn't be more thankful for these 2 days off! 

Thinking: My room looks like a tornado blew in. I seriously need to clean up which means getting organized. I need more storage pronto. Or I just need to stop buying things. Well shopping is never gonna happen so it looks like I need some storage solutions like last week! 

Wanting: There are so many shows on this summer! I need more space to record shows! The whole recording 2 shows at once isn't cutting it! Space to record 20 shows at once would be more like it! 

Needing: A vacation! Enough said! 

Tips, tricks or hints: Joining linky parties is the best way to meet new bloggers and get your name out there. Don't be afraid to join any linky parties that are out there! There are plenty during the summertime! I'm sure you will find some that interest you! 

Well I'm off to spend a lazy day relaxing! Happy (almost) July! 

Five for Friday is going on Vaca

I was debating whether or not I wanted to link up with Kacey for Five for Friday this week.

I don't seem to really do anything lately worth sharing because I am busy working all the time! For all you truly on vacation and relaxing this summer I am jealous!

However, when I read that after today, Five for Friday would be taking a month long hiatus and returning in August, I knew I just had to link up one last time. I promise come August I will have much more teacher related things to share each week!

Here's my completely random Five for Friday this week. 

1. 

I hit a whopping 600 followers on my blog this week! I was hoping to hit this milestone before July 1st in case GFC goes away and we did it! 

My friend Kelly from First Grade Fairytales also hit 600 followers this week too so we are planning a joint giveaway! Stay tuned for more fun to come! 

2. 

Speaking of the "death of Google Reader", July 1st is rapidly approaching! If you haven't followed me on Bloglovin and entered my giveaway...

Be sure to click the little button on the right hand side of my blog to follow me! Then click the giveaway button above and enter to win! You have a chance to win my font pack! In addition there are over 100 other bloggers doing giveaways that you won't want to miss! 

3. 

Have you all read the book Teach Like a Champion? I am obsessed with it even though I am only on Chapter 4! This book is really making me think about how I can be the most effective teacher! The techniques talked about are such little things that might be overlooked but make a world of difference in the classroom! 

If you haven't read this book, you need to ASAP! 

Click the picture below to order on Amazon! 

4. 

Nothing says Summer like the premiere of Big Brother! Are you all hooked on this guilty pleasure show with me? The cast this Summer is crazy and I can tell there is going to be so much drama! Can't wait for Sunday! 

 

5. 

Seeing as I have been so busy with work, I clearly have not had time to organize my teaching resources. 

I now have 443 things I have downloaded from all your blogs and TPT that needs to get organized! I need more time in the day to get it all done! Help!

Now don't go getting too disappointed that Five for Friday won't be back next week! Cara has got you covered with Favorite Pins Friday. It's going to be a blast! See you there!

Show Me Some Bloglovin {Giveaway!}

Hi fabulous followers!!

You have probably heard by now that Google Reader is going away on July 1st.  Well, Google Reader may be going away, but I don't want YOU to go away, so I hope that you will consider following my blog through bloglovin!  I know that change is hard...so I thought I might sweeten it up for you a little bit!

I am doing a giveaway for all of my fabulous followers that take the leap and switch over to bloglovin.  You may have already switched over!  In that case, this will be an easy entry!

If you have not yet switched or are not following our blog through bloglovin, then there are a few easy steps to follow.  You can go to my sidebar (that's the column on the right over there that shows our followers) and you can click the button that says Follow this Blog with bloglovin.  Or, you can go into the Rafflecopter below and click the link in the first entry, and that will take you to my blog on Bloglovin.

You will need to set up an account with bloglovin so that you can followmy blog .  Please be sure to leave your bloglovin username in the Rafflecopter entry. Since I can't see the list of all of my followers (yet), I am asking that you "like" this post on bloglovin after you become a follower. I can see who has liked the post, so that will be a way for me to verify the winners!

If you want to go ahead and move all of the blogs you follow from Google over, you can go to this link and it will take you through the super easy steps.  BUT, please go to my bloglovin link and make sure that you are following me through bloglovin.  To be sure, make sure that the blue button at the top of our bloglovin page has been clicked (it should be gray with the word following- if it's blue, please click it to follow!)

