Anchors Away... Oh, and Wizards, Too

Hello, peeps... hoping your Monday has been great so far.  I realized earlier that I hadn't blogged about my newest word wall headers.  I think I've decided to go for a nautical theme next year... so I made these to go up on the wall:

This part of the year... when summer just starts is when my brain starts going crazy... thinking, planning, plotting, list making...  trying to get my ducks in a row for the next go round!  :)  The other word wall headers that I made are a "wizard" theme... I think they turned out super cute.  I can picture the older grades {3-5} loving these.

All of my word wall headers are 4" circles... jut print, laminate, cut out, and hang!  Easy, peasy!  What is your theme for next year?  To check out either ... just click on the pictures to head to my store.  I have about I have 13 different word wall header sets with all different kinds of themes... you can see them all HERE!  Hope your weekend was great... and that your week will be even better!

My Summer Bucket List...

Hiya, peeps!  Just got home from a super busy, but fun Saturday and saw a cute link up over at Mrs. Jump's Class... I wanna join in on the fun.  I love summer for many reasons, but I especially enjoy having the extra time to catch up on blog reading and find lots of new ideas to implement!

The first thing on my summer bucket list is to go to the gym.  I am hoping to enlist some friends to go with me... but I would really like to think that I can do this.  I have a Fitbit and have been pretty consistent with my 10,000 steps a day... but I need to up my game!  Fingers crossed, but I could use some prayers and good vibes if you have some extra!  If I were to set a realistic goal before school starts back... I would say to lose 20-25 pounds.  

Second on the list is organizing my school "stuff"...  My goal is to file my extras by CC standard.  I have a plan to label all my file folders with the standards and go from there.  This last year I got overwhelmed and everything just went into a stack....  we're talking about a BIG stack people!  I need to do better.  We have keys to the school so I'm able to work over the summer and I'm thankful for that.  My boys are signed up for VBS soon and then karate camp so I'm hoping to be really wise with my time.  I will keep y'all posted on this!  

I plan on going through my closet and giving away around 1/2 of what's in there.  If I don't love it... I'm going to give it to friends or take to Goodwill.  There is too much in there...  and it's time to declutter!  Actually I think it would be easier to pick out work clothes if I didn't have so much in my closet.  It's time to pare down.  I started with 25 shirts today in the giveaway pile...  I still need to go through again mid-summer and weed out about 25 more.  I found that I just didn't really love a lot of things that were hanging in there anymore.... and more is not always better.  

I am the most excited about the beach this summer.  I go every year with friends, our children, and a babysitter.  We go to Fripp Island in South Carolina which is not that far from here.  It is a private island and a wildlife refuge.  We reserved this beach house back in September so I've been counting down for this for almost a year!!!  Everyone drives around on golf carts and it is so fantastic.  Here is what I'm most excited about (in no certain order): 

napping

sea turtle hunting

golf cart riding

key lime frozen adult beverages

late night rice krispy treat making

alligator hunting

sandcastle making

shirt tie dying

board game playing

morning coffee with friends

seashell hunting

friends playing with my hair

we take this same pic of our kidlets every year...

The 2nd most exciting trip I'll be taking is to Las Vegas with my friend Tara for the Teachers Pay Teachers conference.  We are staying in a suite with lots of other bloggy buddies.  We have big plans that may or may not involve a roller coaster on top of a building, New Kids on the Block concerts, shopping, eating ridiculously amazing food, bloggy meet ups, spa appointments, and naps!  

I'm excited to do some reading this summer.  I bought 2 books awhile back and haven't had a chance to read either of them.  I've heard great things about Fault in Our Stars and I also bought Prepared for a Purpose.  It's written by the school secretary in Atlanta that helped prevent a school shooting.  I hope they are both as good as I'm thinking!  

I am going to go room by room in my house and try to make each room look more "homey"...  I think each room could use some freshening up, cleaning, organizing.  I am thinking maybe focusing on one room each week of summer.  Maybe wash curtains, bedding, organize cabinets or closets in each, maybe add new fabrics/pillows, switch around art and framed pictures, etc.  There are also a few house projects to complete:  hanging a new ceiling fan, etc.  There never seems to be enough time during the work week to get all the mundane stuff done, huh?  

Number 8 is to catch up with doctor's appointments.  I know that I need to go to my GYN appointment.  I have made several appointments, but I always seem to find a reason for it to be cancelled or rescheduled.  I have always been a huge proponent of going, but now going near that office just makes me sad.  Going  there  makes me think of losing my daughter.  So I am hoping that this summer I will work up the nerve to go.  I can feel the endometriosis is back again... I know I need surgery again...  and so I need to go.  I just need to find the courage to make it happen.  

I want to find small and BIG ways to help others.  This has been on my heart a lot lately.  I have a plan... and I may need your help.  Stay tuned for this one!  

My #10 is to be totally focused in on my children and make this summer count.  I want to be fully present.  It seems like they are growing inches every single day.  I know that these moments are fleeting... and I want them to look back on these summers together and have amazing memories!  My boys are my reason for living...  and I don't want to take that blessing for granted.

I hope that y'all are having an amazing weekend so far...  talk to y'all soon!  

The Last Week.....

