Five for Friday- Nov. 6th

Hellooooo, Friday!

After a super busy but long week, I'm linking up with Doodle Bug's Teaching for....

 

 We began our Pioneers unit in social studies this week.  Today I taught a lesson on Davy Crockett.  At the end of our lesson, we did a directed drawing of Davy Crockett.  How cute are these little guys?!?!  Every time we draw, I'm blown away by the talent in my classroom.  In addition to some things I already had, I used this fabulous freebie by KinderGals. My kiddos rocked the was/could/had chart!

Last week, I wrapped up our unit on the skeletal system just in time for Halloween.  I planned a bones party for the kids, and they LOVED it!  We made these cute little skeleton cupcakes and q-tip skeletons at our party. 

Going right along with the Pioneer theme, my grade level took our annual field trip to the Landis Valley Farm Museum in Lancaster, PA.  It's a pioneer village.  The kids had a fabulous time experiencing life as a pioneer.  The wagon ride was their favorite part.  Those gentle giants, Ben and Maude, were so sweet. 

Today I ordered a kit from Oriental Trading to make our own class quilt.  I'm so excited to do this project again.  I haven't done it in a few years.  The supplies were a little pricey, but the markers last for a while.  I love how the quilts turn out, and the kids get so proud of them.  I can't wait to see all 6 of them from our 6 second grade classes hanging together. 

 

 This past weekend, we went to my cousin's wedding.  It was the first time (I think) that we've had both of our kids at wedding.  They LOVED the dancing!  Julia would not get off the dance floor, and she wanted to dance with her little brother all night long.  She got a little miffed when another little girl wanted to dance with him.  Haha!  My family and I were loving it.  

So, there you have it, 5 random details of my week.  Click over to Doodle Bug's to see who else linked for for Five for Friday! Thanks for stopping by!

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Currently- November!

It's November 1st, can you believe it???  That means it's time to link up with Farley from Oh' Boy 4th Grade.  

Here's what I'm currently up to...

Listening
The weekends are for football in our house.  We're Philadelphia Eagles fans, but they have a bye week.  I'm rooting for Denver tonight.  I will always love Peyton Manning. He's such a stand up guy and a phenomenal athlete. 

Loving
We bought a new bed and mattress about a week and a half ago, and it is AMAZING. I just want to sit in bed all day every day.  It was a major upgrade for us.  We had an old, old queen.  Our frame cracked last spring after several moves, and we finally replaced it.  Our new bed is a king with a half spring-half memory foam mattress.  I feel like I'm sleeping in a hotel every night.  I just love it!

Thinking
I really, really should have gone into school today.  I still have Halloween stuff up from Friday.  I need to get my monthly things switched over, and I have so much filing to do.  I just hate leaving my family at home on my days off, ya know?  My husband, who's also a teacher, is always super supportive of me going in when I need to, but I always feel guilty.  So, the mess will just have to wait.

Wanting
I confess that I am a shop-a-holic.  Aside from a sweater and jeans from my Stitch Fixes, I haven't gotten anything new for fall.  I haven't had the chance, and I'm on a tight budget.  This is hard for me!  I am really wanting a new jacket to replace my ratty North Face.  I am also looking for a pair of tall black boots, maybe something with a wedge.  I don't want them to look like motorcyle boots, but I don't want a spiky heeled pair.  I'm picky with my boots.  I really hate cheep looking boots. Any suggestions???

Needing
We still have remnants of costumes laying around.  Candy bags are on the counters, and our soggy scarecrow is sitting on the front porch.  My little ones loved Halloween this year!  Julia was a butterfly, and Bennett was a caterpillar.  They looked so darn cute!  They weren't scared at all, which is a big change from last year.

Yummy
I made a grilled pork loin with mashed potatoes, green beans, and biscuits for dinner.  Those flaky biscuits were so dang good smeared with butter and jelly.  We have homemade strawberry jelly that my mom and I canned over the summer.  I love that stuff! I don't have the recipe for the jelly.  I usually make the 7-Up biscuits from Plain Chicken, but tonight I just made Grands.  They were just as delicious. 

Thanks again to Farley for the monthly link up.  I love reading through everyone's Currently posts.  Check them out for yourself!

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Trendy Teachers- What the Teacher Wore Wednesday!

