One Room Schoolhouse and TPT SALE!!

Good Evening Friends! Kerri here...
Are you all ready to party like it's 1999 tomorrow?? Over here is the B household, we are gonna play board games, watch football (well, the male half of us is) and eat, eat, eat. I may as well just wear my fat pants to the party, right girls??  :)
 I wanted to let you know that I am throwing a sale in honor of New Years Eve tomorrow! All of the items in my TPT store are officially on SALE, effective NOW through January 1st! You can pick up my newest unit:

This unit is filled with Literacy and Math activities that center around winter games...skiing, snowboarding, sledding, hockey, ice fishing, ice skating, bobsledding, and snowmobiling. I know my kiddos are gonna be stoked to use these cutey cute centers!


And, you can get your little old WInter Words Writing Pack for 20% off! Here it is...

All bright and sparkly and just waiting to be laminated!! Mine are actually in the corner of my living room right now in a big ole roll of laminating film, just begging to be cut out!! click on either pic to head over...


Enough of that...onto the One Room Schoolhouse! I went to Knott's Berry Farm today with the Fam (note to self...DO NOT EVER go to Knott's the day before New Years Eve...it is BANANAS over there!! Seriously, I think we went on one, maybe 2 rides. People were EVERYWHERE. UGH...)
But, I did get to go in the one room schoolhouse that they have there. Mr. Knott brought it over from Beloit, Iowa way back in the 50's. It was built in 1879 and it is the actual, SAME schoolhouse. Peeps, it was GLORIOUS! Every teachers dream to see. Can you say Little House on the Prairie? (One of my all time faves growing up!) Check out the pics...

Isn't is sooo precious!

I love #5..." After 10 hours in school, the teachers may spend the remaining time reading the Bible or any other good books. " H.I.L.A.R.I.O.U.S.!! Also,  #6..."Woman teachers who marry... will be dismissed." WTH??

I had a desk like this in my room growing up. Santa brought it to me for Christmas when I turned 7. It was filled with school supplies and I played school with it everyday. I was in HEAVEN!

Aren't we such studious pupils??

The teachers changed every single year almost. They all must have gotten married or just GAVE UP! HA!!

This stove is FABULOUS! And, it was actually working! NO LIE!

Well, I hope you have enjoyed these photos as much as I did! And, if you are ever in Cali, I suggest you head on over to Knott's to see it for yourself, but NOT right before New Years Eve. Please! You will rue the day you made that decision, trust me!! HA!
Talk to you in 2012!!

Holiday Survival and New Year Cheer!

Happy Holidays everyone!

Lindsay here . . . I feel like I blinked and December is gone!  Am I the only one?

I somehow managed to survive the last week of school before break . . . let's just say that those may have been the five loooooooooongest days of my life.  We are talking FOUR students throwing up in class (on the rug, in the middle of a lesson, on rainy day schedule so we were stuck inside all day!), bloody noses, Holiday program practice, and art projects galore!!!!  And on top of everything I was sick . . . nose running like a faucet on top of those nights with faaaaaaar too little sleep! (Thanks Jack!)  I was sooo excited when Friday came and I got to go home to my precious baby and amazing husband . . . and GO. TO. SLEEP! :)

Christmas was great with the fam this year . .  it was Jack's first Christmas!!  As you can see, he was FULL of holiday cheer . . . or not!

Of course, his tempermental disposition may have been due to all of the absurd holiday outfits he was forced to wear . . . sorry buddy! But those Santa footie pajamas are soo cute - mommy couldn't resist!



Random highlight from our family Christmas - my husband just may have gotten the worst stocking stuffer EVER . . . a random bag of tuna.  That's right people . . . tuna.  (Try to top THAT!)

Another highlight of the break was having a "Bloggie Date" with some of the gals from the blogger world . . . Annie from Moffatt Girls, Kristin from A Teeny Tiny Teacher, Fran from Kindergarten Crayons, Hadar from Miss Kindergarten and others . . . We met up at Ruby's on the pier in Huntington Beach and enjoyed some gab and good grub! I felt so fortunate to spend time with this group of talented ladies - I am seriously loving all the goodies they have to share on their blogs!  Thanks gals!  And let's get together again soon!