Yesterday was our last day of school...  I'm so stinkin' excited.  Teachers report back for one day of post-planning on Tuesday BUT I'm already in a vacation state of mind.  The last week of school is so crazy ... packed with school functions and demands on teachers... permanent records, report cards, missing library books, etc.  I printed my memory books and bound them... and the kids acted like they had won the lottery.  I was excited to have a few free minutes to work on some end of the year paperwork!  If you need a memory book or want to check mine out...  just click the picture to the left or click HERE!  There are covers for 1st-3rd grade so it will work for any of those grade levels!!!  :)
I hope that you will have a great week.  If you haven't finished up yet... I know the end is in sight.  Our students start back on August 1st and teachers report back the last week of July.  I know that it is going to go by quickly.  I will be posting great back to school finds and giveaways over on my FB page starting soon.  I also plan on working part-time on Pinterest like it's my job!  You can click the links above to connect with me there!  Talk to y'all soon!  <3

May Stitch Fix (#7 If We're Counting)

Hello, Stitch Fix #7 (shhhh, don’t tell the hubs).  I came home today feeling under the weather and saw my box.  I mustered up some energy and tried on all of my tops.  I requested all sleeveless tops again in this box since it’s already in the 90s here in southern Georgia.  You can imagine how hot June, July, and August are. 

Carly was my stylist again and her note made me feel so special…she looks at my Pinterest boards and pays attention to what I like from past boxes.  How cool is that? 

If you haven’t heard about StitchFix before… you HAVE to go NOW and check it out.  It’s the best thing that has happened to my wardrobe in a long time.  Being a teacher already stretches your time thin… but trying to teach, and mom some kiddos, and wife someone… it’s hard business, y’all!  So… you’re telling me someone will hand pick clothes out for me…  send them to my house to try on and all I have to do is check out online & send back anything I don’t like in the mail…. Pre-paid shipping at that!  What, what!!! 

Here are the tops that came in this month’s box: 

I wanted to love all 5 shirts... I really did, but I just didn't this time.  I am picking up the tank top at the bottom because it was amazingly soft and will be perfect paired with a cardigan at work... or lounging at the beach house soon!   It's OK though...  I'll go online and checkout in a bit and the other 4 pieces will get sent back to them tomorrow.  Then I can go ahead and schedule my next box.  Seriously.... if you're up for trying something new... I would highly recommend giving this service a shot and seeing if it's something you might just LOVE.  Click here to fill out your style profile... no risk involved!  
Hope y'all had an amazing Monday.  We only have 9 days of school left... that's 72 hours with kiddos!  This girl is ready for relaxing cups of coffee at home and not feeling pressured to put on real pants {bwahahaha}.  Talk to y'all soon!  

First Graders... With Big Plans

Quick post today...  wanted to share my collage of what my kiddos said they wanted to be when they grow up.  I called them back one at a time so they couldn't hear the other kiddos' answers {as to not sway the results... ahem}.  Then, I cropped them and created a collage on Pic Monkey.  Love that site for editing and collage making.  I make this my desktop background for the last few weeks so the kiddos can see it on the SMART Board.  I also print each kiddos picture on the copy machine (in black and white) to hang up out in the hallway as a simple hallway display these last 3 weeks.

One more quick thing before I go... me and my peeps over at the Primary Chalkboard are giving away 3 $35 TpT gift certificates... but it ends soon!  Be sure to check it out before the big TpT sale coming up!  Click the picture below to head over to the Primary Chalkboard and enter!!!  <3  

Hope that you're having a great weekend so far!  Talk to y'all soon!  

Everyday I'm Hustlin'

Hey.... It's Maaaay!  Also known as the HUSTLIN' month!  Right?  School ends for us on May 23rd (16 more days of school) and man...everyday has something fairly BIG going on.  I'm taking a few minutes out to link up with Farley over at Oh Boy 4th Grade {love her}.  Here's what I'm "Currently" up to!

Listening:  to the mental to-do list running in my head over and over... but with House Hunters playing in the background.  I'm trying to get all those thoughts on paper so I won't forget anything, but I know it's inevitable.

Loving: that there are only 16 more days of school til summer break.  I love my job and I love my class {truly} ... but I am really looking forward to sleeping in, having a flexible schedule, spending more time with my boys, beach trips, and my Vegas trip with a bunch of bloggy friends!  Teachers in our county report back for pre-planning the last week of July so I plan on truly relaxing and letting loose while I can... it goes by super duper fast!

Thinking: about other moves that I need to do to become healthier.  I recently got a Fit Bit about a month ago and my goal has been to try to get to 10K steps each night and drink 1/2-1 gallon of water each day.  I can't drink that much during the day b/c I can't easily get to the bathroom that often w/o inconveniencing others.  I have a few friends with a Fit Bit and we compete with steps each week and can cheer each other on.  It's been really cool this week to watch it help motivate me to get out and walk.  I feel like I need to try to regain back some of what I've lost over the last year or so.  If you've followed me for awhile you know that I delivered a baby girl almost 1/2 way through my pregnancy last year.  In this past year I have gained 30 pounds and I feel like I am just now at the point where I'm able to address it mentally and emotionally.  Wish me luck...

Wanting: I really, really want some new Tory Burch sandals.  These are the ones I want.  And to be honest... I think they want to live with me, too!  :)  Maybe if I can meet my first weight loss goal I can buy them for myself.

Needing: to plan my almost 8 year old's birthday party!  I can't believe that my baby boy is almost 8 (at the end of this month).  He is in 2nd grade this year and school comes naturally to him.  He is empathetic and he loves his mom.  Michael {M1} is super tech savvy, loves seafood, and has his daddy's crazy hair!  

Surprise:  You've got to go follow my friend, the Extra Energetic Educator on Facebook.  She shares the best cross grade level freebies every single Sunday... so selfless and a FAB teacher.  Run  to her page now so you can check out her Sunday Freebie Roundup!  

I hope that your week has been amazing so far.  Hopefully your May is also off to a great start!  Talk to y'all soon!!!