Yikes, it's been almost a month since I last blogged!  I'm learning to balance my time between family, school, TPT, and blogging.  Learning being the key word there!

I'm linking up again for What the Teacher Wore Wednesday with some teachers with fabulous style- Chandra from Teaching With Crayons and Curls, Caitlin from Teach, Inspire, Change, Brittany from The Posh Teacher, and Lindsey from It's Elementary, My Dear. 

My blue gingham shirts are major workhorses in my closet.  I love, love, love gingham, because it's classic and versatile.  Now that the weather actually feels like fall, I can wear some of my favorite long-sleeved tops and dresses with tights.  I'm loving the cooler temps!

Blouse: J. Crew Factory

Shift Dress: Loft

Scarf: Old Navy

Booties: Old Navy

Blouse: J.Crew Factory

Dress: Old Navy

Booties: Old Navy

Blouse: Gap

Cardigan: Target

Pencil Skirt: Gap Factory

Leopard Wedges: Payless

Tassel Necklace: Loft

Monogram Necklace: Very Jane

I have so many of these Merona Favorite Cardigans from Target.  This one is from last year, but they have pretty new colors and patterns every season.  I love them!

...and a few non-gingham outfits just for fun.

Dress: Target

Scarf: Loft

Belt: F21

Sandals: Target

Top: Gap

Pants: Gap

Necklace: Very Jane

Flats: Payless

Have you tried Payless' DexFlex Comfort flats?  They are seriously so comfortable!  I have three pairs of them.  They're really inexpensive, and they're comfy.  I've the above pair for three years, and they look great. 

Thanks again to the pretty ladies above for hosting! Pop over to their blogs to see some really fantastic teacher style!

Enjoy the rest of your week, Friends!

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What the Teacher Wore Wednesday

Hey Friends!
I'm back with my weekly What the Teacher Wore Wednesday.  This week I'm linking up with Caitlin at Teach Inspire Change for Trendy Teachers. 

Here we go...

 blazer/Target

oxford/ J.Crew

polka dot pants/ Old Navy

sandals/Old Navy

bow bracelet/ Katie Bowhead by Kaitlin Kendall Design

watch/Fossil- similar

 

 denim vest/ Target

maxi/ target- similar

necklace/ Purple Peridot

sandals/ Target- similar

 dress/ TJ Maxx

necklace/ Jane.com

pumps/ Target

cardigan/ Target- similar

pants/ Gap

wedges/ Jessica Simpson

So there you have it, another week of teacher looks in the books.  Honestly, it wasn't my best week. Haha!  The weather here has been so humid, which makes me feel blah.  ...and please excuse my messy bedroom.  I have yet to find another spot to take outfit pictures with better lighting.  I'm trying to work on my selfie-game.  :)

Have a stylish week, Teacher Friends!

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Fall Into Savings Sale!

It's fall y'all!  Fin-a-lly!  Bring on the boots, crisp weather, puffer vests, and pumpkin spice lattes (ehh, Diet Cokes)!

Along with a few of my friends, I'm throwing a 20% off sale Sept. 18-20 on all of my products.  You can check out all of our sales linked up with Mrs. Dailey's Classroom and Mrs. Plemons' Kindergarten. 

My second graders have been working their little tails off on addition and subtraction facts this month, and they are going to be so excited to play Boo Bump next week.  This is an excellent, low prep, fun game to practice both addition and subtraction facts up to 18.  I love having a set of Bump game boards on hand for early finishers and to add to math centers.

In social studies, we've been studying citizenship and will later study voting.  This set of comprehension passages teaches about the 3 branches of government- Legislative, Executive, and Judicial.  The passages cover the basic facts and roles of each branch in addition to the role of the President, Congress, Supreme Court and Supreme Court House, Cabinet, and Voting.  This is an excellent way to integrate literacy and social studies. Pick up a copy in my TPT store!

I hope you pick up a few good things during our sale.  Thanks to Mrs. Plemons and Mrs. Dailey for hosting the sale! 

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Teacher Week: Make Ahead Meals

Hi!
Welcome to Teacher Week Tuesday's topic, Make Ahead Meals!

