CCSS Overload

July is winding down... B2S sales are beginning to pop up... and I am forcing myself to stay away from my classroom for one.more.week. {I don't officially go back to work until Aug. 25th... Kids come Sept. 3rd}

This year I am moving up to 3rd grade. I am so super excited {especially because I get to take a few of my last year 2nd graders with me!}

But I am also anxious--mostly about the jump in skill level between 2nd and 3rd grade. I have loved teaching 2nd grade for the last 6 years! I know the standards, I know strategies, I have a plethora of resources and materials in my cupboards, cabinets and drawers. So now I need to learn my 3rd grade stuff! I. Can. Do. This!

I have spent most of my time just reading the standards then TPT-ing & Pinterest-ing ideas for each standard--this is mostly just helping me get a visual understanding of what 3rd grade looks like. 

I have also spent time looking through my 2nd grade stuff figuring out how I can tweak something I love {like my writing station} to make it work for my 3rd graders. 

When I begin to feel overwhelmed, I watch this video. There is something about it that inspires to keep pushing myself and reminds me why I am a teacher! 

Take a look!

Creative Clips Summer VIP

Have you seen this?! Are you a member yet?!

Ms. Krista Wallden is hosting an amazing Summer VIP Membership club--

Creative Clips Summer VIP Members will get:

- 10 Creative Clips Digital Weekly Newsletters with tips, updates and a summary of each week’s goodies
- Advance notice of two major summer sale dates
- Many samples of new types and styles of clipart before other sellers!
- Mini Sets of clipart and a variety of isolated images that will not be available in her store until after summer
- A full-set of clipart valued at $4.50 as a Back-to-School Summer Send-Off Gift (specific set will be included)
- Creative Clips printables which may include thank you notes, classroom labels, bookmarks, etc. that will jumpstart your school year with go-to goodies!
- Opportunity to provide specific feedback through exclusive surveys and polls to make sure Creative Clips is offering you everything you need/want!

WHAT?! Please tell me you are a member! This is amazing! 

I love her newsletters each week. Learning from other teachers/bloggers about tips and tricks that work for them is super inspiring for me!

With that being said I was inspired to revamp one of my most popular Back 2 School TPT {Freebies}

Click {here} for your copy!

And if you are a clip art lover/hoarder like me, make sure to sign up to be one of Krista's VIP members! I am certain she will inspire you, too!

Husband Summer Blues

Sometimes I forget how hard it must be for my husband to get up at 5am every weekday, get ready for work, and work a 10+ hour day, while I am at home in my PJs until...ummmm...noon? Working on school stuff, TPT stuff, organizing, pinterest-ing, catching up on my DVR shows that he refuses to watch with me, lol!

He is super supportive and always says "You deserve it!" "I am glad you get to relax!" But work has been busy for him this Spring and Summer, like busy, busy, busy! I can tell it is all taking a toll on him. So I thought he needed something fun to do! One thing we complain about is when we go somewhere for the weekend to "get away" we always come back needing one more day in our weekend to unwind from the traveling and whatnot. 

So I did some Pinterest research and started a board titled "Dating my husband" 

One of my favorite sites I have discovered so far is the Dating Divas. I just love their catch phrase: Strengthening marriages, one date at a time! 

What I love about their site is that they have tons of categories for their date night ideas: Just the two of us; four or more; romantic; at home... 

The "at home" category caught my eye and as we caught up on our DVR last night, I went through all 13 pages of their "at home" date ideas.

I decided on FRISBEE GOLF!!! Sound fun, right?!

The only problem was when I went to download the document, it wouldn't download for me. It is entirely possible that I was clicking something incorrectly, but I figured because it was relatively simple that I would just recreate the parts I needed. Here is it! Click the image below.

Print.

Collect 6 baskets.

Two frisbees.

Follow the set up directions and rules from the Dating Divas (remember this is THEIR idea, not mine!)

Then wait for your husband to come home. I planned for this to be on a Friday night. I wanted him to be as relaxed and stress free as possible. And who isn't relaxed and stress free on Friday nights?!

I also had dinner from our favorite Greek restaurant waiting and cupcakes from the cake shop that made our wedding cake ready for dessert.

And the feedback from the husband: Awesome, unexpected,  never would have guessed this in a million years, creative, thoughtful, LOVED IT!

Side note: The questions inside the baskets really made this date. It was so wonderful to have the little discussion, be flirty and flatter each other. It was also really nice to hear all of the nice things coming from my husband! Annnnnnndddddd....the husband was beating me by 2 the whole game... until hole #6, the last hole! He had a super hard time on this one, lol!! I came ahead by 3 to win the game!!!!!