Five for Friday! {7.10.15}

It's Friday y'all! That means another week of summer is long gone, but never forgotten! I have been working feverishly on my grad school homework so I won't have any this weekend- woohoo! Although I'll probably get a head start on next week's starting Sunday- is anyone else in grad school and feel my pain?! YUCK!

Anywho- Friday also means a link-up with Doodle Bugs Teaching! YES! It time for some Five for Friday- here we go!

1- This week my booty has been DRAGGING! I think I am super dehydrated because my water consumption hasn't been on point... So my goal for this weekend is to get all my water in each day! Anyone have suggestions on how to do that?!

2- So, my church always has a month of Sabbath during July where we focus on building relationships and fellowship. It is so much fun and Alex and I are really enjoying it this year. Tomorrow the Women's group is going to the outlets in Orlando and I am SOOO excited! School clothes shopping- YES! I mean- new purse and sunglasses count as school clothes right?! I thought so...

3- Have you tried Periscope?! It. is. ah.maz.ing
The connections I've already made are incredible and I always feel a surge of energy watching all of my TpT and Bloggy idols at the conference in Vegas this week! <3 If you have an account- leave your username in the comments and I will follow you! Mine is in the picture ;)

4- I really want to be crafty and make this... but I have no energy (see #1) and I hope to get my crafty mojo back this week! Isn't this wreath adorable from Confessions of a Plate Addict ... LOVE!

5- I love taking selfies with my dog... It's kind of an addiction, and she HATES it! haha! She constantly tries to avoid the camera when I have irritated her... But I just keep on clicking away :) I mean she is just so cute and cuddly! I think everyone should have photo sessions with their pups every once in a while... or everyday ;)

TpT Seller Challenge Week #3- Make Your Masterpiece!

I'm a little late to the party, but what's new! :) This is my #tptsellerchallenge post for Week #3 which focused on us creating a new or finishing an unfinished project! It was fun, challenging, and made me step out of my comfort zone!

I have to say, I had absolutely NO idea how much work went into creating a classroom decor kit! I mean.. I think deep down I knew it would be hard work (which is why I never jumped in!), but seriously- that was intense!

With that being said, I am SO incredibly proud of myself for taking the leap of faith and trying it out. I actually truly enjoyed it because I love making cute stuff!
Would I do it again? Absolutely!
Will I do it again tomorrow? Umm.. negative :)

I hope to make a new theme for my classroom, but I am unsure if I will change it this year or next. I hope you all love this all inclusive set. It is truly a work from the heart and soul. I really thought about what should be there and tried to put many different options in to appeal to whoever purchased and downloaded, including an editable version! Check it out and let me know what you think!

So tell me- what is your current classroom theme and do you plan on changing it?

July Currently {7.1.2015}

Gosh! It is so DARN hot outside! You can't hardly breathe when you walk outside here in sunny Florida- however I know I am so blessed to live here in the glorious Sunshine State, frizzy hair and all!

I absolutely LOVE linking up with Farley over at Oh' Boy 4th Grade! Her Currently linky party is so much fun and I love reading what everyone is up to... Totally not stalking when everyone else is doing it! ;)

So here it goes!

Listening- My hubby and I are sitting in my craft room working on various things while the cleaning people work and he plays the most random music... along with singing along! Ha! He is a keeper ;)

Loving- My summer has been great so far! I have really been trying to relax and just get some down time. I am in grad school though, so the breaks are few and far between- but it has been nice to not have to worry about grading and lesson plans! I have also been a busy bee in my TpT store which has been refreshing with this TpT Seller Challenge going on. Also- my sister has her gender reveal this weekend and I am SO excited because I love shopping for baby stuff! I really am #teampink but of course am going to be ecstatic no matter what! This is the first baby of my sisters and I, so we are just a tad excited!

Thinking- I have really been thinking a ton about next school year because I want it to be seamless and I want to be ahead of the game. I want units planned and ideas in my planner before the school year starts. I also think organizing is a huge part of ensuring the school year starts off and continues to go well. I have all of these fabulous ideas in my head of things I want to do, but I need to hit the lottery first! Haha! I hope to implement some new practices this year such as consistent Morning Meetings and a new homework idea that will be completely different from anything I have ever done! I am really excited about the next school year, but I am also going to ensure that I enjoy my summer. It goes by way too fast! 