So, I really do love to cook...when I have unlimited time.  Fall tends to be the most stressful time for me, because 1- Back to School and 2- My husband has football practice til 6:30 every night.  Meal time falls completely on me.  Needless to say, it can be a little challenging to get dinner prepared with a 1 and 3 year old clinging to my legs running around.

I plan out a list of meals most weeks, but it's nothing fancy.  Just a list with four or five dinner ideas on a notepad.  One of these days, I'm going to make a month long plan with shopping lists...Goals!

Today I'm going to share two of my favorite Crock Pot recipes, which is ironic, because I actually hate using the Crock Pot.  The clean up is gross (thank God for those liner bags), and I think that the meal tastes muddy when it has many ingredients.  It just gets a weird Crock Pot-ish flavor...I don't know, maybe I'm the weird one.

 

(Photo c/o Emily Bites)
Shredded Buffalo Chicken- Crock Pot Meal  

• 2 lbs boneless chicken breasts (about 6-8 breasts)
• 1 c. buffalo hot sauce
• 2 c. chicken broth
• 1 packet of dry Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
• 2 Tbsp. butter

 Put the chicken on the bottom of the Crock Pot.
Sprinkle it with the ranch mix.  Pour buffalo sauce on top.
Add butter and chicken broth.
Cook on low for 6 hours, 7.5 if chicken is frozen.
Remove the chicken from the Crock Pot, and discard the juices.
Shred the chicken and mix in about 1/2-1c. more of buffalo sauce.
Serve on buns.  I like to add blue cheese dressing to my sandwich. Yummmy!

I love to use the leftovers mixed with pasta, on salads, nachos, or to make a dip.  There are so many things you can do with this recipe.  My family loves it!

(Photo c/o Table for Two)

BBQ Pulled Pork

• 2-3 lb. pork tenderloin
• 1 c. cola (not diet) Dr. Pepper works well, too.
•  4 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar, divided
• 1 large onion
• salt, pepper, garlic powder, brown sugar
• 1 c. BBQ sauce

Mix the spices together, and rub them into the tenderloin.
Chop the onion and lay on the bottom of the Crock Pot.
Lay the roast on top of the onions.
Pour the cola over top of the roast.
Add 2 Tbsp. of vinegar.
Cover, and cook on low for 5 hours.
Remove roast from the Crock Pot, and pour the juices into a large, liquid measuring cup.  Remove the onion- Discard or save to top sandwiches.
Shred the pork, and return to the Crock Pot.
Stir in the BBQ sauce and the remaining 2 Tbsp. of vinegar.
Add 1/2 c. of the roast juices.
Keep warm until serving.  

Sweet Baby Rays is our favorite BBQ sauce.  I tend to like sauces that are spicier, and my husband likes sweet.  I love this pulled pork on crusty rolls. 

My family loves both of these recipes, and they are such time savers.  They're both really versatile and can be prepped quickly at night or before you leave for work in the morning.

I'm so glad that you stopped by!  Thanks to girls over at Blog Hoppin' for hosting Teacher Week!

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Teacher Week: 5 Fun Facts

Hey Everybody!
I'm so glad that you're here!  I know it's been a little quiet lately...August has been kicking my butt. 

 

It's Teacher Week over at Blog Hoppin', and today I'm sharing 5 Fun Facts about myself.

1.  I LOVE dogs.  Seriously, love dogs.  Big dogs are my favorite, especially big fluffy ones, like golden doodles!  My family has a 5 year old golden doodle named Reggie, and she is the best.dog.ever.  (Minus the occasional underwear eating.)  I'm also a big fan of Golden Retrievers, St. Bernards, Great Pyrenees, and Great Danes.  My husband laughs at me and is occasionally embarrassed, because I must pet adorable dogs whenever we see them out.  Dogs know a dog lover, and they are always excited to see me. He thinks I'm ridiculous.  LOL! My dream is to work with service dogs once I retire, about 25 years from now.

