tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63047648261778553302024-03-13T15:09:47.302-07:00Frugal in FirstAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14768654839910054147noreply@blogger.comBlogger120125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304764826177855330.post-47647973385962941162019-02-03T18:14:00.001-08:002019-02-03T18:14:39.852-08:00I'm ALIVE!Hi friends! It definitely looks like it's time to upgrade this old blog of mine! So much has changed since my last post a few years ago! I'm now a busy new(ish) mom to a 13 month old! I'm still teaching first grade but my partner in crime, Brittany is a reading coach at a different school! I miss teaching by her side but she's doing BIG things for so many classrooms and I'm so proud of her! Any suggestions on updating blogs? Would you go with Google or Wordpress? I don't even know where to start... I just know it's time for a facelift!<br />
<img src="http://i1064.photobucket.com/albums/u378/designbychristi/frugal/sig2.png" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14768654839910054147noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304764826177855330.post-27361499231726675102015-07-23T11:46:00.000-07:002015-07-23T11:46:55.620-07:00Second Grade Reading Wonders <br />
Hi, Friends!! We are at school working in our classrooms, but here's the link to our Wonders 2nd grade packets! <br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Wonders-Unit-1-Week-1-short-a-short-i-1977485">https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Wonders-Unit-1-Week-1-short-a-short-i-1977485</a><br />
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More info to come! <br />
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<img src="http://i1064.photobucket.com/albums/u378/designbychristi/frugal/sig2.png" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14768654839910054147noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304764826177855330.post-67616932670615918182015-05-18T13:00:00.000-07:002015-05-18T13:00:11.538-07:00There's a test for that...Hey Hey Hey! It's that time of year again! Let the countdown begin... 10 more days until SUMMER BREAK! (insert applause here) This time of year is always stressful, there is so much to do as the school year comes to an end and this year is no different... we have testing, testing and, oh wait, more testing! Our poor little ones are taking test after test... two weeks ago they took there big end of the year assessments in Science and Social Studies (that was new for our county this year). Last week that took there end of year assessments in special areas like PE and Music... yes, I know, they are even paper/pencil testing PE now (whhhaaaatt!) And this week, Melissa and I will be administering our end of year assessments in reading, math, and writing. Like the common phrase "there's an app for that"... it seems like we can safely say "there's a test for that" these days! It's been down right CAH-RAY-ZEE around here folks! In lieu of all this testing, Melissa and I tried to come up with some extra fun (even more fun than our everyday kinda fun haha) activities to end our year with a BANG! Here is a glimpse at some of the activities that we are planning...<br />
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Although we are both looking forward to relaxing a little bit this summer, we were also picked to be the lead teachers at a summer camp being offered by our school this year. Thankfully, this is not your "everyday summer school". Our 1st through 4th grade students will have the opportunity to participate in hands-on, STEM related activities like building rockets! How cool is that!?! I can wait to see the expressions on our kids faces on the day we actually get to launch those rockets!!! That's going to be priceless!!!<br />
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With that being said, we need to go make sure that our No. 2's are sharpened and ready to go for tomorrow! I hope you are all enjoying fun activities with your little ones as the year comes to an end and are not bogged down with too much testing! I know this post was short and sweet , but we will post soon with pictures of these events! <br />
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<img src="http://i1064.photobucket.com/albums/u378/designbychristi/frugal/sig2.png" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14768654839910054147noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304764826177855330.post-90304298567613709792015-03-02T20:27:00.003-08:002015-03-02T20:27:21.279-08:00"I'd love to go to an inservice," said no teacher ever. <br />
Hey there frugal followers, it's been a minute or two since my last blog post! I honestly don't know where the time goes! Melissa and I thought last year was crazy and we were both looking forward to the 2014-2015 school year for things to slow down a little bit. Boy, were we wrong! Things are just as crazy as ever between me trying to balance being a new mom and Melissa being a new home owner and all the fixins' in between. Time seems to be flying by faster than ever these days! We actually had a break from our little ones today and got to attend a day of professional development provided by our district. As always, there are pros and cons to these in-service days... I always try to go in with an open mind and a positive attitude (which I always find once I reach the bottom of my ice coffee from Dunkin Donuts) in hopes of actually learning something that I can take back with me and implement in my classroom or some new strategies that will help me become a more effective teacher. With that being said... I needed more coffee! The line at the drive through should have been a dead give away at what was in store for today! <br />
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The best part of today was getting to see some friends that I haven't seen in a while from other schools in our county... and of course being able to grub out at one of our most fav lunch spots!<br />
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Don't get me wrong, today wasn't a total waste! We actually did get a few things from today. We finished Ellie!!!! Check out Britt's adorable creation! You can get our new Ellie the Equal packet at our TPT store! It's on SALE until Wednesday! Just click on the anchor chart.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Ellie-The-Equal-1664932"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-47yWrGdmBA8/VPU21yGzBiI/AAAAAAAACsY/7vpIAhRYdNs/s1600/Slide1.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Ellie-The-Equal-1664932">Click on picture to download on Teachers Pay Teachers!</a></td></tr>
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We hope everyone has a wonderful week!<br />
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<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D6304764826177855330%23editor%2Ftarget%3Dpost%3BpostID%3D9030429856761370979%3BonPublishedMenu%3Dallposts%3BonClosedMenu%3Dallposts%3BpostNum%3D0%3Bsrc%3Dpostname&media=https%3A%2F%2Fimages-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com%2Fgadgets%2Fproxy%3Furl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252F2.bp.blogspot.com%252F-47yWrGdmBA8%252FVPU21yGzBiI%252FAAAAAAAACsY%252F7vpIAhRYdNs%252Fs1600%252FSlide1.jpg%26container%3Dblogger%26gadget%3Da%26rewriteMime%3Dimage%252F*&xm=h&xv=sa1.35&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 233px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 856px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D6304764826177855330%23editor%2Ftarget%3Dpost%3BpostID%3D9030429856761370979%3BonPublishedMenu%3Dallposts%3BonClosedMenu%3Dallposts%3BpostNum%3D0%3Bsrc%3Dpostname&media=https%3A%2F%2Fimages-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com%2Fgadgets%2Fproxy%3Furl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252F2.bp.blogspot.com%252F-47yWrGdmBA8%252FVPU21yGzBiI%252FAAAAAAAACsY%252F7vpIAhRYdNs%252Fs1600%252FSlide1.jpg%26container%3Dblogger%26gadget%3Da%26rewriteMime%3Dimage%252F*&xm=h&xv=sa1.35&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 233px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 856px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14768654839910054147noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304764826177855330.post-13007477979285344822015-01-22T18:05:00.002-08:002015-01-22T18:05:49.820-08:00Ellie the Equal is HERE! Hi Friends!! We can't wait to introduce you to our newest addition the the Math Family...<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Ellie the Equal</span></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Elle-The-Equal-1664932" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hZ5dnwXA7ik/VMGq49QBB3I/AAAAAAAACrQ/AuOHDL65zRE/s1600/Slide01.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click the picture above to download packet at our TPT store. </td></tr>
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Our first graders had some big MISCONCEPTIONS about the equal sign (It doesn't mean<i> the answer is</i>...) this was shocking news to our kiddos. We decided to create a new sign anchor chart to help them understand the meaning of the equal sign. They loved learning about the math brothers, Gus the Plus and Linus the Minus so we knew just what we had to do... add a little sister to the family! Inside this packet you will find many different activities to help your students better understand the meaning of the equal sign along with a new anchor chart poem to introduce, Ellie!<br />
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We hope you will agree that---- Teaching the EQUAL sign is way more FUN with Ellie!!!<br />