Okay, changing gears now . . . I'm not sure I'm quite ready to head back to work next week, but ready or not . . . January is right around the corner!  I love coming back from break because I feel like my kinder kiddos are always QUITE grown up when they return, and ready to learn!  I am super excited to pick up right where we left off in December . . . with lots of writing, practicing our reading, and MATH!  My kiddos are still needing some practice with writing their numbers to 10, so we have been listening to "The Numeral Song" by Dr. Jean on repeat.  Its the best EVER!!  The kids LOVE the cute little rhyme that helps them learn to make each number and soon . . . VOILA!  They have mastered writing their numbers! 

I decided to update a little number book that I have my kinders do every year, and included the lyrics to Dr. Jean's "Numeral Song" so the kids could take their books home and teach their parents! On each page students will trace the number, write the number, locate and circle the number, and represent the number.

Click on the Dr. Jean Sing To Learn CD image below to access the number practice book!

Hope you can use this book with your kiddos, and don't forget to pop in Dr. Jean's "Numeral Song" to go along with it!! 

Hope you all enjoy your last few days of break before returning to school!  Make sure to sleep in and don't get out of your PJ's until at least noon!! :)

Lindsay

WInter Games and Long TIme, No Blog!!

Hi Peeps!! Kerri here...
DUDE!! Long time, no blogging from me! Over a week now! I feel so out of the loop, but with good reason. The week before Christmas was BANANAS...what with the shopping, wrapping, celebrating my 13 year anniversary with my honey (we went to San Clemente and stayed in a room called...wait for it....the  SHAG room. Seriously?? Don't they know we've been married 13 years already?? I would rather the "Fall asleep at 8 p.m. on the couch room!) Anyways....
Here are a couple of pics from our Christmas...

YUP! Still making my girls wear matching PJ's...of course OWLS!

My little family

Mommy and her girls

How did that one get in here?? :) 

I'm gonna keep it short cause A...It's 11:45 and B...I am TIRED! I am super excited cause tomorrow I get to meet up with the blogging girls from Little Miss Kindergarten, the Moffatt Girls, Kristin from A Teeny Tiny Teacher and a bunch others. Wheee! I can't wait! Before I sign out, I wanted to let you know that I just posted my newest unit on TPT-Winter Games Math and Literacy Centers...Check it out!

I'm so excited about this one!! Being from Southern Cali, we have ABSOLUTELY NO WINTER GAMES, unless we drive 2 hours to the mountains OR watch the X Games in TV. My dad grew up in Canada and has all kinds of hockey, ice skating, snowball throwing stories. JEALOUS! I hope these centers will help my firsties experience the Winter Games, such as bobsledding, ice skating, skiing, ice fishing (reminds me of Grumpy Old Men), and lots more!

You can pick yours up, ON SALE for only $5 until January 1st, at my TPT store!! Click on either picture above to go right on over! PLUS, my Winter Words Writing Pack is also on sale until the 1st! Thanks so much friends!!

Oh Tannenbaum, Oh Tannenbaum...and our class shirts!

Hey there Peeps! Kerri here...
Yawn...I am BEYOND exhausted! And as of right now, I am not sure I will make it through tomorrow. You know when your kids are working nicely in centers and then there is a Fire Drill that is louder than the loudest thing in the world, so you have to get up and exit the classroom, and when you get back, your kids have lost their minds?? Yeah, that was my day. Thanks alot, Fire Drill Scheduler! Seriously... whatever.


We did manage to do one more bit of Christmassy art in the afternoon...Check out our Tannenbaums!

I tweaked this idea after seeing it on kinderbykim.com. You should check out her website. It is RAD!! One more here...

And with all our other art, the room is officially ready for Christmas!! I heart Lindsay's Santas! Too bad it all comes down come January...

On an exciting note!! Our class shirts from Whitney Daniel Designs came today!! They are so deliciously cute!!

Me loves!!!

That's all I got tonight.   I'll be back this weekend with something I have been working on for January! Hope your last day is smooth sailing, easy peasy, and calm, calm, calm. For those of you with another week, I'll pray for you!! For reals!