So, if you follow me by bloglovin, please enter my giveaway!!  I will be picking 2 WINNERS and each winner will get my YEAR OF FUN-FILLED FONTS PACK! Everyone loves fonts right? =)

 
Just enter on the Rafflecopter below! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Want to win more? Click on all these other fabulous blogs below to enter their bloglovin giveaways too! You won't want to miss this!

get the InLinkz code

What Time Is It? Craft Fail Time!

It's that time again! Linking up with the one and only Tara from 4th Grade Frolics for Monday Made It!

I was so proud of myself this week! I started my Monday Made It crafting on Friday! Yes, Friday! For those of you who are new, this was a HUGE deal! I usually start on Sunday night or even Monday morning if I'm feeling extra slackerish. HOWEVER...just because I started my crafting early, does NOT mean that I was successful as evident below...

Here are the two projects that I had on my plate for this week: 

1. Create 2 scrapbook paper clip boards. 

2. Corn syrup paintings. 

Here's how it went down:

1. First clipboard was a disaster so I didn't dare waste clipboard #2.

2. Paintings never finished drying so will have to be shared later this week. 

Since I can't leave you all hanging,  let me share the lovely dilemma of the scrapbook paper clipboard to you all! 

Don't let initial looks fool you! This clipboard was a disaster! 

Didn't even put my blog link on this pic because I don't even want to be associated with it!

When making my clipboard, I couldn't decide on the scrapbook paper combos. I see the ones online with a variety of different designs and I love them. However, when I try and put some together myself, I end up hating it all. This was a sign that I should have just jumped ship then but no I kept on going until the Titanic hit the iceberg and sank.

I ended up selecting a fun yellow pattern and then 2 strips of a new pattern to accent. However, after I had modge podged the yellow background and 2 strips on, I realized that I modge podged the clip down. So, I pried that open and then realized the sticky mess I had on my hands. I got a face cloth and tried to wash off the modge podge from the clip. However, in doing so, the water ended up washing away the scrapbook paper leaving a big hole. So then I was forced to add an unwanted strip of paper at the top to cover the hole. I then used my toothpaste (don't ask me why I chose that random object) to put under the clip and hold it up so the modge podge could dry without the clip sticking again. However, when I removed the toothpaste, it had been sealed to the scrapbook paper as well and left another tear. Then I had to cover this patch as well. In addition, after adding all these cardstock strips, I realized they were thick and raised and would make writing on the clipboard a disaster. Finally, the edges of the clipboard were not working for me and the modge podge just was left looking all streaky bumpy. I had planned on adding my name to the bottom of the clip board however I wasn't wasting those stickers on this mess! All in all, this clipboard is unusable and just a big headache.

So what did I learn from this experience? 

First, I need Teeny to come tell this story because she makes all disaster stories amazingly hilarious!  

Second, I have come to the conclusion that Modge Podge and I just are not meant to be together on any level. We can't even be acquaintances. Nope, Modge Podge and I have gotten a divorce. We, are never ever ever, getting back together. (Taylor Swift reference anyone???)

Third, I'm clearly keeping the title of Queen of the Craft Fail! It's way better than Miss America I tell you! Be jealous! 

Have no fear though! While shopping at Target, I found these...

They are washi tape sheets! My best friend just got even better! This is what I plan on using for clipboard #2 next week for Monday Made It. Come back then and see if it was a success or another horrible fail! I'm praying for success! Send good crafting vibes my way!

Now I'm off to stalk people who actually have crafting talent! Join me won't you?

#FiveForFriday {Lazy Edition}

I have had a rough day and honestly have no energy left for a real lengthy Five for Friday. Therefore, this will be a short and sweet post using hashtags a la Michelle Griffo. Enjoy!

#GettingMyCraftOn

#MondayMadeIt

#GlitterMakesEverythingBetter

#GiveawayWinner

#CanYouSayNewClipArt

#ThanksWiseOwlFactory

#BookFairBuys

#CantSayNoToBooks

#IHeartScholastic

#UnderTheSeaCelebration

#GooglyEyeStickersOnTheLegs

#IllMissTheseKiddos

#MonstersUniversity

#IWillPayTenBucksForPixar

#KidAtHeart

Happy Friday! I know I will be savoring every last minute of the weekend! Thanks Kacey!