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<img src="http://i1064.photobucket.com/albums/u378/designbychristi/frugal/sig2.png" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14768654839910054147noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304764826177855330.post-14083913681933297042015-01-07T18:41:00.001-08:002015-01-07T18:42:51.120-08:00Happy New Year and our annual foldable freebieHappy New Year Frugal Followers! 2014 was so good to us!!! Wedding bells were ringing, a handsome little baby boy joined our world, and first homes were purchased! We were two very lucky ladies!<br />
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I'd like to apologize for the lack of blogging we've been doing lately but we finally have internet in our new home so we'll be making a lot of updates very soon!<br />
DON'T WORRY… ELLE the EQUAL is on her way! We promise she's worth the wait!!!<br />
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For tonight, here's a freebie! We've made one every year… why stop now???<br />
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxqcoU3WUuUgVllrb0VNRzdBTkE/view?usp=sharing"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--VQ1nvAaTEM/VK3s8VD8QUI/AAAAAAAACqs/afHkBs9YCSs/s1600/Slide1.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Click <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxqcoU3WUuUgVllrb0VNRzdBTkE/view?usp=sharing">Here</a> to download!</div>
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Hope everyone had the happiest of holidays!! We know this boy did….<br />
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Isn't he perfect?<br />
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Good night, friends!<br />
<img src="http://i1064.photobucket.com/albums/u378/designbychristi/frugal/sig2.png" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14768654839910054147noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304764826177855330.post-52376979640290863872014-12-01T19:22:00.000-08:002014-12-01T19:22:04.567-08:00Did someone say SALE??? <div>
We won't be blogging tonight... we are too busy CYBER MONDAY shopping! We are hard at work on our Ellie the EQUAL packet, too! Stop by our store tomorrow and snag it during the sale!! </div>
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<img src="http://i1064.photobucket.com/albums/u378/designbychristi/frugal/sig2.png" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14768654839910054147noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304764826177855330.post-2979026903734443332014-11-18T17:38:00.000-08:002014-11-18T17:38:21.626-08:00Please meet, Ellie the Equal <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hi fabulous friends! We are so excited to share with you something we've been working on!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> Meet Ellie the Equal...</span></div>
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We love our Math Brothers (Gus the Plus and Linus the Minus), but we realized that something was missing from this math family and it was the Equal Sign! Thus, Ellie the Equal, the little sister was born! We've been working on a new packet to go along with Ellie the Equal, to help student's understand the meaning of the equal sign! Stay tuned!!!!<br />
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We are almost done with the packet and can't wait to fully introduce our new math family member! She's already a big hit with our students! :) </div>
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<img src="http://i1064.photobucket.com/albums/u378/designbychristi/frugal/sig2.png" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14768654839910054147noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304764826177855330.post-39641670585771090142014-11-17T19:08:00.002-08:002014-11-17T19:08:42.041-08:00It's fall Y'all! Hi Friends! We've been busy as ever these last few weeks but that doesn't mean we haven't stopped to have a little fun!<br />
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We celebrated fall with with our annual Pumpkin Math Day! We had so many pumpkin donations this year that every child got their very own pumpkin! It was A.W.E.S.O.M.E! It was also the first year that we didn't leave saying, "We're never doing that again!" It was a success and didn't completely drain us.<br />
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We also had our annual Literacy Celebration on Halloween Day! Brittany and I dressed up as Miss. Nelson and Viola Swamp! We tricked our students by dressing up as Thing 1 and Thing 2 at the beginning of the school day. After specials I changed into Miss. Nelson and read the story <i><u>Miss. Nelson is Missing</u></i> to both of our classes. After reading the story I stormed out because they were not behaving during my story (even though they absolutely were behaving!) Brittany came in <i>ruler-smacking</i> and all dressed as Viola! She read the story <u style="font-style: italic;">Miss. Nelson is Back. </u> Last year, we all laughed because she suddenly started speaking with a british accent and had to keep it going for the ENTIRE story! This year she just sounded like a mean substitute. This made for a much easier read aloud :) The kids are still not sure if she was actually Viola Swamp or not, but "we'll never tell."<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wish I snapped a picture of Viola Swamp but she had<br />to change back into Thing 1 before anyone realized it was her! </td></tr>
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Last week we took our first field-trip to Ocali Days! We are so lucky our rural town puts on such a fun event! Our kiddos had the best time petting animals, ringing the old school house bell and going on a scavenger hunt through the history museum! It was a great time!<br />
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On another note, Brittany's been busy cuddling up with the cutest little 3 MONTH old boy. I'm a little jealous she gets to go home to this adorable face each and every night!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meet Tyler </td></tr>
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As you can see our days have been filled with lots going on at school and a whole bunch of sweetness going on at home! Here's a sneak peek at our December plans…<br />
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What are you doing for the holidays in your classroom? </div>
<img src="http://i1064.photobucket.com/albums/u378/designbychristi/frugal/sig2.png" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14768654839910054147noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304764826177855330.post-73070450614862449852014-09-19T13:37:00.000-07:002014-09-19T13:37:39.159-07:00Enough is enough!Hey everyone! Not sure if you have been watching the news lately, but there are some pretty amazing things happening that have to do with teaching... more specifically testing! Sadly, the word "testing" is something we hear all too often in the world of education. There always seems to be some new test, some better way to assess student growth, some new technology that will provide us with more accurate data... blah blah blah blah! Don't get me wrong, I do believe there needs to be some form of accountabilty in education and some accurate way to monitor growth and academic progress. The piece that's missing is "CONSISTENT". This will be my seventh year of teaching and I feel as though there has been some new/different way of "testing" introduced every other year! How can we accurately track growth if the tool we're using to measure with is constantly changing? When I first started (back in the day haha) DIBELS was the primary form of assessment used in elementary schools in this county. Then there was the FAIR test which all of us jokingly referred to as the "UNFAIR" test which supposedly indicated a given child's "probability of reading success". Now our county administers the AIMSweb assessment. Each of these tests were given three times a year and needed to be administered in a one-on-one setting. Not to mention that on top of these state mandated assessments, we had our county mandated assessments (FCAs), weekly assessments, unit assessments, benchmark tests and ongoing progress monitoring. In short, the time needed to test seems to be greater than the amount of time we have to teach! <br />
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Well, my frugal friends, someone finally took a stand. Someone finally spoke up. Enough is enough! It happened in Gainesville. A kindergarten teacher at Lawton Chiles Elementary made headlines for refusing to give her little ones the computer based FAIR assessment. You can read about it <a href="http://www.mygtn.tv/story/26500885/alachua-county-teacher-refuses-to-administer-standardized-test#.VBGK-HUq2_Y.facebook">HERE</a> ! The teacher's name is Susan Bowles and ironically she was my mentor teacher while I was attending UF. I knew then that she was an amazing teacher, and this just proves it! She had the courage to stand up and say what we've all been thinking... enough is enough! At the risk of loosing her job, she took a stand! Because she worded it way better than I ever could have, this was the exact letter she shared on a social media site:<br />
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<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><em>To the parents of the boys and girls in my class,<br /><br /> I wrote you a letter over the weekend to let you know that I am refusing to administer the FAIR test to your precious little ones. I had hoped to send you an email or letter, but it would not be professional of me or allowed by the district for a letter to go out letting you know that I am doing something that is a breach of contract and therefore<span class="text_exposed_hide">...</span></em></span></div>