Reindeer dimensions, snowman directions, and a TPT SALE!

Hiya Peeps! Kerri here...
I have three words for you...RAINY DAY SCHEDULE. ALL. DAY.  Catch my drift??? Sigh... But guess what my hubs brought home from his Secret Santa today??

HOLY REESES HUGENESS! Have you ever seen such a glorious sight in all your life?? It is hard to tell from the picture, but those suckers are at least 4 inches in diameter!! and 2 inches deep!!

We just HAD to compare and contrast...hee hee!






Here is a close-up of Mr. Reindeer...

Is it just me, or does this guy have "crazy eyes"?? Maybe it's the rainy day schedule talking! The following dimensions are all in inches:


Body = 6 by 9 dark brown (magic Oval)


Head = 4.5 by 6 dark brown (magic oval)


Handprint antlers = 6 by 9 light brown folded in half and the kids hand traced onto the folded paper. Then they only have to cut once!


4 Feet = 6 by 1 dark brown (no cutting necessary by the kids. They love this step!)


4 hooves = 4 by 1 black folded twice. Unfold and cut on the lines to make 4 perfect hooves!


Tail = dark brown triangle saved from when you cut the body


Eyes = 1.5 by 3 white folded in half and 1 by 2 black folded in half (magic circle cuts)


Straps = 1 by 6 red (no cutting necessary by kids)


4 Bells =  you will need (2) 1 by 2 yellow folded in half, magic circle cuts


Some of my kids were insistent upon adding ears, which I made optional, because they were VERY insistent! :)


Sharpie for detail!! And, I told them "NO SNAGGLY TEETH, NO CRAZY MOUTHS, NO OPEN MOUTHS" but some of them did it anyway. DANGIT!! Those little rogue artists of mine! :)

Some of you requested the snowman plaque directions so here they are:


Step 1: Paint white with acrylic paint. Let dry.


Step 2: Add the dot pattern around the edge with acrylic paint and the top of a pencil eraser. I did mine in small groups and they all finished in 15 minutes. Let dry.


Step 3: Step draw the snowman in sharpie and add color with crayon. Tell them to color DARK so it is bright and beautiful. Bubble cut around the edge (meaning leave a border).


Step 4: Using a SHARPIE paint marker in blue, add snowflakes around the edge. I had my kids place their snowman in the middle so they would know where to put the snowflakes and I also had my student teacher (me loves her!!) pull them back one at a time to do this step.


Step 5: Using mod podge and a foam brush, glue down your snowman and then cover the whole top and sides with the mod podge as well. My student teacher and I did this in about 20 minutes. Let dry and you are GOLDEN!!


Hope these directions are of use to you!! In honor of having only 4 days left, I am throwing a little S.A.L.E. on TPT!! Everything is 20% off until Friday. Go get your Winter Words, ladies (any gents out there??) Click on the pic to go to my TPT store...

Happy Monday!!

Cozy Snowman Cuteness and family wreath letter!

Hey Friends! Kerri here... 5 more days!! I have GOBS and GOBS to do in those 5 days, and I promise I will be back tomorrow with a close-up of the reindeer art and dimensions/directions!!


Are you looking for a SUPER CUTE, inexpensive gift for your teammates or office staff at school?
Well, look no further!! Thanks to Lindsay's HOT TIP for the cozy socks from Old Navy, I picked up a bunch of pairs today for my parent thank you gifts. Who doesn't love cozy socks?? I decided to get some for my teammates as well and wanted to cutesify them up....Checkety check it!

I got HUGE Hershey's bars and Symphony bars, took off the wrappings and replaced them with plain, white paper. My daughter, who is uber-artistic, did the eyes for me (She also made 3 for her friends at school!) and I added a carrot nose and a coal mouth (of course!) Ribbon tied to the top completed the cuteness!! I can't wait to give them to my First Grade teammates!! Hope you like 'em!


Also, some of you wanted the info on our Family Wreaths. Here is the letter I send out. Nothing fancy schmancy, but the parents have a clear idea of what to make. I am always so impressed by their wreaths every year!
Click on the pic below to download...

