11.25.2012

Printable Advent Calendar...and yep, I'm having a sale too. ;)

Wow! I can't believe my Thanksgiving break
is coming to a fast close.
I've done my fair share of eating, relaxing, and crafting
{my ultimate creative outlet}
and I wanted to share with you a free advent calendar
printable that I shared on my home/family blog.

Click the picture below and it'll take ya right there.
Enjoy some advent goodness. :)







Alright folks, here's the deal.
I'm one of MANY teachers having a FABULOUS
sale in my TpT shop Monday and Tuesday....


Here are some of my products that will be for sale...
 



 








 

 
 My shop will be 20% off and then use the code "cmt12"
to get an additional % off thanks to TpT!
Click here to get to my shop.
I've been stocking up my wishlist so I'm ready for the sale!
Happy shopping!!!!

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11.21.2012

Teaching With Style {november}



Hey gals!

I'm going to just go with it and do another Teaching with Style
link-up!
I do hope more of you post your favorite fall outfit and
link up because its so much fun to get ideas from other
teachers.
Because if its a favorite outfit of a fellow teacher, you know it
will be cute AND comfortable {a must for those long, cold days!}.

Here's a look I love...the picture was taken by my sister during a
fall photo session.
She's a nurse, but photography has become a hobby and she's
getting so good! I'm so excited to have my own personal
photographer now {ha!}.




















I've scored some pretty cute boots at Payless this fall and
at reasonable prices, too. If you need boots, check them out!

Now its your turn to link up below!
Happy Thanksgiving!  :)





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11.18.2012

Handwriting Help!

To help some of my kiddos who are struggling with
correct letter formation and handwriting,
I created these activities to give some hands-on
and FUN practice!
{and my 3 1/2 year old is loving them too!!!}

Here's a preview of the pack and then some pictures
of them in action!













 You can check out my Handwriting Strategies pack in my
TpT shop here!

One lucky reader will win a free copy of this pack by leaving
a comment telling me any tips you have on having a student
teacher. I'm SO excited to have my first student teacher
next semester...so I'd love to hear any advice y'all got for me. :)
I'll randomly pick one commenter and the winner will be revealed
in my next post!
{which I plan on being my next teaching with style linky}
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11.14.2012

a prayer for bloggers.

A few weeks ago I came across this blog post here.
 When I read it, I felt completely convicted.

I had been feeling like an inadequate blogger.
 I couldn't stop thinking
about how I don't have time to post as much as I would like to,
or as much as other bloggers,
leave enough comments on the blogs I read,
get to build relationships with other bloggers,
or make new friends all over the country,
etc,
etc,
etc......
Then one day, my blog reading list was flooded
with posts about this girls trip that several VERY well known
bloggers went on. You know the one I'm talking about!
The trip you wish you could have been on...lol!
But, seriously.
You did wish that.
And so did I.
I was totally jealous!!!!
I immediately thought.....
"That looks like SO much fun!"
"I love Chicago!"
"These ladies seem like so much fun and I'd
love the opportunity to meet them!"
"I wish I had relationships with other teacher bloggers
like they have with each other."
"I wish I had time to comment and email bloggers
to form friendships like that."
"I wish I was in the "in" crowd."

"Do I have to sell a certain amount on TpT to
be in this group......or to get noticed by them?"
{they are all very successful in their blogs
and TpT stores.}

Then I read that post which included
a prayer written by Ann Voscamp.
As I was reading the prayer,
I had what a good friend of mine
would call a "spiritual spanking".
{btw, I find this term hilarious.}
Like a good smack in the head!

I was completely envious of the relationships these bloggers shared
and felt that I had to be as successful as them to ever
be a part of their group.
It wasn't even about the amount of followers......
I've never been one to dwell on that very much,
but I was looking at myself and all the "inadequacies"
I thought I had when it came to blogging and then I really
 just kinda felt like a fool.