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<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show"><em> against the law. I want you to know that for the 26 years I have been a classroom teacher, I have been a good employee, and have always complied with my superiors. I also want you to know that this is not in any way being done because our principal or superintendent are mandating these tests. This is a government issue. So this decision does not involve anyone I work for. It is an act of civil disobedience.<br /><br /> I am hoping for government change in policy regarding testing. <br /> Here is the letter I comprised:<br /><br /> September 7, 2014<br /><br /> Dear Parents,<br /><br /> I need to inform you of a professional decision I have made which may impact your child this year. I have decided to refuse to administer the FAIR test to my students. As you might be aware, there is a lot of testing that goes on these days. Some information of which you may not be aware is how much instructional time is lost because of all the testing. You also might not have knowledge of how many assessments are required. <br /><br /> These are the assessments given in Kindergarten:<br />• Beginning of the year assessments given by classroom teachers to determine their knowledge of letters, sounds, phonemic awareness, sight words, number recognition and number sense. These are tests that all good Kindergarten teachers give. It is useful information for us to use in planning for instruction and in pulling small groups for instruction. Usually at this time of year at Chiles, we would have children in their reading groups. This year we have assessments mandated by the state which are so time consuming, it will be weeks before we can instruct.<br />• Baseline reading test from the Reading Street series (the county adopted reading program for elementary schools). <br />• FLKRS assessment – In the past this has been a checklist for determining how effective VPK (Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten education program) is. This year we were told to take anecdotal records by observing 45 performance indicators across five developmental areas. This is to be completed within the first 30 days of school. The demographics portion of this assessment is available online for teachers. The WSS (Work Sampling System) part where we enter data on the 45 performance indicators is not yet available. Monday will be the 15th day of school. Presumably they will have it up and running before day 30.<br />• FAIR testing – We have given the FAIR assessment in the past but this year it was revamped. It does provide useful information, but nothing significantly superior to what a typical Kindergarten teacher would observe in her students. This year, it is more time consuming and more difficult. Kindergartners are required to take it on the computer using a mouse. (While testing a child last week, she double-clicked which skipped a screen. This little girl double-clicked three times and triple-clicked once. There is no way for the teacher to go back. Neither is there a way for the school administrator to go back and make a correction.) While we were told it takes about 35 minutes to administer, we are finding that in actuality, it is taking between 35-60 minutes per child. This assessment is given one on one. It is recommended that both teacher and child wear headphones during this test. There is no provision from the state for money for additional staff to help with the other children in the classroom while this testing is going on. If you estimate that it takes approximately 45 minutes per child to give this test and we have 18 students, the time it takes to give this test is 13 ½ instructional hours. If you look at the schedule, a rough estimate would be that it requires about one full week of instructional time to test all of the children. Our Kindergarten teachers have been brainstorming ways to test and still instruct. The best option we have come up with is for teachers to pair up, with one teacher instructing two classes while the other teacher tests one-on-one. So now we are looking at approximately two weeks of true instructional time lost, because we cannot teach our curriculum, pulling small groups and targeting each child’s educational needs. FAIR testing is done three times a year. <br /><br /> *THIS IS THE TESTING I AM REFUSING TO DO. I KNOW I MAY BE IN BREACH OF MY CONTRACT BY NOT ADMINISTERING THIS TEST. I CANNOT IN GOOD CONSCIENCE SUBMIT TO ADMINISTERING THIS TEST THREE TIMES A YEAR, LOSING SIX WEEKS OF INSTRUCTION. THERE IS A GOOD POSSIBILITY I WILL BE FIRED. <br /><br />• Discovery Education tests. These are given four times a year.<br />• Chapter assessments in math, which give us information regarding how well the children have mastered the material. <br />• Math benchmark tests – There are three of these.<br />• Reading unit tests<br />• Beginning this year, end of course tests are required of all students K-12. These subjects will be tested on in Kindergarten: reading, math, social studies, science, music, art and physical education. <br /><br /> I think you can see this is not only a lot to ask of five year olds, it is also taking away hours and hours of instructional time. I am not opposed to assessments, and am for accountability in schools. But enough is enough. I keep asking, when will the insanity stop? When will someone speak up? God has put it on my heart that I am to take a stand. This means I may be giving up my beloved profession. I may lose the chance to delight in seeing the excitement and joy that comes from meaningful learning. I will no longer be able to say, when speaking of salary, “I’m rich in hugs”.<br /><br />I especially want to apologize to each and every one of you, for the disruption this may cause your dear children if I am replaced by a teacher willing to submit to giving these tests. Even though I have only been their teacher for a short time, they have captured my heart. When asked about my job, I have always told people I have the best job in the world. Words cannot express the depth of sadness I feel in possibly giving it up.<br /><br /> Thank you for reading such a lengthy letter. <br /><br /> In gratitude, <br /><br /> Susan</em></span></span></div>
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All I have to say after reading that is Amen!!! Speaking from my own experience, I can recall many times I sat with my collegues during collaboration meetings or after school and we all complained about the testing, the amount of testing, and the frequency of testing. But complaining to each other, although at the time was a good way to release some stress, did absolutely nothing. Our complaints weren't heard by anyone but each other! I am so proud and envious that someone (someone I actually know haha) spoke loud enough to make a difference! Mrs. Bowles gained the immediate attention of the <a href="http://www.gainesville.com/article/20140915/ARTICLES/140919733/0/search">local news</a> and then word quickly spread and she was featured in a column in the <a href="http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/k12/romano-a-stand-against-school-testing-is-long-overdue/2197607">Tampa Bay Times</a> . Then on to <a href="http://video.foxnews.com/v/3787308183001/kindergarten-teacher-takes-on-standardized-testing/#sp=show-clips">Fox News</a> where her voice could be heard by the masses. <br />
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Through it all Susan made it known that this is not an issue with the principals or even the superintendent... this is bigger... it is a government issue. She has gained an abundant amount of support from fellow teachers and school administration as well as parents. She encourages us to write to state legislators and voice our own experience with testing. Hopefully in the end of all of this the voices of teachers and parents will speak louder than the voices of test vendors! </div>
</span></span><img src="http://i1064.photobucket.com/albums/u378/designbychristi/frugal/sig2.png" /><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14768654839910054147noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304764826177855330.post-70581325376577614292014-09-06T12:35:00.001-07:002014-09-06T12:35:28.084-07:00Weekend fun!Hey there! We hope all of our frugal followers are enjoying their weekend! It's overcast here in Florida but it hasn't started raining... YET! Hopefully we don't have a repeat of last weekend when the clouds decided to burst open right as the Florida Gator game was about to start... which after a several hour delay ultimately led to the game being canceled! BOOOOO! We were all sporting our orange and blue with delicious appetizers and drinks in hand, eagerly anticipating the first game of the season but ended up around the coffee table playing board games! Of course, we still enjoyed our amazing apps and bevs! Here's a little glimpse of our food spread... <em><strong>dee-lish-us</strong></em>! We made a layered taco dip, bacon wrapped jalepeno poppers, mozzarella caprese, buffalo chicken dip, and a fruit platter (you know, to keep it healthy haha)! Best part of football season is the food!!! <br />
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The boys are actually in Gainesville this weekend to watch the Gators beat Eastern Michigan live at The Swamp (the Gator's stadium). Tyler's still to little for his first tailgating experience so him and I will be watching from the couch in our living room. He's all smiles in his Gator onesie! Kick off is at 4:00 and we'll be playing our own game of where's waldo looking for daddy in the crowd! </div>