Wanting- this heat is insane and the Tropical Sno bus has been over here at the baseball park all week and we have missed them EVERY.DAY. By the time I remember, they are gone! I am determined to get one today! We have a church function around 6pm, so I am going to ensure that we leave early enough to go and grab one before. See, organization people! ;)

Needing- I really want my hair to grow faster! I love the short hair, but I absolutely love braiding my hair and doing fun hairdos too! I am really good at french braids, fishtails, and other fun styles and I miss doing that. I love the Starbucks Chai Latte iced and with a shot of espresso it is even better... I could totally go for one right now...

Allstar- My mom has always said I have the patience of a saint- so I think that is what I excel at! I was always the kid who got the very tedious tasks and completed them without a complaint. I have always loved delicate details and love to make intricate things when I craft. It is kind of funny because neither of parents are very patient, ha! I'm not even sure where I learned to be so patient, I think I was just born this way. 

Are you guys linking up!? I love to read all the fun posts... So make sure you head over and do it!

Five for Friday {6.26.15} and Sweet Summertime!

Today is Friday! That means it is time for Five for Friday with Doodle Bugs Teaching- one of my favorite linky parties! :) I know its late on Friday- but better late than never, right?!

1-

Did you know my hubby and I started a YouTube channel?! Yeah, it was a leap of faith but totally fun and there is food involved and my husband is quite entertaining... So you should definitely check it out! We have a few videos, but this is my first one I did and you can make it for the upcoming July 4th holiday! 

2-
We made these amazing pork chops tonight using the Bayou Bourbon glaze from my Tastefully Simple freezer party I had recently and OMG y'all- it was FANTASTIC! Delicious Honeycrisp apples were cooked down and put on top and it was divine.. I'm still drooling thinking about the fantastic leftovers I am having tomorrow- YUM! If you want to order something, my party is open until the end of the month! https://www.tastefullysimple.com/party/5953049/a608a348-da35-48dc-8884-0f6db3c8d80d

3-

I am obsessed with OITNB, it is a guilty pleasure and the character development has been amazing in this series... I may or may not have watched the entire series in one day- Oh sweet summertime!  Also- completely obsessed with Game of Thrones! Totally not my style, but I am completely and utterly hooked! We haven't finished the current season- so no spoilers! ;)

4-
I've recently read some amazing books by one of my very good friends. She is a new author and her passion comes through and the books are phenomenal! I look a good girly read, and these are perfect for lounging by the pool or staying up until 4am reading the entire book or laying on the beach with a good book! Picking up the Pieces is first followed by Falling to Pieces- click each book to take you over to Amazon.

5-
I need to make these... like tomorrow... Sweet Geeks video maybe?! Click the picture to get to the recipe. They are so stinkin' easy, especially for kiddos!

Have a fantastic weekend everyone! <3

Wednesday Happenings- TpT Seller Challenge week 1 & 2, products, and life lessons!

Wow! I feel like I blinked and two weeks of summer vacation have passed! How did that happen?? Can we just hit the pause button please?!

Well- onto the life happenings! Many of you know that I was anxiously preparing and getting super stoked about my trip next week to the ISTE conference in Philly! Unfortunately, the person I was attending with had a medical emergency and couldn't go- so that meant it was a no go for me as well. To say I was sad and disappointed would be an understatement! I completely understand and she is such an amazing woman, I pray she gets better soon because she is in a lot of pain. But the excitement of a new city, fun food, learning opportunities, and the ability to network with 20,000 people was a lot to swallow when you are told you're not going anymore. I was so upset, but thankfully my husband was with me and reminded me of the faithful journey that we are on together. Over the weekend we talked about the need to help each other grow our faith, especially in difficult situations- as we have faced so many this year already. So- I cried, read some bible passages, and moved on. I'm looking at this as an opportunity to get  ahead of the game and get some massive creating done for my TpT store!  Well, you know what they say- make  lemonade, amiright?! And pray....

Since you read through my sob story and are awesome followers- here is a fun and exclusive FREEBIE that I hope you can use in your classroom! I have a couple variations of this in my store and absolutely LOVE my teacher toolbox! I hope you will make one too! (Click the picture to download a copy)

In addition to that product, I also made this amazing Earth Day unit and finally finished it and put it in my store! It was such a labor of love and I am very proud of how it turned out! I hope you will find that it is useful for any unit that focuses on Earth science! This is a great deal and only on sale until midnight tonight!

