Me? A Versatile Blogger?

First of all, if you are a teacher using the Treasures Reading program in your school, and have not yet checked out Just 4 Teachers, you are missing out!  Last year was my school's first year taking on Treasures, and if you have been there before, you know any new change can be a major adjustment.  This year I have been using Debi's poems and ideas to create my own poetry journal for my students and they LOVE it as much as I do!  So there you have it, my HUGE shout out and thanks a TON to Debi for making poetry so much fun.  Recently, she left a comment letting me know that she was awarding me this:

Here are the rules of the award:

*Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them in your post.
*Share 7 things about yourself.
*Pass this award along to 15 recently discovered blogs.

Well, here goes.... Seven Things About Me!
1.  I am married and have 4 wonderful children ranging in ages 4 - 12.
2.  Only 1 out of my 4 kids were planned!  LOL
3.  I spent 9 1/2  of my childhood years growing up in Saudi Arabia.
4.  I was originally thinking of pursuing a degree in International Business with a minor in Russian.  Boy, am I glad I went in the direction I chose instead!!  I love teaching!
5.  I love everything about FALL! The leaves changing colors, cooler weather, sweaters, football and holidays on their way!

6.  Everything is better with peanut butter!  I seriously add it to my icecream and on top of my pancakes.  Crazy for the stuff!
7.  I have been snorkeling in the Red Sea and floating in the Dead Sea...2 of the coolest places! 
If you think you still need to know more about me...click here.

I am not passing this award on to 15 recently discovered blogs, for the main fact that I still can't seem to leave comments on half the blogs out there that I read...so frustrating.  So even if I were to award 15 people, there would be no way of letting them know.  Darn!  If you are reading this though, consider yourself one of the ones I would have chosen. :)

Discount on School Pictures!

Today was school picture day for me and you know what that means....one hectic morning with my own kids!  Anyway, I thought I would share a tip with all you teachers/school employees reading this post.  Did you know that if you write "faculty" on your {own child's} picture envelope, you only have to pay HALF of the picture price for their picture package?!?  Not all photographers may offer that deal, but asking never hurts!  I love a good deal!

Tattle Tell

Tomorrow marks the end to my first 2 1/2 weeks of school.  Already I am thinking about how I can address the tattle telling issue.  This summer my kids picked out a book at our public library called Don't Squeal Unless It's A Big Deal. 

This book does a really good job of explaining to the kids the difference between tattling and informing an adult in an emergency!

Another tattling book I came across was A Bad Case of Tattle Tongue...although I must admit that I have never read it.  Looks and sounds cute though!

I totally want/need to make one of these posters and basket. 

If you would prefer a tattling moster over the tattling turtle, here ya go from Giggles Galore...

First, make a monster from an empty Kleenex box.

Then print out one of these signs and Wa-La!  A simple solution!

Grow Up Learning uses the same idea of the Tattling Turtle, but uses a tiger instead.  Super cute!!

Also...Really Roper has a GREAT tattling song on her blog.  Check it out!!

Any other ideas out there I have missed?  I would love to know what all you are doing to address the issue of tattling...either in your classroom or at home with your own children. :)

Back to School Pictures

When it comes to heading back to school, you can't leave out taking pictures of your own children.  Something about the first day of school, makes me as a mom, want to capture every detail of my child; their outfit, hair style, shoes, backpack, missing teeth and more.  Unless you have a great memory or are quick to label your pictures, you run the risk of forgetting which year was which and they could start blending together.  If you have nodded along with any part so far, then this is for you!

Make and Takes teaches you how to make your own speech bubble...FUN for so many different settings!

Don't want to make one?  Why not use Living Locurto's suggestion and go off the Pottery Barn inspiration.  (Click the link to see how her pictures turned out.) 

Buy a mini chalkboard from a craft store and write your info. on it.

The Crafting Chicks have a great check list to get you thinking of what kind of pictures you might be after and how to best achieve it.  These were some of my favorites...