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In other news... yesterday marked the end of Melissa's third week of school. I'm thankful to still be at home enjoying every second with my little one who officially turned 1 month old yesterday as well! I can't believe he's already one month old... where has the time gone! Melissa got him these adorable monthly stickers so I can have my own mini photo sesh at home! Love them! I'm excited to get back into the swing of things at school but not so much looking forward to leaving him! I seriously have watched so much TV this summer, it's a little ridic! I think I've watched every episode of Criminal Minds... twice! haha I also started a new Netflix series called The Killing! If you like suspenseful, crime solving, mystery type shows, you'll love it! I'm almost all the way through Orange is the New Black as well! I wasn't kidding when I said that I've watched way too much TV this summer! haha But in my defense, it has been an extremely rainy and incredibly hot summer, not to mention I was preggo for half of it and being a mommy the other half! Many of our pool days got rained out and I wasn't big on the idea of sportin' the baby bump at the beach so this has been a low key kind of summer for me! That is, until this little guy made his debut! </div>
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Its been so hectic with the start of a brand new school year and a newborn at home that Melissa and I haven't gotten to chat as much as usual and I know she's really missing me! haha And of course, I'm missing her too! We finally got to meet up for dinner and drinks and some much needed girl talk with some of our favs! It's was so nice to get out and catch up with these lovely ladies and just relax after a long stressful week! We talked school, life, love, babies and just had a grand ol' time! So thankful for amazing friends!</div>
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I'll be heading back to school at the end of this month and will need a jumpstart to get back into my morning routine... COFFEE! Old habits never die! haha Speaking of coffee... I spotted this little advertisement floating around on Facebook the other day. I'm not sure if every Dunkin' Donuts is honoring this special but I'm definitely going to check it out next time I roll through the drive thru! It was sooo incredible hard to kick my coffee habit back when I found out I was pregnant, but I've been doing okay without it! Life DOES go on without coffee... who knew! I am looking forward to my first ice coffee on my first day back... a definite must have! ANDDDD... pumpkin's back!!! Woohoo!<br />
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Well people, it's just about 4 o'clock! Do you know what that means? You guessed it! It's football time! I'm off to watch the Gators! Enjoy your weekend everybody!!!<br />
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<img src="http://i1064.photobucket.com/albums/u378/designbychristi/frugal/sig2.png" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14768654839910054147noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304764826177855330.post-88939225623504322672014-08-17T07:31:00.000-07:002014-08-17T07:39:01.737-07:00First Week FreebieHi friends! It's been a L------O-----N-----G preplanning week! School officially starts tomorrow! As a little welcome back we are throwing a sale on all of our bundles for the McGraw-Hill Wonders series and all of Unit 1 is also on sale! We have updated all of our Unit 1 packets and are currently updating unit 2 packets so if you have already purchased any of the packets we encourage you to re-download!<br />
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Enjoy Unit 1 Week 1 Freebie and have a fantastic year!<br />
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Click cover page to download.<br />
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This is only a small preview of our unit 1 FREE packet! We hope you will find this useful in your classroom!<br />
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<u><b>Baby Tyler Update: </b></u>Brittany and baby are doing great! Brittany came to "Meet the Teacher" on Friday to say hello to her new bunch! Her hubby, Matt came by to pick her up after the event with baby Tyler! He so handsome! He's less than two weeks old and already smiling! More updates to come!<br />
<img src="http://i1064.photobucket.com/albums/u378/designbychristi/frugal/sig2.png" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14768654839910054147noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304764826177855330.post-56165183971981617732014-08-11T09:29:00.000-07:002014-08-11T10:57:02.992-07:00Tomorrow... it's only a day away! That lovely song, "Tomorrow, Tomorrow, I love ya tomorrow... it's only a day a-way!" has been replaying in my head since my alarm clock went off this morning. That's right, ALARM. I haven't set an alarm clock all summer... and it felt oh-so-good! But today is the day before I return to work. So set an alarm, I must. And it didn't feel good at all. This is probably the most difficult transition I've gone through going from summer to a new school year because I'm doing it alone. You should know that the "tomorrow" song did not have it's usual fluffy, optimistic feel but more of a sad melody and the words "ONLY A DAY AWAY" were not my favorite. In fact, the song took on an entirely new tune.<br />
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Why? What has changed? Normally, I love this time of year?<br />
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Maybe it's because this summer has been my absolute favorite and I don't want to see it end?<br />
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Maybe it's because I haven't finished everything I hoped to finish this summer (but I never really do anyway).<br />
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Maybe it's because I'll be missing my partner-in-<strike>crime</strike>teaching?<br />
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It's probably all of the above?!?!<br />
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I am that crazy person who actually looks forward to the start of the school year. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE summer break and I feel it is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY! But, I also love the excitement that comes from a fresh start! I typically begin setting up my room and preparing for the school year in late July and this summer was no different. The excitement wasn't gone when I entered my classroom in desperate need of decorating (and exterminating... gross), but it was far from the usual thrill I have when I think of all the possibilities this year holds.<br />
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TIME.<br />
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I usually like to be on the go ALL-THE-TIME, but this summer I have been really enjoying the down time. I have loved the time I have with my family, friends and new husband and I don't want to give that up just yet! I watched a little too much time watching <a href="https://www.netflix.com/">netflix </a>and reading blog posts. I have spent a lot of time scrapbooking the photos from wedding and taking little trips down memory lane each time I glue another picture on the page. TIME has been good to me and I'm so thankful for this summer of reflection and relaxation.<br />
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Summer Projects.<br />
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House hunting was supposed to be done by the end of summer and it's far from finished (wish I could say the same about our lease). I was suppose to create packets for McGraw-Hill Wonders for 2nd and Kinder and I haven't even finished first grade. (Talk about Procrastinating). I wanted to lose weight and start exercising. It's safe to say that project never made it high enough on my "To-Do" list to even get started. That's one summer project I always seem to fall short on! OOPS!<br />
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CHANGE.<br />
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In just this past school year, school transfers, marriage and babies have come into the mix for both of us frugal girls! THESE are the highlights of our year but we also recognize they are major changes.<br />
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Life-changing changes. These changes are good. Really really good.<br />
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But it's also an adjustment... and it's time to start adjusting!<br />
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Our school only has two first grades this year and I am LUCKY enough to teach with my best friend and ROCK STAR teacher. You all know her as my frugal favorite, Brittany. This year she will be starting school in late September (tentatively) because she just had her first child.<br />
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I am overcome with happiness for my dear friend and her husband as they begin this beautiful new chapter of their lives together. They are going to be incredible parents and baby Tyler is a very lucky little boy who is already loved so much.<br />
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Guilty.<br />
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I feel guilty. I have some selfish feelings about beginning this school year without Britt. While she is busy being a new mom, I'm starting off the school year on my own. It's a strange feeling that I'm not thrilled about. I am not alone. I work with plenty of fantastic teachers and supportive friends. Besides, I can do this. I can start pre-planning tomorrow and begin lesson planning for the first week of school without my teammate. I just don't want to. Collaborating with Brittany is FUN! We have a great dynamic between the two of us that makes us a great teaching team. Heck, I think we're better than great! It's one of the things I love most about my job! I love love love teaching and I know that it's going to be another great year in the classroom. I'm just having a hard time getting that enthusiasm on my own this year. Maybe it'll come at meet the teacher, maybe it will be on the first day, or the second or the fourteenth. Who knows? But honestly... I don't feel it yet and tomorrow will be here before we know it.<br />