That's A Steal Thursday!

So shame on me for posting twice in a day! However, I did try and spread them out as much as possible! One of these days I will have my linky party life planned out! If only there weren't so many fabulous parties that happened on specific days of the week! Maybe I need a blogging planner! Is there an Erin Condren for that...

Tonight, I'm here to link up with a wonderful friend, Kayla from Meet Miss Parker. She has this fabulous idea for a linky party where you link up and share you shopping steals of the week on your blog and on instagram. 

I am all game for anything that gives me an "excuse" for shopping and someone else to blame my empty wallet on. Thanks Kayla!

After work today, I headed to Walmart and scoured their clearance aisles. I do have to say I found some mighty good, absolutely random deals that didn't break the bank! 

1. Holographic bulletin borders at only 30¢ were a must have!

2. Fun party stirrers at 75¢ to use as reading pointers that came in my favorite colors!

3. Ink pads for a measly 30¢? Absolutely! One in each color! 

4. Sports bucket for those active boys was a definite for 30¢. 

  

5. Christmas Scentos glitter glue? Why not! Gotta love Christmas throwback for 50¢! These will be put to good use this winter! 

6. New smelly Scentos markers $2.97/3pk! Chocolate, Bubble Gum, and Cotton Candy! The kids are going to go crazy for word work this year!   

7. Fun animal stampers at 75¢ each. Grabbed a panda, giraffe, cat and dog. These will be definite favorites with the kiddos! 

  

8. 2 pack of the heavy duty clipboards that I cannot wait to transform for Monday Made It this weekend! The sticker said $3.88 but it rang up for only $3 at the register! What a steal! 

9. Fun patterned notebook that I can't wait to use this fall! Love the colors and design! For only $1, it had to go in the cart!  

10. I am kind of fly swatter obsessed! I found these 2 fly swatters for only $1 each! For the zebra one, I am planning a game, "Swatting Sight Word Safari". The fly one, I don't have anything particular in mind but the possibilities are endless! 

I would call this trip a score! I scored some serious deals! The grand total was only $15.82 + tax! It was definitely a "that's a steal Thursday" kind of day! Thanks for hosting Kayla! Can't wait to see all the other shopping steals! I'm sure there will be more shopping in my future after seeing all those finds! I know I'm heading out to see if I can find that dry erase roll this weekend!

 

It's time for a little #TBT

One of my favorite bloggers, the one and only Cara Carroll from The First Grade Parade, is having a fun linky party. When Cara hosts a linky party, you better believe I am jumping on the chance to link up with her! It's time for a little #TBT

The concept is really simple! Dig back into the blogging archives and re-post an older post to reflect upon. Even though I have been blogging for less than a year, I sure have learned a lot in that short amount of time!

Today, I am sharing a post from December. I have quite a lot more followers now than I did then so I thought I might share a fun detail of my blogging journey that many of you might not even know about! Enjoy!

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Originally posted on December 28th, 2012

In case you are confused by the new name, I decided to start fresh with a new name for the new year. Pixy Stix and Teacher Tricks was the old name. The Polished Teacher is the new name. Out with the old, in with the new!
 

In order to celebrate this change, I have some goodies to share with my fabulous readers!

I have been having too much fun making fonts! They seriously are addicting! If you have an iPad, you need to download iFontmaker ASAP! It is worth every penny!

You can never have too many fonts in your collection, so I thought I would share them with you all! Here are 12 Free Fonts. A dozen goodies just for you! All I ask is that you provide either a:

link to my blog 

thepolishedteacher.blogspot.com

or my blog button 

to your product to give me credit. Easy peasy lemon squeezy!

Onto the fonts! 

Click on each image to download

Happy New Year Folks! 

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So what about you? Did you know my old blog name was Pixy Stix and Teacher Tricks? You may also notice that all my fonts start with PS. The PS stood for Pixy Stix. So there you go! A random tidbit of info from my early blogging days! I think that The Polished Teacher suits me better so I'm glad I made the switch!

I can only imagine what old post I can find to link up next week! It is going to be a doozy I'm sure of it! However this Throwback Thursday leads up nicely to my 1 year blogiversary so thanks so much Cara for hosting!