Dad and son heading to the bus stop...so dang cute!

 

Friends hanging at the bus stop...with the backpack picture!



Let's face it, pictures can start to be embarrassing if your child is heading to middle/high school, but if you could snap a picture like this...it would be so cool!



Last year I had my kids write on a paper their grade so that I would be able to capture their handwriting at that particular age too.  I love being able to see all the changes from year to year and I  thought that was just one more fun element to remember.  I love taking pictures of my children as it is, but I love how fun and memorable all these ideas are!  So...what are you waiting for?  Grab your camera and go have some fun!!

Travel Ideas for Your Kids

Sorry for my 2 weeks of MIA.  Wow time really flies!  I have been super busy lately with my oldest daughter's softball team.  She made the All Star team, which was a week long tournament.  Their team took first place and went on to compete in San Bernardino, CA at the Little League Softball Western Regional Tournament to represent our state.  It was such an incredible experience, but I don't think the girls fully understood just how lucky and incredible the talent of these young girls (11-13 year olds) was.  Our team ended up winning 2 games and losing 2 and we were super excited by those results!  I returned home yesterday and after being a chaperon to the girls, I am figuring out my identity of being a wife, mother and more all over again!
Since I have been traveling, I thought I would share a few ideas that you might be able to use on a trip of your own.  After all there are still a few more weeks left of summer!
Make your own dry erase tote from Stubbornly Crafty:

Make an antibored kit. Gather small items your kids would enjoy and place them in a painted and decorated Altoids tin.  Idea from Instructables.

Printable Bingo cards from While He Was Napping.

Make a marble maze game as seen on Serving Pink Lemonade.

When my family takes a trip, I try to have a car bag filled with things the kids enjoy.  It would be best to have a small bag for each child to help cut down on fighting.  Here are a few ideas for entertaining your kids on your next family trip:

• Small toys your kids love - small plastic animals, cars, etc.
• Electronics - Ipod, portable DVD, gameboys
• Coloring books, notebooks, crayons, markers
• Magnadoodle, Etcha Sketch, etc.
• String/yarn - cat's cradle, friendship bracelets
• Snacks - remember chocolate is messy and melts!
• Magnetics with a (metal) TV dinner tray so your kids can build on their own travel table.  Plus the dinner tray works well for snacks and coloring!  I bought some a few years ago for my kids when we were heading on a road trip and they helped a ton!  I bought mine at the check out stand at Walmart for only a few dollars each.
• Books
• Crossword puzzle, Wordsearch or Sudoku books (make sure your child doesn't get car sick!)
• Travel sized games - Target & Walmart have these in their game sections, but check the dollar store too!
• Deck of cards, dice, card games.

*Keep in mind your children's likes, ages, gender and the duration of the trip.  Any other ideas you want to add to the list?  Let me know what you do to keep your kids entertained!

FREE Sharpies at Target!

I LOVE a good deal, so I thought I would share this great site I came across...Target Treasures.  Basically this blog tells you about the deals Target has going on each week...Great!  One more reason to visit the store and spend more than I should be!  I can't complain if it's a good deal though right?!?   Anyway, with school right around the corner, the deal for this week is Sharpie markers. 

Sharpies are on sale for $1.00.  Print off this $1.00 coupon (see page 9 of the add) and get 2 Sharpies for FREE!!  Spread the word, but make sure to leave some for me!!

Framed Art for Just $1

Super cute right?

Would you believe this only cost $1 to make?  This 4x6 picture frame was at the dollar store and the {free} printable is from It Works for Me!  I love this quote.  It's such a great reminder (and teaching tool for your kids) that not everything has to be brand new to be great!