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For today I'm going to focus on enjoying my last official day of summer break! I'm going to watch too much television, and maybe do some back to school shopping. I'm going to walk my dog a little longer than usual and eat lunch s-l-o-w because I can't do these things as often when the school year begins. I'm going to spend time with my new husband and visit Brittany and her sweet, perfect little boy and I'm not going to dwell on tomorrow. After all, it's a whole day away!<br />
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Until tomorrow...<br />
<img src="http://i1064.photobucket.com/albums/u378/designbychristi/frugal/sig2.png" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14768654839910054147noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304764826177855330.post-32426942824872291932014-08-08T08:03:00.001-07:002014-08-08T08:03:58.112-07:00Evicted! He's HERE!!! Britt's beautiful-beautiful-beautiful baby boy is finally here!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Tyler Matthew Maio</span> was born on April 5, 2014 at 5:38 p.m. He is a happy and healthy baby weighing in at a solid 9 pounds! More to come about this perfect little guy very soon!<br />
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Here's a picture of our overjoyed mom finally holding her first born in her arms.<br />
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Matt and Brittany are both over the moon excited and their hearts are over overflowing with love for their precious son.<br />
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Congrats to the new parents and may this next chapter be their very best one!<br />
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Now I need to go meet my "nephew" (because best friends are family, right?) He's already three days old and I can't wait another second! Have a fantastic day everyone!<br />
<img src="http://i1064.photobucket.com/albums/u378/designbychristi/frugal/sig2.png" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14768654839910054147noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304764826177855330.post-31548137927784313912014-08-02T17:12:00.001-07:002014-08-02T17:12:14.614-07:00Overdue!Hey there frugal followers! We hope you are all enjoying your summer... well, what's left of it anyway! Crazy how time flies! We can't believe our teachers go back on the 12th... that's 10 days away! YIKES! I will be starting my maternity leave at the beginning of this school year so my summer will be prolonged a little bit... but it's not like having a newborn in the house is in ANY way a "vacation"! I have to admit (and I'm sure I'm the only one who feels this way) but this has been one of the longest summers of MY LIFE! Usually my summers fly by, but this one seems to be <em>creeeeping</em>! We are still anxiously waiting on little Tyler Matthew to make his debut. His official due date was July 31st... and here I sit on August 2nd with no baby in my arms! I feel like I've been doing nothing but sitting and waiting on his arrival! I had really convinced myself that he would come early... I was thinking the middle of July. But July came and went, and now we're in August! I feel like I wake up everyday thinking "today could be the day" only to find out that we're still playing the waiting game! I've tried spicy food, walking... you name it, I've tried it! On a positive note, the doctor said he is head down and ready to go, we are just waiting on something to happen! I tell you what though, there is nothing more uncomfortable than the last month of pregnancy! TRUE STORY! I'm too uncomfortable to even go shopping... shocking, I know! I have managed to get out of the house a little bit and was able to spend several relaxing days by the pool with my good friend Kelly, but other than that it's been pretty uneventful around here. I guess I should embrace the quiet and calmness because all that is about to change! <br />
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On a more school related note, Melissa and I stopped by our classrooms last week to drop off a few things we had picked up over the summer. I had all intentions of making it a quick trip BUT before I knew it, my husband was calling me wondering where I was! We had made dinner plans with his mom and grandma and dinner time was fast approaching. My "quick trip" had lasted almost 8 hours! I don't know about you, but I can ALWAYS find something to do in my classroom! haha Here are a few pictures of what we walked in to! The custodians actually did a great job cleaning our rooms this time! Last year, we were greeted by tons of creepy crawlies (ewww!) but this year they were sparkling clean! I know that part of living in Florida is dealing with the bugs, but they are still my LEAST favorite thing in the whole world! <br />
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After a bit of reorganizing and talking (mostly talking) Melissa and I took a break to have lunch...</div>
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Don't judge! Gummy bears, sour patch kids and Munchies make for a delicious lunch! I know you're jealous! We ran across the street to the gas station for something to drink and of course, the pregnant lady had to grab all of her favs haha After binging on junk food and catching up on summer happenings, we got back to work in our rooms! Although our classrooms are side by side, they don't connect... meaning, we can't talk to each other while we're working (which sometimes is a good thing so we actually get stuff done haha) We've joked about asking our maintenance man to install a secret window or door that will connect both our rooms but I know that will never happen. So although they are a work in progress, I'd say our rooms are off to a good start! <br />
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The very next day, we had people come and install carpet in the nursery so Matt and I could finally put his room together! Here's a quick pic of the "before". We had already painted the room a light gray color but we decided that carpet would be better than the hardwood floors that were in there. And by "we"... I mean "me". Matt couldn't care less about the floor, ha, but thankfully he agreed with me anyway! <br />
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After the carpet was installed we could get busy placing and organizing all the furniture and décor. It's not quite finished, but here is a glimpse of how it's coming along. I still have a few things to hang and put up but it is definitely ready to welcome our little man! </div>
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When Tyler finally decides to enter this world we'll be ready! The anticipation is driving me <em>crazy</em>! I have heard from so many people that your first child will usually come late, but I must admit I've never been that good at waiting! haha Especially, not for something this exciting! Fingers crossed he decides to make his debut soon!!! If not, we go to our next appointment on Tuesday and we'll discuss being induced! We hope you are all making the most of your summer as it quickly comes to an end! Hopefully I'll have some exciting baby news to share with you next time frugal followers!</div>
<img src="http://i1064.photobucket.com/albums/u378/designbychristi/frugal/sig2.png" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14768654839910054147noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304764826177855330.post-61089340336475643492014-07-14T12:14:00.001-07:002014-07-14T12:14:34.102-07:00The blog vacay is over! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span id="goog_1688819241"></span><span id="goog_1688819242"></span>Hey there! Remember us???<br />
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We are so very sorry for neglecting our little old blog for so very long. You see we were busy celebrating REALLY BIG life events! Just a few...</div>
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Melissa's Bridal Showers...<br />
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Brittany's Baby Showers...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brittany's baby shower for Baby Tyler hosted by friends! </td></tr>
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Melissa's Bachelorette Bash...<br />
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Melissa and Roberto's Wedding...<br />
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Rehearsal Dinner </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Groom, Bride and Groomsman, Brian</td></tr>
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Wedding Day...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IqIZo9Ct3Tg/U8Qos4Q-HyI/AAAAAAAACZM/D9QjUF4Uidg/s1600/imagejpeg_1+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IqIZo9Ct3Tg/U8Qos4Q-HyI/AAAAAAAACZM/D9QjUF4Uidg/s1600/imagejpeg_1+copy.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting ready for the big day!! Sneaking in a<br />little love for baby, Tyler! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Had to do a silly pinterest inspired picture!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First Dance<br /><br /></td></tr>
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Honeymoon in Hawaii...<br />
