Made it Monday and more...

Let's begin with a picture...

This is what my desk looks like. No, not my desk at school. My desk in my bedroom. Can you guess how thrilled my husband is?! This may not look like much, but I can assure you, it is! Plus there's another pile beside my dresser and somehow my baking station (yes, I have a baking station! You don't??) has somehow become my crafting station. I have never bought/made so many things in one summer before!! I'm counting down the days until I get to go back to school and unload all of this crap these goodies!


So today I put the finishing touches on a pinterest inspired (shock) mailbox for myself. My students are ALWAYS writing notes to me or drawing me pictures. And I truly love them all!! The problem is that they put them on my desk.... everywhere.... all the time! I'm hoping this box will become a collecting place for my student made treasures.

I'm not too happy with how my name turned out, but hey. Whose perfect? And I know pink isn't in my polka dot/red/owl theme this year, but it is my favorite color so I had to sneak it in!


All this crafting has even started to rub off on my hubby. He actually wanted to go to Michael's with my this week! I know!! I could hardly believe it either ;) He decided while I was making my mailbox, he would make a bed for our cat. Our cat is strange. Really strange! But in a cute way! He's ADDICTED to cardboard boxes!!!!!! If we bring one home, the second it goes on the floor, his 6th sense kicks in immediately and he comes running into the room. He'll hop inside and play there, scratch at the corners and eventually fall asleep. See, I told you he was strange! Anyways, my dogs usually comes around sooner or later and rips it to shreds (which is so fun to pick up, let me tell you). So my hubbs decided to buy a wooden box. Genius!! And since he was a Marine, he had to paint it camouflage. I think it turned out pretty darn awesome...

I tried to bribe my cat to get into the box, but he wasn't going for it.


When I wasn't busy painting, I was working on my Back to School centers this week. I originally decided to go with a frog theme and call it Leaping into Learning. So that's what I did. BUT, I've had such a great response (thank you) to the owls that I just had to do that, too!

Leaping into Learning

"Whooo's" Ready for First Grade?

These centers are almost identical. Obviously the graphics are different. There is also one more math center in "Whooo's Ready for First Grade." As always, you can pick these up at my TpT store. Or, the first 5 followers to comment will get the packet of their choice for FREE! PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO LEAVE ME YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS!!! I'm a lot of things, but a mind reader is not one (although that would be cool)! 


Happy Monday friends! What did you make today? Link up and share!

Best wishes, 

The home stretch...

I can't believe July is almost over!! It's hard to believe i've already been out of school for a month. The good thing is I've already accomplished so much! Last night I put the finishing touches on my new calendar and classroom labels. I can't wait to get back into my room and set it all up! If you're going with an owl or polka dot theme, check out what I created. May I introduce the Owl and Polka Dot Calendar and Classroom Super Pack (what a mouth full)...

These are just a couple of items! This packet is 125 pages of goodies to use in any classroom. It includes a calendar with all the trimming, alphabet, number line 0-20, daily schedule bulletin, birthday mini bulletin headers, lost tooth poster, reward/incentive chart, color chart with weekly tracker for students, word wall (letters) headers, classroom helpers mini bulletin, OWL student binder cover, and a "Welcome to 1st grade!" pennant banner. There are also blank labels for each in case you need to add something. I hope you'll enjoy these just as much as I am. It's the perfect finishing touch! I've listed it for 5 bucks, but you can grab it until Friday for only 3!


On a TOTALLY unrelated note, I was nominated for another award!! EEEEEEEEE!!!! Thanks to Tina at Laugh Live Love Learn for this beauty...

The 5 blogs I'm nominating for this award are...

A Series of First Grade Events

The First Grade Scoop (she has super cute freebies you should check out) 

Laughing with Lane

Scrappy Teaching in Fl

And my absolute new favorite blog... Classroom Couture

Lastly, I just want to say how amazing it feels to have so much collaboration going on. It truly pushed me to keep creating and reinventing new ways to teach old things. I don't know if I would love teaching as much if I hadn't found you all! So thanks! BTW, for those of you who made it all the way to the bottom, the first 5 to leave a comment guess my favorite animal (gee, that's a hard one) will get a free copy of my calendar super pack!

Best wishes,

look what I found...

First of all, I want to make a confession... I did it. Yup, that's right. I, Rebecca, jumped on the owl band wagon (obviously, LOL)!! For those of you who haven't, kudos. I don't know how you resist. Since this new obsession has taken over, I have been picking up everything even slightly owl related. Even my husband is bringing things home for me :D So when Erica posted an ADORABLE owl picture on Facebook, I knew exactly what I had to do... Drive around to EVERY Big Lots in the area until I found it! 4 stores and 285 miles later (relax, I went out of town yesterday and they happened to have a Big Lots by the hotel. I'm not that crazy)... ta-da!

If you follow Erica on Facebook, then you probably saw the picture she posted. It was this owl, one other, and a lot of colorful boxes. I assumed (yea, yea, i know. Assuming makes an... I won't say it) the owl was a box, too. The picture was kind of small and I couldn't tell! So when I went to the first 3 Big Lots I was looking for an owl box. I kept finding the colorful boxes that were in the picture with the owls, but not the owls. Then last night when I was on my 4th and final try, I decided to look around the whole store. And there they were... in the jewelry section. Turns out it's a jewelry holder, not a box. I have no idea what I'm going to use it for. I just had to have it!


While on my walk, I also spotted this little gem of a find. It's a school bus shaped box full of 540 motivational stickers... for $2!! I recommend it!

The last thing I found is a giveaway. I know what you're thinking... A giveaway?! On a teacher's blog?!  No way!! BUT it's true! My friend Cassandra over at Adventures in Room 5 has reached 100 followers and is celebrating. So hop on over and show her some support. You may even win a prize! Happy blogging!


Best wishes,

I'm on a roll...

A new blog, 4 posts AND two new products in only one week?! I have no life. I'm having way too much fun with this (and my hubby is out of town)!! I had originally wanted to post today about my year in review. Then I decided to check my email "real quick." I should have known better... Checking email led to reading feedback, blog hopping, online shopping (hubby was obviously out of town) and lots of new, a-dor-a-bul graphics. My mind was racing with all the things I now feel empowered to do and I just had to create!! So here are the fruits of my labor...

Polka Dot and Owl Writing Process

I mean come on! How do you see these little guys and not want to hang them all over your classroom walls? So click on over to TpT and pick them up! It's my gift to you!! Don't forget to take a second and let me know what you think. Pretty please!!

Hubs is back in town tonight, but leaving again soon. When that happens, I'm willing to bet I'll be back in the creating and posting mood. So, be on the lookout!

Best wishes,