Blogland Takes Over Vegas!

I am still recovering from Vegas. This trip wore me slap out, but was seriously one of my best vacations to date! Here are a few (or twenty) pictures to show what happens when bloggers take Vegas by storm! :)

On Sunday, I flew out of Atlanta with my sweet friend, Anna Brantley! We literally talked and laughed…really loud…during the entire 3 1/2 hour flight! Yes, we were “those” people, but we didn’t mind!

 

When we arrived in Vegas, we couldn’t get to baggage claim fast enough to welcome Rachelle from What the Teacher Wants! Anna made the most adorable welcome sign! Yes, those are flashing lights! Did you expect anything less?

 

How cute are these girls?!?

Once we arrived and met up with our other blogging buddies, the fun never stopped…ever!!! Which is why I am still recovering with a 4 hour nap each day! How could you not have fun with this group of ladies?!?

Kim and Megan (KinderGals), Melissa (Lesson Plan SoS), Michelle (Fabulous in First), Rachelle (What the Teacher Wants), Anna (Crazy for First Grade), Me, Cheryl (Primary Graffiti), Deedee (Mrs. Wills Kindergarten), Shari (Shari Sloane from KidsCount1234.com), Deanna (Mrs. Jump's Class), and Kathleen (Growing Kinders). 

We relaxed poolside at our cabana!

Ate WAY too much food!

And were BIG winners in the casino!

 

 

And to top it all off, we were able to meet up with 100+ of our bloggy friends! Many would say that they couldn’t handle Vegas, but I say Vegas couldn’t handle us!

Melissa and I enjoyed greeting all of the sweet teacher bloggers! We didn’t scare any of them away…I promise!

 

The Hosts of the Event

We met so many inspiring teachers!

Our new friends, Stephanie, Kelley, and Susan! They were insanely cute, and I so wish we had more time to spend chatting it up! I know we could have gone on for hours!

 

Booooyah! (That’s for you, Kim!) Love these ladies!

This was definitely a trip that I will never forget! Can’t wait until we meet again! Until next time…

XOXO!

I’m Back! {exhausted…but back!}

Shew! This girl is tired! I took a four hour nap and am still feeling the lack of sleep over the past few days! But it was oh so worth every single second! Vegas was so amazing, and I had the BEST time with some wonderful ladies! I haven’t laughed that hard or that much in quite some time! Here is a little sneak peek that I stole from sweet Cheryl!

Love, love, LOVE them! What an unforgettable group of friends!

Now that I am back, I must get into my classroom! I leave for a cruise on the 4th and school starts the 14th! I am definitely starting to feel the crunch! I have a list a mile long, including activities that are in the works for my new third graders!

This is what is currently pulled up on my computer!

Can we say teacher ADD?!? Focus, Hope…Focus! Does anyone else struggle with similar issues?

I am hoping to have all of this fun ready for you this week, plus a few more giveaways, and classroom décor ideas!  I need to get this show on the road! ;)

I hope that you are all soaking up this amazing summer!

Giveaway Winner & Vegas Bound!

I am so excited to announce the winner of my HearAll Assessment Recorder Giveaway! Thanks to everyone who entered to win! Drumroll, please…

Congratulations, Barbara!

Watch Out Vegas…here I come! I am so excited to go on a little vacation with some of my favorite blogging buddies! I will be heading to Vegas on Sunday with my sweet friend, Anna Brantley!  Since I will not be attending the I Teach K Conference, I am super excited about chatting it up with some other gals about all things…well…you know…school, shopping, and the list goes on! You all know what happens when you get a few crazy ladies together! It is sure to be a good time! {I will try to check in from time to time to let you know how things are going…maybe! ;)}

Then, I can’t wait to meet everyone on Tuesday at our ginormous Vegas Teacher/Blogger Meet-Up! If you are going to be in the Vegas area on July 10th, come on out and join in the fun! We have some amazing prizes from some wonderful sponsors! You can find out more information about the meet-up right HERE! We would love to see you there!

I hope that everyone has a great weekend! I am off to pack!

Currently & To Die For…

Linking up with my girl, Farley today for July’s currently. Here’s what’s up…

Yesterday marked my two year wedding anniversary! 2 years! I can not even believe how fast it has gone by and am super excited to spend another 100 years {at least} :) with my sweet hubs.

Two years ago, we were married in Venice, Italy! Hands down {no competition}…best day of my life! 

    

The scenery alone could have me moving there tomorrow!

      

We are so in love with Venice and can not wait to go back!  We will definitely be planning a trip very soon!

So…what does the hubs get a girl that is trying to get in summer acceptable {A.K.A. must be able to wear a bathing suit} shape?

Georgetown Cupcakes…

You know…the show on TLC! It has actually become a tradition {a little something he started last year since he knew our cake would taste horrible} and every year, I question whether I should hug him or kill him! Ha! Oh. My. Word! These are seriously to die for! I may not be able to fit in my jeans tomorrow, much less a bathing suit! Anyone want to come over for dessert?

Have a happy, HAPPY 4th, friends!

New Morning Song!

What was tops on my list of school priorities for the summer? Our daily song of course…what else? The moment that my littles found out that I was moving with them once again to third grade, the very first thing that they wanted to know was which tune we would be jamming to every morning! I told them it was a huge secret {because I had NO clue!}. Since the end of the year, I have literally had students call me….CALL ME {umm…hello…it’s summer!!!}…inquiring about our song while offering their very own suggestions! Footloose…not so much! {Love the movie…don’t want to listen to the song every morning!} Well, after a little conversation with my student teacher {who is also teaching 3rd grade this year} and one nice long run {that’s when I do my best thinking}, we have our new morning song!

Just to catch you up, every morning, we sing a motivational song to one of the hottest tunes to get our day going! The kids are totally into it and are completely devastated if we have to miss one day of rock and roll! When I intro the song at the beginning of the year, we always discuss the lyrics and how they apply to our life in the classroom! It really does get them super pumped for each new day and is the perfect way to get them out of sleep mode and ready for action!

Last year, it was all about the Biebs {Tune: Baby!}:

This year, we are rockin’ out to One Direction:

One Direction: What Makes You Beautiful

Click on the picture below to grab the lyrics! You can thank me later for the constant replay of “That’s what makes you beautiful” in your head. If you’re like me, it tends to blurt out from time to time…followed by an awkward stare from the hubs! :) What can I say…it’s a catchy tune! I make no apologies! :)

And here is the instrumental:

Instrumental

I highly recommend becoming familiar with the original version before you stick the new lyrics in with the beat! You can change the lyrics to match your grade level! I am sure that students of any age would love to break it down every once in a while!

What are some things that you do to motivate your students each day?