Preventing the Summer Slide

Summer is here!
    The time that we all treasure...being able to sleep in a little bit, leisurely eating your lunch, and going to the restroom whenever you need! Ahhhhh....precious summer!
    Sometimes my summer isn't so leisurely - I've got a 6 and 9 year old at home and, let's be honest, I feel like I spend half of my time refereeing their fights. You guys know what I'm talking about! They love each other, but...they are definitely siblings! ;)
    After our first week at home of unstructured, do-what-you-want summer my kids were driving me bananas! The second week, we implemented chores/homework that my kids have to do before getting any screen time/ going to the pool in the afternoon.
    I had a few leftover scraps from a chalkboard that I had cut down last summer and these work perfectly for the chore list. You could use a whiteboard, too. I wrote "TO DO" on one side of the clothespins and "DONE" on the other side so it's visual for us to see.

We're a month into summer now, and Luke's reading has continued to grow, and Ella is practicing skills every day to keep her from losing too much of what she gained this past year. I wouldn't have it any other way! :D

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It's allllllllmost summer!!

Can you taste it?! It's sooooooo close! {I know some of you are ALREADY out, I'm super jealous!}
I'm pretending that tomorrow is not a school day...we haven't put the kids down yet- we're living on the wild side!! {it's 8}

Also, I've been working on reservations for Ella's birthday party at Chuck E Cheese's.... I know, I know!! We went to a party there last summer {the one and only time we've been!} and she HAS NOT been able to stop talking about it. I try to suggest other fun activities...to no avail. The girl's got a strong will, I tell you.
So, Chuck E. Cheese's it is.

I also planted some succulents this weekend. They tell me they're super easy to take care of. I sure hope so...because I have the WORST luck with plants. Seriously.

I've also been day-dreaming about my summer. And what I might do with my classroom next year. I've been making a to-do list in my head and on my Pinterest account! :) So..I like to stay a little on track with my plans and make a few million to-do lists. Anyone else with me?!

I made up this little freebie pack last summer. It helped me to stay on track and not lose my summer to catching up on the Today show and reading all the books I can manage {don't worry, I'll still do that}

I'm adding these little to-do lists to the packet...so hop on over and snag them up. All of the calendars and lists are EDITABLE so for those of you with OCD...you can type in them instead of write ;) 

{click on the pictures to snag these up!}

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On the countdown!

Hey friends!

I'm reposting this fun countdown printable for the rest of the school year! I made these printables last year and we are on. the. countdown! We have 4 days left...we can hardly contain the excitement! You know the feeling, right?! Your perfectly trained kindergarteners turn into these radical almost-first graders?! As if the full moon last week wasn't enough!!

These are FREE and fit perfectly in an 8x10 frame. You just have to trim down the edges of white paper and you have an easy display! :D Click the pictures below to snag them up!

Let me know if you snag these up! I love to hear your feedback!

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Stay Organized!

Morning y'all!

Now that I'm getting back in the swing of things after our move, I'm on to getting more organized for the rest of the summer. I feel like half of it is gone already! Have you seen this pin? There are several variations that I've seen, but I liked this one the best!

 {click to go to the direct link}

I really want to try and keep my kids busy this summer 1)They're running around the apartment like hooligans making lots of noise for our 1st floor neighbors and 2)I don't want them to just end up watching TV/ playing games all summer. 

Do you remember {this post} from last summer? I have had several followers email and comment on TpT that I make a new 2013 set, so I did! I snazzed it up a little bit so that it is editable {you can type right into it!} and has the summer schedule on the top. Go snag it up for free if you'd like to keep your ducks all in a row like I do! I've already got mine hanging up and filled out on the fridge. We've got some fun plans for the summer!

Click HERE to download. I'd love to hear if you like it!

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Teacher Appreciation!

Hey y'all!

I started off my morning with some yummy breakfast pizza{bacon and green chile! mmm} thanks to our fabulous administrators! It was a great way to start a Monday morning!

I'm still working on Ella and Luke's teachers' gifts. I made these cute little light boxes last year- and I *think* that we're going to make another set for their teachers this year. They were a big hit, so I need to head on over to Hobby Lobby to pick some of the glass blocks up. {eh hem.. excuse the craft paint and wrappers in the background! sheesh!}

I'm so grateful for all the wonderful teachers I've had in my life- so many of them helped to mold me into what I am now!

As a way to show gratitude to all you fabulous teachers out there I'm throwing a sale in my Teachers Pay Teachers store beginning tomorrow through Wednesday.

thanks Hadar for the button!
All of the products in my store will be 20% off on Tuesday, May 7th and Wednesday, May 8th. Make sure you use the coupon code TAD13 at check out to save an extra 10% off your whole purchase {thank you TpT!}

I just revamped my Super Summer Stations packet to include a little more updated look and a few more activities!

take a look!

