Monday Made It {Round 2}

I'm pretty pumped about this week's Monday Made It.... I'm linking up with Tara over at Fourth Grade Frolics again...  yippee!  I've been at the beach all week and we had an amazing trip. We left last Saturday morning, but FedEx dropped off my Amazon box Friday night and I got to work.  I had seen my friend Kimberly's pics on IG and decided I would give it a try.  I used my Silhouette and VOILA... personalized casserole dishes!  Woot woot!  <3

I used my Silhouette to create a stencil with our last name.  I really wanted it to be a KG cursive style font but my machine wasn't cooperating.... so I went with a KG normal style font.  This one is KG Payphone {I love it}

Here are 2 of my casserole dishes all etched, rinsed, and ran through the dishwasher.  I still have many to do, but this was all I could finish since I was packing for the beach.  Here is the tutorial that I used if you're thinking of trying it out ... you can find it HERE.  And the etching cream I used is HERE {but I think you can also find it in craft stores}.  Now I'm looking around the house at other glass surfaces & containers...  Hope y'all will have an amazing Monday!  Here are a few pictures of our beach trip with my girlfriends, our kiddos, and a babysitter {PURE.  HEAVEN}

Stitch Fix #8... Oh Happy Day!

My 8th Stitch Fix came yesterday and it sure didn't disappoint.  If you've been following for any period of time...  you've read about my obsession with this amazing concept!  Definitely during the school year this comes in handy...  there's just not a lot of time to go shopping between teaching, momming, karate, dinner, church, tpt, blogging, etc.  It's almost like they created Stitch Fix just for me!  Here's the quick version, you click HERE, create a style profile, and then decide when & if to get your first box.  It is risk free ... in that you can send back any {or all} items that don't work in a pre-paid bag.  I love trying on clothes in front of my mirror, pairing it with clothes that I already own, etc.  

So... what was in my box you ask?!?! I got this super cute striped tank shirt...  not usually a fan of horizontal stripes.  As a girl with lotsa curves... I like more vertical stripes if ya know what I'm sayin'.  I liked the light colors, but the front was a little too short for my comfort level.  Verdict: returned





My next top (see my silly face) was actually my favorite top in the box.  It was a 3/4 length top with super stretchy/comfy cotton material.  It feels AMAZING.  I am taking this to the beach to throw on in the evenings when I need something soft against my super sunned skin!  Verdict:  heck YES!

The next top was beautiful, but the synthetic front was a little too snug.  The back was a stretchy cotton, but I just kinda felt squished and boxy.  Wish that it has been more flowy or cotton in the front.  Have you figured out my obsession with "comfy" yet?  Verdict:  beautiful, but that's a no this time.  

The blue striped top is what I like to call MAXIMUM comfy.  This one is super flattering and very stretchy.  The cotton is so soft and giving/forgiving!  Verdict: yes... already packed for the beach!  

I really wanted to love this top.... it was mixed materials with the majority being synthetic and the sleeves being cotton.  It was just too tight across the bust...  I looked crazy even trying to get it on... I didn't take a picture {you're welcome}.

I hope that you guys have had an AMAZING week.  I am headed to the beach tomorrow, but I will certainly pop in with a post or two.  Remember you can totally connect with me over on my FB page... it's much easier for me to post updates, etc. there.  Talk to y'all soon!

Monday Made It... My First Time

Hello, Monday!  I kinda love Mondays in summer... no pressure, no lesson plans, no alarm clock!  This is my first time linking up for Monday Made It over at 4th Grade Frolics (love her!!!) and I'm excited.  I am going to use 2 projects that I've done pretty recently...  hoping to have some newer projects to share soon.  Hint: I just bought etching cream!

My first project was something I saw on Pinterest.  I had a super cute frame that I had bought from Jane and thought this would be perfect for our guest bedroom.  This way when people are over... they can see our wi fi guest password easily.  You can find the original post HERE and make your own if you'd like!  

My second project was personalizing my boys' karate belt displays.  The type of karate that they take is called Hapkido.  I used my Silhouette machine and VOILA!  They just had a deal on the Silhouette machines over at Zulily!  They said to stay tuned for another sale soon!  They are still sitting against the wall in the guest room... now I need to hang them {sigh}!  

I hope y'all will have an amazing week.  My Stitch Fix is coming this afternoon and I can't wait to take pictures and type up that post... look for it tomorrow!  Talk to y'all soon!  

It's Currently June

Hiya, peeps!  Soooo, I'm like 5 days late on my Currently.... better late than never, right?  I actually did my Currently last night, but then my ZzzQuill kicked in.  Love that stuff!  My kiddos are at vacation bible school and I am enjoying a horizontal life pause on the couch.  I have already been to the grocery store, started the laundry, and dinner is in the crockpot!  {and mom for the WIN!!!}  I'm linking up with Farley so I can get in on the fun... and here we GO:

Listening: my my boys play Stratego with their dad.  I'm not even gonna pretend I know anything about that game.  It sounds like a lot of thought is needed to play... and I'm not down with thinking right now.  Yep, your dad can totally play with you.

Loving: that it's summer break and my boys are having some Jesus time each morning.  While they are there... it gives me about 2.5 hours to get as much done as possible.  I am a to-do list NINJA this week.  I've been making returns, shopping, cleaning, organizing, etc.

Thinking: about going to the beach...  now it's only 9 days away.  We go to the same beach every year.  Me, 2 of my girlfriends, our children, and a babysitter {for an extra set of eyes near the water}.  It is my favorite place on this planet.  It's a private island and is also a wildlife preserve.  Everyone rides around on golf carts... there is literally nothing to do but go to the beach or the pool... no Starbucks, no fast food, no outside diversions.  I am my best self when I am there.  I am so stinkin' excited!  The girls and I are planning on getting up early each morning and walking with the sea turtle crew to look for nests again this year (eeeek!)

Wanting: to raise enough money for a headstone for a 1st grader at my school who recently passed away from Leukemia.  He fought this horrible disease for a year.  His medical bills and funeral costs didn't leave much money left for a headstone.  This is where Teachers Pay Teachers comes in.  I had almost 50 of my bloggy/TpT friends donate to different bundles in the Resting Place for Aaron store.  There are bundles for EVERYONE....  k-2 math, k-2 ela, 3-5 math/science, 3-5 ela/ss, a back to school/end of year bundle, and a bundle of extras (with teacher planners, clip art, etc.).  Aaron was an amazing young man... and he deserves an amazing resting place where his family and friends can go visit.  Please go check out the bundles... I promise you won't be disappointed.  The store will only be open for the month of June so HURRY!  You can watch a video about Aaron HERE!

Needing: to make a plan for next year.  I have stacks... you know... very important stacks all over my room.  I really want to be more organized with my electronic files that I make/buy from TpT.  But I also really want to file my worksheets, etc. by standard.  I just didn't do a very good job of that this year.  And now I have STACKS!

Summer bucket list:  I talked about my long summer bucket list HERE...  but the main 3 are to be fully present.  I am really enjoying each day with my kiddos, whether we are at home chilling out, at the local water park, going on vacation, etc.  I just want to be fully present.  I really need to go to the gym.  I took the first step the other day and renewed my membership... now I just need to be consistent and GO.  The last part is to finish some crafty things that I have been wanting to do.  I really want to etch our last name onto all my casserole dishes.  I also want to spray paint some lockers that I bought, and redo our front door.  Fingers crossed!  :)

I hope that your June has been amazing so far!  Talk to y'all soon!  <3

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!