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We can't wait to celebrate the birth of Brittany and Matt's baby, Tyler! She is only two and half weeks away from her due date and we are in the final countdown! Stay tuned for more posts about all of the fun things we've been up to! We can't wait to share all the details with you!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14768654839910054147noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304764826177855330.post-56064890279568002832014-04-09T17:17:00.001-07:002014-04-09T17:17:22.926-07:00Happy HUMP/BUMP Day!Hey frugal followers! This time of year has been so busy, busy, busy! Well, let's be honest, I don't think there has ever been a time of year when Melissa and I aren't busy, but this year seems extreme! Between weddings, babies, school and everyday life, I really don't know we get it all done! On a positive note, we can finally see a light at the end of the tunnel! There are only 37 more days of school... whoop whoop! That also means only 73 days until Melissa says "I DO" and 113 days until baby Maio's expected arrival! And somewhere in there we have to squeeze in bridal showers, baby showers, a bachelorette party, and of course, beginning of summer festivities! (insert deep breath here) So much to do... so little time - story of my life! We'll be sure to share all of these exciting events with you as they happen!<br />
<br />
NOW IN BABY NEWS... HAPPY BUMP DAY! Here's a glimpse of the happenings in my day-to-day-soon-to-be mommy life!<br />
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<strong></strong><br />
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<strong>How far along</strong>: 24 weeks (6 MONTHS!!!)<br />
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<strong>Baby's size</strong>: an ear of corn (just about 1.5 pounds)<br />
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<strong>Baby's progress</strong>: His sense of taste is maturing, along with other senses such as touch and hearing. The baby's lanugo (hair that covers his body) is growing darker and his fingernails are almost fully formed. <br />
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<strong>Weight gain</strong>: about 12-13 pounds (gave or take... HA!)<br />
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<strong>Stretch Marks</strong>: None yet! I've been slapping on the cocoa butter every morning since I found out I was expecting!<br />
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<strong>Sleep</strong>: Can't ever get enough, but that's just me! Considering I was what most people would call "addicted" to caffeine prior to finding out there was a lil man in my belly... I think I've managed pretty well, cutting my intake down to one cup of half-caf a day. I'm not gunna lie, it was pretty rough in the beginning... in fact, it was borderline brutal. However, I'm going to give myself a little pat-on-the-back and go so far as to say that I think I've adjusted quite well. I haven't really had any trouble sleeping (duh, hardly any caffeine) although I have noticed that it's getting increasingly difficult to get comfy, but overall I'm hanging in there!<br />
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<strong>Gender</strong>: BOY!!! And couldn't be more excited about it!!! As of now, the top runner for a name is Tyler Matthew!!! Not 100% decided but I'd say we're about 95% sure!<br />
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<strong>Movement</strong>: More and more each day! It's a crazy, wonderful feeling! A little kick here and a little punch there, sometimes several in a row! Matt got to feel him for the first time the other day! He thought that was really cool! We've found that he is most active in the evening between 6 and 10 o'clock... he's obviously a night owl like his daddy because god knows momma's usually ready for bed around 8:30 haha<br />
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<strong>Best moment this week</strong>: Besides finding out that Ben and Jerry's ice cream was BOGO at Publix (yum-mee), I'd have to say the best moments are when I can feel him move. It's reassuring to know that he's in there and he's doing just fine!<br />
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<strong>Looking forward to</strong>: His arrival (obvi... but I have to wait 3 more months for that!) Setting up the nursery... big ideas thanks to Pinterest, now it's just tying it all together! And of course, the Ben and Jerry's ice cream that I will be consuming later this evening! haha<br />
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<strong>Food cravings</strong>: I haven't really had any crazy food cravings and honestly, I kind of don't believe in all those wacky pregnancy stories like craving pickles and ice cream in the middle of the night. (although if Ben and Jerry decide to make that as a flavor... I WILL try it! HA) I'll be the first to admit that I've definitely had more of a sweet tooth lately, but I'm not sure if that counts as an actual "craving" or falls more along the lines of a "lack of self-control". I've never been a big fan of chocolate (yeah, I know, I'm weird) but I can demolish some oatmeal raisin cookies, sour patch kids (now there's a blue one!) AND, as we are all well aware of, some Ben and Jerry's ice cream! I also love me some pizza, but that was a weakness pre-pregnancy too! Now I just have an extra piece and say it's for Tyler! HA<br />
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<strong>Weirdest food I ate this week</strong>: Fig Newtons! I remember my mom buying these when I was a kid and thinking that they were the worst cookie EVER! They also happened to be BOGO at Publix this week and I decided to give them another try, and let me just say, I was NOT disappointed!<br />
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<strong>Anything making you queasy or sick</strong>: Nada! I honestly have not really had any queasy-ness or sickness to speak of. In the very beginning I remember feeling queasy if I let myself go to long without a snack, but after I ate I was fine. So far, everything has been nice and easy! (knock on wood)<br />
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<strong>Labor signs</strong>: nope! (thank god... it's too early for that nonsense!)<br />
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<strong>What I miss</strong>: <em>1. Wine!</em> I sooo miss having a glass of red wine after a long, stressful day at work, but I know I'll be able to enjoy my adult grape juice in just a few more short months (positive thinking people lol)! <em>2. My desire and motivation to workout!</em> I've been staying active and trying to walk as much as possible, but I miss my cardio workouts... well, let me clarify... I don't miss the workout part, I just miss that awesome feeling of when you're done sweating your a#! off and you realize the pain and torture is over until tomorrow! haha <em>3. My jeans!</em> It is so uncomfortable to fit into my jeans that I've just excepted the fact that I won't be needing them until next fall. I still fit into them, they are just impossible to button! I bought every color/size/style/brand belly band thingy and it's just not the same... I still can't seem to get over the fact that I'm walking around with my pants undone! It's just weird!!!<br />
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<strong>Workouts</strong>: Hardcore cardio workouts have come to a screeching halt. The doctor said it's totally fine to workout as long as you don't over do it... this includes running, jumping jacks, and all that good stuff. I was pretty good about staying on it when I wasn't showing, but now that it's obvi I'm prego I've resorted to walking for exercise! I do about 4.5-5 miles about 4 times a week! Go me! <br />
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<strong>Things that suck</strong>: <br />
<ol>
<li>Being the permanent DD until this little dude makes his debut!</li>
<li>Breaking out like teenager again! Ugh... so frustrating! The doctor said for 1/3 of people their acne gets better, 1/3 stays the same, and 1/3 gets worse... looks like I lost that game of roulette! </li>
<li>Happy Hour! I still enjoy going and hanging out with my lovely ladies, but lets be honest, happy hour is a little less "happy" without wine! </li>
<li>Having to pee... ALL THE TIME!!! </li>
</ol>
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<strong>Things that don't suck</strong>:<br />
<ol>
<li>Growing boobs! In my opinion, this does NOT suck! </li>
<li>Thankfully Maxi dresses/skirts are very popular and in season right now! In my opinion, they make the BEST maternity clothes! SO COMFORTABLE!</li>
<li>Not feeling guilty when I binge on ice cream! </li>
<li>Knowing that I'm about to enter the 3rd (and final) trimester! I don't know how people think that pregnancy is "fun"! I mean, don't get me wrong, I am over-the-moon excited to welcome this little man into the world and I can't wait for Matt and I to enter this journey called "parenthood" together... but the whole 9 months of pregnancy thing is not what I'd describe as "fun". I agree that it's the most amazing experience ever, but 9 months is a long time people! </li>
</ol>
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Melissa and I are starting our end-of-the-school-year countdown early this year! We are soooo looking forward to all the big events coming up in our lives that we get to experience together! It truly has been a year to remember! Until next time frugal followers, talk to you soon!<br />
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<img src="http://i1064.photobucket.com/albums/u378/designbychristi/frugal/sig2.png" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14768654839910054147noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304764826177855330.post-20387485692942446762014-03-22T09:53:00.003-07:002014-03-22T09:53:56.315-07:003 Month Countdown! 2 Freebies!Hello there. Just coming out of hiding for a bit to say, "Happy Spring Break" to all of our fellow spring breakers. You know who you are! Brittany and I have *NEVER* been so ready for a break! This break is going to be filled with wedding planning though because today marks the 3 month countdown until the<span style="font-size: x-large;"> BIG</span> day. Where has the time gone? We've had a long engagement, but these last few months have gone by way too fast and I'm finding myself getting more and more behind in planning process. Hopefully, I can use this little break to play catch up on everything non school related. Must.Not.Procrastinate.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meeting with our wedding planner <br />