OUTDOOR Summer Activities

Ok so let's be serious.  My last post was about indoor summer activities, but in truth my kids want nothing more than to be outside playing.  That is, unless it becomes too hot and then we have to refer to the indoor activities posted about before.  As promised...here are some OUTSIDE activities to get your kids playing and keep them busy!
Teach your kids about primary and secondary colors using food coloring & water inside of water guns!  My (younger) kids have really been loving water coloring lately and I know they would get a kick out of this!  Thanks My Little Princess World for such a great idea!!

She Wears Flowers came up with this homemade DIY sprinkler system.  I might just have to make a trip to Home Depot this week!

How about having a sail boat race!?!  Alphamom suggests a different approach...make your own {ice cube}boats.

Here are a few more ideas...Use what works for you and your kids.  These ideas might vary depending on where you live and the ages of your kids!

*Wash the car.

*Have a lemonade stand.

*Take your own "field trip" and see things around your town you might not have before.

*Go on a {service} scavenger hunt.  Make sure a grown up goes too and go in a neighborhood you are familiar with!

*Go on a picnic.

*Have a dog show.

*Go to a water park.

*Have a cook out...marshmallows and hotdogs (or tin foil dinners) with a real fire!

*Go camping, hiking, or on a nature walk.

*Have a family game night or movie night.

*Play night games (my kids do this all the time...kick the can and all!)

*Plant a garden

*Dig for worms/collect insects.

No worries....more ideas and activities to come.  For now though, have a FUN summer!!

INDOOR Summer Activities for the Kids

I love summer!  It's great to sleep in, let go of the schedules and just hang out with my own kids for a few months.  Truthfully, come May I begin looking forward to summer, but by August I am ready for the routine of school to start up again.  Any of you feel the same way? 
With all the fun that comes during the summer months, it can also be challenging to entertain kids, especially if your kids have ever used the phrase, "Mom, I'm bored!"  A few back up plans might be handy to have on hand, if you want to keep your kids happy and yourself sane!  Here are a few great INDOOR ideas I have come across...perfect for when the weather is bad or just too hot to be outside.
Make homemade bouncy balls from Making Memories:

Homemade Moon Sand (made with real sand!) from Home Spun Threads:

Also from Home Spun Threads, these make your own pet cages.  This would be right up my son's alley!

Get crafty by turning your old toothbrush into a bracelet by Two Girls Being Crafty:

A few more on the list...

*Build a fort to read books in.

*Play hide & go seek.

*Watercolor pictures, or if you don't like a mess (although it is easy to clean), try the paint books where you paint over with the paper with water and watch the colors appear.  I saw one of these last week at Walmart!

*Play dough...you could even try making your own with the kids!

*Have a game day.

*Make popsicles or try out a new recipe.

*Bake sugar cookies and decorate them.

*Have a pillow fight.

*Tie dye or puffy paint shirts.

*Paper mache - make & decorate a mask or a pinata.

OUTSIDE ideas for your kids coming soon....

**Question for my readers...I have thought about doing linky parties at the end of posts before.  The only problem is that I am not sure how to do it.  Is it free to do?  Is it beneficial to you (the reader)?  Does it make it any easier to find what you are looking for? Any suggestions??  You'd think I would know this by now!

Summer Project...72 Hour Kits

Well it is official...summer is here!  I spent most of yesterday being lazy and lounging around my house in PJ's with my kids all day and it felt GREAT!!  Even though summer is here, I have a list of projects that I want to work on...crafts, preparing for next school year, organizing things around the house, becoming more healthy (you know...fruits and veggies!), camping and spending time with the family, making a (blue jean) quilt and putting together 72 hour kits for my family from How Does She?

Although it seems a bit overwhelming to just jump into I know that it is essential that I feel prepared.  I plan to check out the dollar store/Target dollar spot, etc. to look  for some of these items.  I also know that I don't have to buy everything at once...a gradual process.  One tip a friend gave me on this idea is to buy the backpacks in September...after school has started and they go on sale.  To find a list of items that were put in (Missy's) backpacks, click on the link above.  She has done a great job at breaking everything down and explaining why having a 72 hour pack ready in a great idea.