Also- don't forget to check out my sale that is going on until Friday of all my new products! ;)

Finally- since I was frantically trying to get ready for the trip I am not going on all last week, I didn't get a chance to blog about the AMAZING challenge that a few of my favorite bloggers/instagramers are hosting! The TpT Seller Challenge is a  challenge that helps TpT seller learn tips and tricks to improve their shop and has been such a blessing so far! We are currently in week two, which is Dare to Dream week and I will share that below. But first, I want to talk about week one! Week one was the makeover challenge and we had to choose at least one product in our store to makeover. Let me just tell you how fun and exciting this was! Here is my before and after- pretty big difference right?!

That's because when I first created this item, I was just starting out and had no idea! I have come a long way in my TpT journey and I still have so much to learn!  You can check out this awesome product here and the free PowerPoint that supplements it is located here. 

Ok- this week is week two and our Dare to Dream week. I love this week as there were no limitations, just big dreams! I made some personal and career minded goals that I absolutely needed to write down. Sometimes, accountability and motivation comes from within yourself. You just have to write it down and see it for yourself. I truly plan to check each of these off my list. 

Finish My Masters- I am half-way done and I pray I can make it! The workload is insane and on top of it, I am also working on my Gifted Endorsement too- yikes!

Grow in my faith and walk with God- This is something very important to me and my husband. We discussed it in depth this weekend and how we want to grow. It is so hard sometimes to completely let go and rely on your faith to carry your through. We are working together and helping each other and that is a huge deal for me. 

Inspire other teachers- The amount of inspiration that I get from other teachers is so incredible and I hope that I can/am doing the same for others. I want my resources, blog, and social media sites to create a world of discovery and excitement for new and seasoned teachers alike. It is so much fun to know that someone else used your idea or had a better day because of something you posted. That is big y'all!

Become a full-time blogger- The work that goes into blogging is incredible. However, I truly feel better when I blog! I feel like I can truly express myself when I write- so this is an obvious outlet for me! In addition, I would love to make it part of my career. I know it is possible, I just have to push and pursue!

What are some of your Dare to Dream goals? I'd love to hear about some of yours! 

Monday Made It- *~6.15.15*~

Well- it has certainly been a while since I've last updated! This year was a whirlwind of craziness and change and I felt like it was even harder than my first year of teaching. I survived though! It's pretty amazing when you have a fantastic class of students, they really make these tough years feel great. This was hands down the best class I have ever had- I know that you probably say that every year, but I truly believe this will be my most memorable and amazing class ever! :)

In addition to having the toughest school year yet, I also started Grad school last fall at Saint Leo University and it has been a doozy! Ugh! I knew it would be tough- but there are some days I just don't want to do it anymore, thank God for my husband who is my best and favorite cheerleader!

My husband and I have also followed a dream of ours and created a YouTube channel dedicated to our love of all things nerdy and food related! It's called Sweet Geeks if you want to check it out- I think it is pretty entertaining! ;)

On to other notes- I actually created a Monday Made It for 4th Grade Frolics adorable link up! I had a blast with this last summer, so I am hoping to do the same this summer! Today's is not super exciting, but it was adorable nonetheless!

Ok- you will need a blank canvas (I used an 8x10), a vinyl saying of your choice (I cut a cute one out from my Silhouette Cameo, which rocks!), transfer paper if you cut your own, pretty paper of your choice, and Mod Podge

I didn't take a ton of pictures because it was dark last night and I was tired and forgot... haha! First, take your pretty paper and cut it to fit your canvas. I wanted a little white edge on mine, so I cut my paper smaller. Next, apply a thin layer of mod podge to the canvas and the back of your paper. Apply the paper to the canvas and then apply another layer of mod podge over the top. At this point, it might look as if your paper is lumpy and not sticking, but I promise it will! I thought it wasn't going to work, but I left it to dry overnight and it was completely smooth this morning- SCORE! The mod podge layer is necessary because it gives your vinyl something to stick to. Even if you paint your canvas first, it is best to apply a layer of mod podge over that as well. Let dry overnight and then grab your vinyl saying. Since I cut my own design, I needed to apply transfer tape to the top to transfer the design. Do this carefully and slowly to avoid bubbles and trouble. Finally, peel the design up with the transfer tape and line it up on your canvas. lay it down and use a squeegee to ensure the design gets applied to the canvas. Peel the transfer tape off carefully pulling it straight back, not up. Now enjoy your adorable design! :) Don't be afraid of vinyl! It is fun and so easy to use and always looks so professional!