Even though I may not feel like I'm the perfect
blogger or teacher,
I realized I need keep my focus on the reason why I started this
blog over a year ago.
And that was to hopefully inspire and share with other teachers.
It't not about how many followers I have.
Or how many "hits" my blog gets.
Or how many comments are at the end of my posts.
Or how much I sell on TpT.
Or even how many new friends I make.
Or to get "noticed".
It's about sharing something I'm passionate about
and through that,
sharing a bigger passion of mine which is my
relationship with Jesus.

I just wanted to share this prayer tonight
because I think its a great reminder not to get carried
away with blogging.
Or give ourselves unrealistic expectations when it comes to our blogs.
We're all at different stages in life,
and right now as a wife and mom,
this is the best I can do and that has to be enough for ME.
Blogging is a really cool thing, but it can also become something
 that its not supposed to be if you let it.

{sidebar: I just want to make it very clear that I LOVE the group of bloggers
I was referring to earlier and follow all of their blogs. I think they are
amazing people, even though I don't really "know" them, but they
seem very honest and genuine. They are amazing teachers and I've learned
a lot from them. In no way am I trying to say that their blessings
are not well deserved or that they shouldn't be sharing the exciting
and fun things going on in their lives. This post is about my own
personal struggle, not to condemn them in any way. :) }

..............................................................................................................

A Prayer for Bloggers

I am no longer my own blogger, but Yours.
Refine me with each post how You will, rank me how You will.
Put me to service, put me to suffering.
Let me be a follower — instead of seeking followers
Let me post for You —  or be put aside for You,
Lifted high, only for You, or brought low, all for You.
Do with me and each post whatever You will, because You alone know best.
Let me not strive but submit
Let me not compete but care
Let me not desire hits but holiness
Let my blog be full of You, and let it be empty of me.
Let me crave all things of You, let me care nothing of this world.
Let my words be focus only on the greatest of audiences: You.
And You are enough.
May I write not for subscribers… but only for Your smile.
May my daily affirmation be in the surety of my atonement not the size of my audience.
May my identity be in the innumerable graces of Christ, never, God forbid, the numbers of my comments.
May the only words that matter in my life not be the ones I write on a screen — but the ones I live with my skin.
I freely and heartily yield every sentence, every title, every post, every comment… or no comments… all to Your pleasure and perfect will.
My only fame is that I bear your name
My only glory is the gift of Your Grace
My only readership, Your eyes that seek to and fro to find
Make this so. Lord…
Yawhew, you alone are my God, not Google
Jesus, you alone are my Savior, not sitemeters
And Holy Spirit, you alone are my Comforter, not comments
So be it, today, yesterday, and every post to come.
O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
thou art mine, and I am thine.
This is my prayer I have made on earth, over thie keyboard…
let it be ratified in heaven.
In Jesus’ Name…. Amen.
--ann voscamp
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11.05.2012

November Intervention and Freebie!

Holy cow, its November already?!?!
Doesn't seem possible.

Just wanted to share with you that my
in my TpT shop now.

I loved using my October pack with my small
group last month, so this might just become a 
regular thing. :)

Here's a little preview...

 



I like to keep a lot of the pages in a binder with sheet protectors,
{for oral practice and practice with dry erase markers}
so I include a cover page to slide into the front of the binder.







 There are several missing number pages including
what number comes before, between, and after.


 Large, part-part whole mats are included too.
{November themed of course!}



 Some basic number identification...

 Numeral and number word cards for matching, sorting
odd/even, number order, etc...



 Handwriting practice!
{Laminate or stick in sheet protectors for dry erase
marker practice}
Blackline masters are also included :)

 You can pick this up in my shop here.

And, here's a little freebie for you from this pack!
Click on the pic to download.


I'm also gearing up to do another Teaching With Style
linky party...hopefully get that up and going towards the end
of the week. I'll leave the linky party open all month so start
taking some pics!
Click here to see the first one I did :)

 



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