and photographer! (Thanks Mom for the<br />
finger in the photo).</td></tr>
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Rob and I have been busy making some final decisions, which for me are VERY difficult. I may be the most indecisive person in the word. SERIOUSLY. I don't enjoy making decisions, AT ALL.<br />
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Here's a little recap:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shopping for centerpieces </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dWMRJ_W0DYc/Uy26i1HbP3I/AAAAAAAACQc/SvRAFnJU1Rk/s1600/photo-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dWMRJ_W0DYc/Uy26i1HbP3I/AAAAAAAACQc/SvRAFnJU1Rk/s1600/photo-3.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tux Fitting</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bBWgaricGH4/Uy27XWZkQ_I/AAAAAAAACQ0/jzaM_X2v5Ac/s1600/photo4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bBWgaricGH4/Uy27XWZkQ_I/AAAAAAAACQ0/jzaM_X2v5Ac/s1600/photo4.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meeting with the Priest.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ChW75an2D8I/Uy27X4ZuiRI/AAAAAAAACQ8/lzf-ak2b45Y/s1600/photo6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ChW75an2D8I/Uy27X4ZuiRI/AAAAAAAACQ8/lzf-ak2b45Y/s1600/photo6.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Filling out all the paperwork <br />
at the St. Christopher's. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They were all delicious!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L02AXhNRJJY/Uy29H_uVrlI/AAAAAAAACRM/oBcLagfrPqU/s1600/IMG_0120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L02AXhNRJJY/Uy29H_uVrlI/AAAAAAAACRM/oBcLagfrPqU/s1600/IMG_0120.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cake Tasting!</td></tr>
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Also, we've been busy making packets to go along with our reading series! Here is not one, but TWO freebies for our fabulous followers! We have been such blogging slackers lately so we figured it would only be fair if we gave a little extra today!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxqcoU3WUuUgN014ei1nRUZBVms/edit?usp=sharing">...and freebie #2</a></b></span></div>
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Finally, some exciting news to share… my future sister-in-law, Leah started a blog!!! I have been encouraging her to start one because not only is she a wonderful writer but she also is a fitness guru with lots of great things to share. I just know her blog is going to reach a lot of people and I am already a huge fan. She's witty and real and I hope you enjoy reading her blog as much as I do! Please stop by and check it out. I need to get her set up with a blog designer stat because the only thing lacking in her blog is a cute design!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://themisadventuresofanundomesticgoddess.blogspot.com/">The Misadventures Of An Undomestic Goddess</a></span><br />
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I promise, Leah will not disappoint!<br />
<img src="http://i1064.photobucket.com/albums/u378/designbychristi/frugal/sig2.png" height="200" width="161" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14768654839910054147noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304764826177855330.post-52540790304342713262014-02-26T21:35:00.004-08:002014-03-05T20:38:43.577-08:003 Million Strong!Hi friends! It's WAY past my bedtime but I wanted to let everyone know that we will be participating in <a href="http://jdsrockinreaders.blogspot.com/2014/02/tpt-3-million-strong-sale-and-linky.html?utm_source=FB&utm_medium=300SalePost&utm_campaign=JDsRockinReadersBlog">3 Million Strong TPT Sale Linky Party</a>! Everything in our store is 28% off when you use the code TPT3 when at checkout. Yay! Despite my strong desire to avoid my computer and just relax, I managed to sit down and finish Unit 5 week 1. I wanted to make sure it was available for the big sale! I will make a freebie for it tomorrow! I'm too sleepy to be creative!<br />
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Also, major wedding planning has been happening on this side of town and I can't wait to share it with you! I took lots of pics with our vendors and look forward to sharing our journey with you!<br />
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Have a great night everyone!<br />
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P.S- We have a question for all of our faithful followers that use our packets in their classrooms… What would you like to see more of? Less of?? Any ideas and/or suggestions would be greatly appreciated! We want to make sure we're giving our followers exactly what they are looking for! Thanks in advance for the tips! :)<br />
<img src="http://i1064.photobucket.com/albums/u378/designbychristi/frugal/sig2.png" height="200" width="161" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14768654839910054147noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304764826177855330.post-88611521979980330682014-02-10T20:26:00.002-08:002014-02-10T20:26:24.821-08:00Hate Mondays… Love Freebies!Since Monday's are never easy… here is a freebie for all of our fabulous followers!!!<br />
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Update: We are almost done with our unit 4 packets! We should be finishing up unit 4 week 5 tomorrow and we are hoping to post the Unit 4 bundle tomorrow as well! Thank you for your patience! Have a great week everyone!!!<br />
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Click on the cover page to download the freebie!<br />
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<img src="http://i1064.photobucket.com/albums/u378/designbychristi/frugal/sig2.png" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14768654839910054147noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304764826177855330.post-48028795217380788792014-02-07T15:34:00.000-08:002014-02-07T15:37:35.891-08:00First comes love... then comes marriage... then comes...You, guessed it... a baby in a baby carriage! We are excited to announce our latest news, one of these frugal girls is expecting!!! There are no brakes on this crazy train, as if planning two weddings this year wasn't enough, we have now added a baby shower to our to-do list! I know... I know... you want me to cut to the chase and tell you which one of us is sporting the baby bump these days! Drum roll, pleeeeease! And the new mom-to-be is BRITTANY! Matt and I found out our little family would be increasing by one this past Thanksgiving. Shocked, excited, scared, overjoyed, overwhelmed... it's been a flood of emotions, but mostly excited! We (meaning me) wanted to wait a little while to share our good news until we passed those really early stages of prenancy where anything can happen. So I apologize for the delay, but we just entered week number 15 and everything is going great!!! I've had no morning sickness to report! Overall just a little more tired than usual, but to be expected when you're building a little human! It's absolutely crazy to think that the first trimester is already over, I'm 1/3 of the way there!<br />
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Oh but wait... there's more! Yesterday Matt and I went to this adorable little place called <a href="http://www.hellolittleone3d.com/">Hello Little One</a>... compliments of Melissa who got us a gift certificate for a gender reveal 3D/4D ultrasound. The owner, Lucy, couldn't have been more accomodating and easy to work with. She made the whole process relaxing and calming. She was FABULOUS and the place was ADORABLE! Matt and I went in convinced we were having a girl. Prior to our appointment, we read the chinese birth calendar along with a ton of other birth myths and all signs pointed to girl. Not to mention, EVERYONE we know is having boys, so we just figured we were in for tiaras and tutus!!! Our little one took a few minutes to cooperate, but it didn't take long to see that our little bundle was 100% B-O-Y!!! We are sooooo excited!!! We both wanted a boy but would have been just as excited if it was a girl! So now comes the fun part... SHOPPING! This little guy is already stocked with several adorable GATOR onsies, gooooo GATORS!!!! Thanks Melissa! Melissa and I will be on the hunt for frugal baby deals that we will be sure to share with our frugal followers! We still haven't decided on a name, but let's be real, we have plenty of time! I like more unique names while Matt favors classic boy names. DECISIONS DECISIONS!!! We would also love any advice from any frugal moms and/or dads out there seeing as though the world of babies is fairly new to us! Are there any great steals and deals out there you think we should know about?!? What are some things you wish someone would have told you before becoming a parent?!? <img alt="" id="yui_3_5_1_1_1391815255293_797" src="https://sp3.yimg.com/ib/th?id=H.4897432204804619&pid=15.1" style="height: 160px; margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; width: 160px;" /></div>
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That's the news for tonight frugal followers! Nothing school related, but its always fun to share new happenings in our lives. Melissa and I aren't following our normal Friday happy hour routine tonight, we were both exhausted from a busy week! Nothing sounds better than pajamas and TV right now haha Hopefully we can get a few more things checked off the wedding to-do list this weekend while picking up some baby stuff along the way! Enjoy your well deserved weekend everyone!!!<br />