 

 

2. My family is my everything.  I'm a mama to two little ones.  Julia just turned 3 last Friday, and Bennett is 18 months.  They keep me on my toes and super busy, but they are the greatest.  My daughter looks a lot like me, and my son looks just like my husband.  Everyone seems to get a kick out of it- a little mini-me for each of us.  My husband, Chris, and I have been married for 4 years.  We were friends in college and eventually started dating after we graduated.  I was secretly in love with him for many years.  :)

3.  I'm a football coach's widow wife.  My husband has coached high school football for the past 12 years, and he is an excellent coach.  It is very time consuming and can be challenging during the season, especially now that we have Bennett and Julia.  I support him completely as a coach, and although I complain about it, I do love it.  I love seeing him in that role, because he is just so darn good.  The kids love going to see Daddy at football.  There's just something about Friday night football, right?  Football is a huge part of our lives.  Chris and I actually met through football in college- He played, and I worked in the athletic department.  We are big Philadelphia Eagles fans.

4. I am a clothes horse.  I just cannot help myself when it comes to shopping.  It is my very favorite hobby- It is a hobby, right?  I love participating in style challenges on Instagram.  It has challenged me to step outside of my box and really learn to remix my closet.  My budget is small, so remixing is really important.  I love planning my outfits out each week.  I do it every Sunday evening.  I'm thinking of stepping outside of my comfort zone to start a linky for teacher style/outfits.  Would any of you be interested in that? 

5. I am a huge advocate of breastfeeding (I'll spare you the photo on that one).  I have been fortunate to be able to nurse both of my babies for a combined total of 27 months.  It was not always easy or the most convenient---pumping 3x a day in my classroom with the shades pulled= not fun.  I loved nursing both of my kids, and I look forward to being able to do it again with any future babes that we may be blessed with.  I realize that breastfeeding isn't for everyone, nor does it work for everyone, but I love it and encourage all new moms to just give it a try.  I had no idea that I would become so passionate about it.

So, that's a little bit about me.  I hope you learned something new and were able to make a connection.
Thanks to Blog Hoppin' for the fun, fun linky this week.  Click here to see all of the blogs participating in Teacher Week.  I can't wait to find some new favorites and connect with all of you!!!

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Currently- July!

I'm excited to be doing my first Currently link-up with Farley!

Listening: The boom of fireworks is popping off everywhere around us tonight.  Thankfully my little ones are sleeping through it, and the pup isn't scared!  I'm hoping we'll be able to see some from our neighborhood tomorrow night.  It's our first summer in our home, so we'll have to wait and see! 

Loving: I don't know about you, but I feel like my weekends are consumed with errands and to-do's during the school year.  I love being able to do things at a calmer pace during the summer.  Costco is so much better on a Wednesday morning!  

Thinking: My hair is pretty long, and I think I may cut it.  My husband loves it long, but I just think that it's looking a little drab.  It's just so straight, and I hate the amount of time that it takes to blow dry it.  I'm not really good at doing hair, nor do I enjoy it.  The other thing is that I have another(!!!) crop of crazy post-partum hair growth coming in. What the heck!  My baby is almost 1.5, and I'm getting another weird mane in the back.  Ugh!  I'm back to pinning up pieces in the bag with barrettes anything I put my hair up, which let's be frank, is every single day during the summer.  

Wanting: We have a huge, blank wall in our living room that I want to turn into a gallery wall.  I finally gathered all of the frames from Ikea last weekend, so I'm hoping to get everything framed and hung by next weekend.  We went with the Ribba frames in gray, which I love because they're clean, light-weight and inexpensive.  We needed a lot of them to fill our space.  I'm thinking that I'll go with black and white photos and colorful graphic prints.  

Needing: My MacBook! I use my district issued MacBook for everything.  I love that thing!  We have a PC at home, but I hate it.  It's big, heavy, and just a dinosaur to use.  It always has to be plugged in, big pain in the rump.  I had to turn my Mac in for summer updates, and they're being super pokey about it.  Unfortunately, I'm unable to work on much of my TPT stuff on our other computer.  The files just don't convert well.  It's driving me nuts, because of all of the challenges going on.  I feel like I'm missing the boat, big time.  

All-Star: I love to mix patterns- in my clothes, my kids' clothes, my home, and on my TPT products.  I just love playing around with color and pattern to coordinate something interesting.  I know that not everyone appreciates pattern mixing, but I absolutely love it.  I'm not a super matchy-matchy person, so I'm loving that mixed patterns is on-trend for the time being.  I hope it never goes out of style.  

Thanks for reading!  Link up your own currently over at Farley's blog.  

Happy Independence Day!  

~Lauren

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