I hope you get all stocked up for the rest of the year and maybe get a head start on next year! I know I've already moved things over from my wishlist into my cart! Check out some of my fabulous friends' sales, too!

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Stay Organized Summer!

Ok, as I was typing that I heard it in my head in my best Ron Burgandy voice. Who loves Anchorman?! It's one of those awful movies that gets funnier every. dang. time. you watch it! I'm a sucker for slapstick comedy... just ask my husband. I laugh at the silliest things. I can blame my Mom for that! ha! She is exactly the same way!

"Stay classy, San Diego"

I say... "Stay organized, Nicole!"

I've been brainstorming all these wonderful ideas for my classroom, my house, this blog, Ella's birthday party, and just everything that I needed a way to keep myself all organized this summer. My desk calendar.. is, well, at school and does me no good at home (and I think it ends with June?!). The calendar on the fridge is for appointments, etc which left me no room for my personal things!

I made a little packet {for FREE, of course!} that will help you out, here!

I haven't put mine all together yet, but I'm going to slide this first page into a binder and then hole punch the calendars (June, July, August) and put them inside the binder.

 I made 3 different versions of the to-do list... because, well, not everyone blogs!

I hope you hop on over and grab them here!  Let me know if you grab them - I love to hear from you!

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Super Summer Stations!

Happy LAST week before summer begins! (At least for me!)

I began working on a Summer Stations packet a while back for the last week of stations for my kiddos but then... I got distracted by those darn worms! ha! This little packet got pushed to the back burner because I was just having so much fun creating worm stuff!

Well, today I knew if I didn't just sit down and finish it out I probably wouldn't finish it until after school - and I really want to use it this week! Guess what our aide will be doing tomorrow?! Cutting and laminating all these fun stations I will use to finish out the week!

 I don't know about ya'll, but the closest ocean to me is 11 hours away - most of my kids have never seen it, so camping/fishing is much more of a "summer" activity for them - this packet is about half and half beach and camping fun!

You can check it out {here} on my TpT store!

Don't forget TODAY is the last day to enter my "Thank you followers" giveaway! Click HERE to see all the goodies and enter! 

Also... tomorrow is my BIRTHDAY! So don't forget to check back tomorrow to see what I have in store for my day!

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Summer Bucket List!

Teri, April, and Hadar are hosting a Summer bucket list linky - I couldn't resist to join! I've been planning all the things I want to do over the summer, ohhh since February ha! I've pinned so many things I don't think there's any way I will get accomplished all I would like to do!!

First and foremost....

Spend time with these two little darlings! Ella's already been talking about going to the gym and library (among her favorite things to do!) for summer.

Then... the things I don't WANT to do, but really NEED to do...

 via Pinterest

Organize and clean our garage - throw a garage sale! We have like 9 little riding toys for the kids that are too small now and we aren't having any more babies - I am SO ready to clear out Ella's closet and the garage of all the excess!

Then...things I'd like to do for the home:

via Pinterest

Revamp our entry wall to look something like this:

 via Pinterest

We have a wonderful open floor plan with a huge formal dining room that we rarely use - we're going to turn a corner of it into a craft area! woot woot! This is my inspiration:

 Then for my classroom...

Make some cute pendant banners like this from Abby at the Inspired Apple

Make a stool inspired by this picture for my class:

via Pinterest

And so many more things! We're taking a family vacation to the hill country with cousins, aunts and uncles, it's going to be fun! Can't wait!

Have a happy Saturday blog friends - look for my giveaway tomorrow!!

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Summmmmer fever ALERT!

We've been busy this week starting review and beginning SUMMER themed goodness!! Oh, how I love summer! *sigh* {stick with me...this is a long but good one!}

We've been learning all about the Fourth of July - we made this anchor chart today and did a little writing. We brainstormed the white labels together and on the sticky notes they drew about how their family celebrates the 4th (barbecues, parades, fireworks, fun!) Last Friday we made streamers and had a mini-parade {see previous post for picture!}

I wanted this to be more fun - writing about freedom is a teensy bit over their heads - so we wrote about America's birthday and how we like to celebrate it!

After talking about all the FUN things we do in summer we used my little Sweet Shop Decomposing packet to practice in intervention. They loved this!

We also made some super cute composing/decomposing numbers booklets today in Math - I'm working on a freebie to go with it so I'll wait to post it later! Stay tuned for fabulousness!

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