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<img src="http://i1064.photobucket.com/albums/u378/designbychristi/frugal/sig2.png" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14768654839910054147noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304764826177855330.post-85559218795416367632014-02-01T18:18:00.000-08:002014-02-01T18:18:18.479-08:00How does one plan a frugal wedding?Hello there! I have been having the hardest time planning my upcoming nuptials. I'm over the moon excited to marry my fiance' but I'm hating everything about the $$$$ dollar signs that come with the word "WEDDING." I have been joking with my friends that I'm going to tell all of our vendors that it's just a party and when they show up on our big day... I'll just say we decided to get married! That way they can't rip us off... right? Ughhh! This frugal girl just hates the thousands of dollars vendors up-charge for weddings. Because of this, I'm taking way too long to book things. We were really lucky to win a planner and a cake though so at least we're saving in that department! I also bought these pretty necklaces for my bridesmaids to wear for the wedding! LOVE<a href="http://jane.com/"> jane.com</a>!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They were only $12.99! What a steal! Plus, I love anything and everything personalized!<br /><br /><br /></td></tr>
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On another note, I finally finished Unit 4 Week 2 for our Wonders packets. I'm having the hardest time managing it all but I'm so thankful for all of the positive feedback we've been getting and it definitely gives me the motivation I need to keep making them.... even when I just want to relax in front of the television! In fact, that's exactly what I'm going to do right now! Have a wonderful night everyone! Talk to you soon!<br />
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<img src="http://i1064.photobucket.com/albums/u378/designbychristi/frugal/sig2.png" height="200" width="161" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14768654839910054147noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304764826177855330.post-81386950506831961222014-01-22T17:28:00.003-08:002014-01-22T17:29:18.630-08:00Finding a Balance!Hi friends! Hope everyone is having a better day than we are. It's been a real doozy. Brittany said to me "I feel like I take one step forward and ten steps back." I know this isn't exactly her quote, but today it really should be. Do you ever have those kinda days in the classroom? When you think, "Wait?!?! I did teach this, right?" Yeah… that was today.<br />
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I absolutely hate days when you feel defeated! The kind of day when you're not sure if ANYTHING was accomplished. Ugh! We're just teaching so much… and so fast this year. I feel like I should time my "brain breaks" to be less than a minute because we just don't have the time to dance around. I try and remind myself that they are six-year-olds and they need to move but the pressure of what we need to cover is totally overwhelming!<br />
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The more intense the curriculum becomes the less time I have to really get to know my students. I've always taken that relationship very seriously. I know it makes me a better teacher. But this year we just don't have time to chat. I rarely get to ask my students questions and inquire about their interests. I want them to feel that they have a teacher that really cares, but we're more focused on balancing equations than balancing any type of relationship between home and school. The whole thing makes me sad. It also makes me wonder if there in something more I can do to fit it in. If you have the answers… please tell me your secrets! I do lunch bunch on Fridays and take in all the chat time I can during dismissal, but with 22 kiddos it's just not happening! It's nice to know that I'm not alone though. At least I know Brittany feels the same way… I bet a few of our fabulous followers understand, too!<br />
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Here's to another day! No back stepping tomorrow!<br />
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TOTALLY NEW TOPIC starts now…<br />
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After a not so cheerful little blog post I want to change the subject and the tone to something FABULOUS! Ever since Britt and I started reading blogs years ago, we have adored a fellow blogger called <a href="http://www.thepinkloulou.com/">Pink Lou Lou</a>. She's witty, fashionable and just plain adorable! What's not to love? She's not a teacher (everyone has a flaw) but she has many of our same interests, the most important one being SHOPPING!<br />
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Well PinkLouLou loves loves loves this website called <a href="http://jane.com/">Jane.com</a>. Have you been to it? GET OFF THIS BLOG AND GO NOW!!! No… seriously, this blog will be here but the amazing deals on <a href="http://jane.com/">Jane.com</a> will not. Don't delay because these items go fast. Fashionistas… I'm obsessed! The deals are A----MAY-----ZING!!! How did I know about this sooner??? I mean, think of all of the deals I've missed. You need to check it each day because there is new steals everyday for all ages!<br />
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Here are some of my new faves:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">$6.99 Watch Blow Out!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">$9.99 Chevron Watches</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">7 different painting stencil designs! $6.99</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4RFHLLYJc30/UuBvaouSrXI/AAAAAAAACOc/rk8rF1ahBF4/s1600/14629_thumb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4RFHLLYJc30/UuBvaouSrXI/AAAAAAAACOc/rk8rF1ahBF4/s1600/14629_thumb.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not sure I can pull these off but I really want to try!!<br />
Multi Print Leggings $10.99</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b7FjPN1AlGU/UuBuSsda2rI/AAAAAAAACN0/A2XsimlpIGs/s1600/14627_thumb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b7FjPN1AlGU/UuBuSsda2rI/AAAAAAAACN0/A2XsimlpIGs/s1600/14627_thumb.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Super soft microfiber kitchen towels $5.50</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jzTTMWy0CDo/UuBvZf3Jp9I/AAAAAAAACOM/0aeBxh7CVhQ/s1600/14383_thumb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jzTTMWy0CDo/UuBvZf3Jp9I/AAAAAAAACOM/0aeBxh7CVhQ/s1600/14383_thumb.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chevron Scarves $10.99<br />
I LOVE CHEVRON!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vYMZukGpkiM/UuBuStrWZ_I/AAAAAAAACNw/OrRvzUGbWYQ/s1600/14641_thumb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vYMZukGpkiM/UuBuStrWZ_I/AAAAAAAACNw/OrRvzUGbWYQ/s1600/14641_thumb.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We met, we married, we live sign $5.50<br />
<br />
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</tbody></table>
So go check it out! You won't regret it!!! These frugal girls are OBSESSED!!!<br />
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<img src="http://i1064.photobucket.com/albums/u378/designbychristi/frugal/sig2.png" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14768654839910054147noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304764826177855330.post-47646571189164637022014-01-20T16:33:00.003-08:002014-01-22T16:54:03.189-08:00100 Posts and a freebie!Wow! I just noticed that this is our 100th blog post! How cool! Our goal is to post many, many more!! Here's a little freebie from our first Unit 4 packet! Have a great night everyone! I'm heading to bed early since I woke up with a fever. Crossing my fingers it's not the flu!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kvjfYZ9bWGA/UuBoBKH49vI/AAAAAAAACNU/ZKcVCII18zA/s1600/Slide6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kvjfYZ9bWGA/UuBoBKH49vI/AAAAAAAACNU/ZKcVCII18zA/s1600/Slide6.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-J1ln0Yl7TyE/UuBn_8fMuaI/AAAAAAAACNE/PY7760-nv_U/s1600/Slide3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-J1ln0Yl7TyE/UuBn_8fMuaI/AAAAAAAACNE/PY7760-nv_U/s1600/Slide3.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<img src="http://i1064.photobucket.com/albums/u378/designbychristi/frugal/sig2.png" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14768654839910054147noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304764826177855330.post-67087114240205891362014-01-11T18:41:00.003-08:002014-01-11T19:07:43.178-08:00Freebie and new packet available!I sure hope Britt and I aren't the only bloggers feeling lazy after the holidays! It has taken everything in me to sit at the computer and get started on our weekly wonders packets again. Finally found a little motivation today to finish Unit 3 week 4 and almost finished Unit 4 week 4. It felt good to get something accomplished! Hope everyone is having a great weekend! As a THANK YOU to our incredibly patient followers here's a freebie for ya!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">To get the entire 74 page packet <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Wonders-Unit-3-Week-4-Long-O-and-Long-U-1055986">click here</a>! </span></div>
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<img src="http://i1064.photobucket.com/albums/u378/designbychristi/frugal/sig2.png" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14768654839910054147noreply@blogger.com0