Share It Saturday

It's the weekend...but during the summer, doesn't every day kinda feel like it's the weekend??  :-) Ssoo....back towards the beginning of the summer I made a few goals.  One of them was a Summer Bloggin' Schedule.  If you remember, it was supposed to go something like this... {click HERE to read that post}

See, the idea was to keep myself on track with blogging every day.  I have this summer problem where, during the summer break, I have a hard time remembering what day of the week it is...  I wanted to give myself daily topics to focus on over the summer so I would not fall out of the habit of blogging every day (ish).  After participating in a few linky parties, I quickly realized that linky was the way to go.  So, my schedule evolved.

I found out the Teaching Tribune was having a linky party for every weekday, and I was stoked to link up with them!!  However, their awesome Summer Bloggin' has ended.  :-(  I'll have to think of something else to do for Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays...stay tuned!!  :-)

I am VERY EXCITED that Book Talk Tuesday, hosted by Deanna at Mrs. Jump's Class, is a linky party that will last ALL YEAR LONG!!  I am really excited to get to learn about so much literature, as well as share some of my favorite favorites.  This linky has really inspired me to look at how I use literature in the classroom in an entirely new way, and I can't wait to see what else it has in store!!

I have been working on an activity that I created to go along with some different literature books to use at the beginning of the year, and I would very much like to talk about it on this week's Book Talk Tuesday, but we'll see if I can get it to look how I want it to before then...

There is also talk that The Teaching Tribune may keep their Two for Tuesday linky party going throughout the year.  That is a fun one too, because you get to find lots and lots of great resources listed at half off.  That linky was fun too, so if they keep that one going I will try to participate in it, too!!

I'm going to continue doing Wish-List Wednesday, because I enjoy getting to talk about the products, graphics, and fonts I find on TPT.  I also like talking about the wishes I grant myself in every-day life, too.  It would be neat to get other people to link up for this, but I don't know if that would be something people would be interested in....

On Sundays I link up with Michelle at Fabulous in First for her Sunday Smorgasbord linky party.  I quickly realized this linky party did the same thing as what I wanted for my Monday posts, but Michelle's blog gets WAY more traffic than mine, so I decided to go with hers. ;-)

So instead of having 'Weekend Wonders' (my original idea), on Sundays I'll be participating in Sunday Smorgasbord, and on Saturdays I'll be trying out an idea called Share It Saturday.  Just a little something I thought I'd try where I could share with you different ideas and activities I find or create.  I would love this to become my first linky party, but I'd like to get some feedback from the followers that I have.  Would there be an interest in a weekly linky party like a 'Share It Saturday' where bloggers get together to share different ideas, tips, tricks, freebies, activities, places to visit, etc.?  Please leave a comment to let me know what you think!!  Thanks so much!!!

For Share It Saturday, I wanted to share some cool freebies I found while floating around TPT. From now on, I am calling this activity 'Research' for my Share It Saturday posts!!  :-)

ONE

First, there's this little gem from Crystal at Kreative in Kinder.  It is an ADORABLE little Monster Math game.  All you need to play are some sort of small items to use as counters, and 1-2 dice per pair. Click on the picture to go over to Crystal's TPT store and grab a copy for yourself!!

TWO

Next, if you are anything like me and LOVE all things clip art, you tend to become obsessed with finding freebies.  Here is an awesome set of pencil graphics, that could be used to set up a Writing Center or Writing Process Chart, as well as labeling mailboxes or lockers!!  Best of all, there are TONS of other freebies at Ashley's TPT store!

THREE

Finally, here is a fabulous packet of Word Work activities that fit into your Writing or Word Work Centers.  This free packet of activities was created by Krsta from Creative Clips.  I absolutely ADORE her graphics and fonts, and she has some great activities in her store too!!

Also for Share It Saturday, I have something I'd like your opinion on.  I'm working on creating another activity to use with my kinders, and would love to hear your suggestions on which frame to use.  Here are  a few things you should know: Each letter of the alphabet would need to be represented at least twice, which would make it easier and less time consuming to go with a frame that has straight lines and can be easily taken to the paper cutter.  However, the circle frames are really cute too.  I'm stuck and would love to hear your thoughts!!

From upper-top let corner:  1. Oval frame - I know it looks a bit like a circle, but it isn't.  It's an oval.
                                           2. Circle frame
                                           3. Polka-dot frame
                                           4. Photograph frame - it needs to be trimmed in this picture, but it's a frame like the 'old-timey' scrapbook photo elements.

I really appreciate all of your feedback, so PLEASE leave a comment to tell me which you think works best and why!!  Also, don't forget to let me know your thoughts on having a Share It Saturday linky party!!  Thanks SO MUCH!!

Summer Schedule

Hope all of you have been able to enjoy the weekend!!  We've FINALLY had some GORGEOUS weather this weekend, and it was absolutely wonderful to get out and enjoy it!!  This week is supposed to be a scorcher around here, with plenty of humidity, so luckily I no longer have to stand outside for recess!!  Tomorrow is officially my last day of the 2013-2014 school year.  It will be a day full of meetings and room packing.  I just hope that I can get everything done that I want to!!

Summertime means a lot of different things to a lot of people, including me.  It is a time when I can turn off my 5:00 am alarm and sleep in til, well, whenever I want.  It is a time I get to spend with my family and furbaby, and involves plenty of fun and exciting day trips.  It is a time when I can devote the majority of my time and energy to creating new activities to use with my kinders next year!  However, it is also a time when I get a bit lax with schedules.  Okay, A LOT lax.

This is SO TOTALLY ME during summer vacation.  There are days where I am literally stumped as to what day of the week it is!!  I know I'm not the only educator out there who can relate to this one!!  :-)  Reading old blog posts proves this isn't a new problem for me!!

So, in order to remind myself of what day it is and as well as to stay on some sort of schedule (nothing too intense), I have decided to devote each day of the week to a different blogging topic.  This will help me out by not only keeping me on track for what day it is this summer, but also having a blogging schedule will encourage me to blog every day and not get lazy with it.  I had so many great plans for my little blog last summer when I started it, and some of them I have met.  There is still a lot of work to be done, but I need it to become a habit to want to blog every day.  Enter 'The Schedule".

I'd like to take each day of the week to blog about something different.  Tomorrow will be the first Mix-It-Up Monday, which is the day I will blog about pretty much anything.  I may talk about activities I created or am in the process creating, Pinteresting ideas I've found and want to try, different management strategies...literally anything I can think of.  Make sure to come back each day of the week to learn more about what I will blog about on each day!

I hope that you enjoy the rest of this gorgeous weekend, and if you are already officially on your summer vacation, I hope that you are able to make the most out of every single day!!