Taaadaa!!! I'm going to use it for my bathroom once I finish painting it. I thought it would bring a little happiness to our space! 

Thanks for dropping by all! <3

Adventures in Healthy Lifestyles and Accountability

**Just a warning- this post is one that has been on my mind for a week now. Should I post, should I not post? I decided that since many of you may be struggling with the same thing I am- it would be too beneficial to skip. If you don't want to read about fitness/health and how it affects my life- then you might want to skip this one!

As a teacher, how many times have you said, "I just don't have time for that?" Yeah... Me too! One of my most guilty moments of saying this is when it comes to being healthy or working out. I am the WORST at being a self motivator and getting it done. However, as I jumped onto the scale about 3 weeks ago and realized I was officially the heaviest I've ever been, I knew it needed to change stat. I could not let this terrible excuse weigh (no pun intended!) me down anymore!

There is only one person that can be held accountable for your health, and that is yourself. With the family history of disease and weight problems in both my husbands and my families, I knew it was now or never. We chose NOW!

Well, in walks an amazing church friend (I swear we were sisters in another life) and she asks me if I am interested in joining an accountability and motivational group that she is hosting on Facebook. She said they were also integrating the book, Made to Crave by Lysa TerKeurst. This was the third time she had asked me about being in one of these groups and I always had an excuse. I figured that God obviously was directing me towards her and that this group was not only going to help me physically but also spiritually. So after discussing it with my husband (he is also at his heaviest and used to be a workout fanatic!), we decided to join not only the accountability group but also join as a Beachbody Coach (co-team, if you will). We knew that being held accountable for our health is important and we want to pass this on to others.

Working out at mom's house this weekend!

Just in the past week, we changed our eating habits and went to the gym 3-4 times throughout the week while we waited on the AWESOME 21 Day Fix and Shakeology challenge pack to arrive. I immediately noticed a difference in my mental awareness and physically how I felt. I also lost 5 pounds! Instant gratification can be nice sometimes! Now, this was just with one week of not eating crap. It's absolutely ridiculous to think about what we put in our bodies. We are given these perfect shells and we stuff them with processed food, sugar, and soda. No wonder I slept all summer and didn't get anything accomplished! As a matter of fact, I have gotten more accomplished in the past week than I have all summer. HA!


Long story short, today was our first day of our challenge group and 21 Day Fix plan. I feel amazing and have not been hungry at all today (you eat a TON of good-for-you food throughout this eating plan). I am super excited about the benefits that I am giving my body and the fact that I am learning how to eat correctly for the absolute first time in my life! This is true, I honestly had no idea what an actual portion was until last night when I was meal prepping. Holy cow.. I'm not sure how many calories I was eating before, but I know it was an absolute ridiculous amount more than I was suppose to (of bad food!). Now, am I saying I won't ever eat chocolate cake again?! Absolutely not, but the fact is that I don't CRAVE it like I did before! I have learned from this amazing book and my new eating plan the importance of food for our bodies AND minds. It is ok to enjoy these things once in awhile, just not everyday (times two) like I was doing to myself!

One of my meals today- best tuna salad I've ever had, and NO mayo! Say what?!

Post-workout Selfie- No shame in sweating! ;)

I hope that this posts gives those of you in the same position I was in the confidence to take the next step. Whether it is walking around the block each night, eating less processed food, or even joining our challenge group that starts soon! I want you all to know it can be done!

Grocery shopping- we definitely spent less than we normally do and got 2-3 times the amount of food! 

This stuff rocks my socks... It is delicious and there are a TON of ways to enjoy it!

If you want more information on this program or any of the other ones we offer, please feel free to contact me! From coaching to accountability, we can help you reach your goals too!

P.S.- Don't forget about the amazing TpT sale going on NOW! It's today and tomorrow only and my store is 28% off when you use the code BTS2014! Yippee! Find my store here~~> Just Keep Teaching :)