Parent Volunteer Christmas Gift Idea

Hey there fellow teachers!  Lindsay here . .

Okay, this morning I created a GINORMOUS to-do list for this weekend . . . Ya know  . . . Finish all the Christmas shopping, wrap the presents, clean the entire house, go to the grocery store, bake cookies for the teachers and staff at school for next week . . . oh, and wrap the presents for my wonderful parent volunteers!!

So this year I found a great deal on cozy socks from Old Navy online on Black Friday - only $3 a pair!  I love my cozy socks and thought that was something all my wonderful helpers could enjoy. 

Today however . . . I was at Old Navy with the fam and lo and behold . . .

That's right . . . cozy socks are now 2 for $4!!  Dangit!  An ever better deal than I found on Black Friday, so I just had to share! 

I also decided to "cute-sify" this gift by creating a cute little poem to go with each one.  Here is a picture of my practice run gift wrap job. (Please ignore the lime green tissue paper - this is just practice!)  I will also run off the little poem on cardstock to make it a little more sturdy.

Whaddaya think?  If you like, hurry on down to Old Navy today!  Click on the image below for a link to the poem.

Happy Saturday!

Lindsay

ANOTHER Magic Elf Freebie and more Holiday art!

Hi Peeps!! Kerri here...I am going out tonight for one of my Bestie's birthdays to BJ's (can you say PIZOOKIE!!) so I'm gonna keep it quick!

I made another Magic Elf FREEBIE for those of you who purchased my Magic Elf Unit (Thanks so much!!) It is a Magic Elf Acrostic Poem paper! YAY!! WE made ours as a class today and theu came up with FANTASTIC ideas. Check it out (along with our Magic Elf art!!)

I love the last one, "Fills our buckets!" OH MY WORD...what a proud teacher moment!!
Click on the picture below to download your own copy!

You can still pick up your Magic Elf unit from TPT! It's not too late, I promise you. You can do this unit in only 1 or 2 weeks. PLUS, you get all the freebies that I have been posting as a BONUS!! Who doesn't love bonuses?? My kids were SO RIDICULOUS on Tuesday that Magic Elf didn't move on Wednesday and they were HORRIFIED. Their behavior made a complete 180 and he ended up moving at lunch time! They were VERY relieved! I tell you, he is MAGIC!!

Click on the pic to go to my TPT store...

We also finished our Snowman Plaque  Parent gifts today and they are SO STINKING CUTE!!

 Don't mind the FUGLY, super old dropcloth. It has been with me for years and serves it's purpose so well!!
Here are a couple of other art projects we have made. We have the kids make a family wreath at home and we display them after they bring them in. They always do such a fantastic job, and they all turn out so unique!!

AND...we made our reindeer which are always a sight to behold!! I love their crazy eyes!! Let me know if you want the dimensions...

One more craft we will be making next week is this little beauty...

Pipe cleaners, pony beads, and yarn. Easy peasy, and they look so pretty on a Christmas tree! Hope you can use one or more of my ideas!!
Gotta jet...BJ's is calling my name!!

My blog has gone INSANE!!

What in the heck is wrong with our blog title?? I have no idea what happened, but I am FREAKING out!! How do I make it back to it's original size?? Help Peeps!! HELP!!

Holiday Crafts Galore!

Hiya Peeps!! Kerri here...
Are your kids as CRAZY excited as mine are?? Whooeee...Can I survive 8 more teaching days?? I am seriously having to psyche myself up for this, and the only things keeping me sane are: A-Magic Elf, and B-the promise of the calmness and maturity that January will bring to my chitlins (fingers crossed!).


I wanted to share the potpourri of crafts that I have made with my students over the years...Here goes!
I made this reindeer footprint/handprint felt hanging every year when I taught Kinder, which was so cute, but after a while I got tired of the stinky feet and fugly toenails that some of my students had when I had to paint their feet (just sayin'...)

So then, we made the handprint tree with fingerprint lights. I LOVED these! I especially loved going with Lindsay and having to use the saw at Home Depot to cut the dowels. Boy, were we sweating by the end of that task every year!!

 When I moved to First Grade last year, we made these tiles because we are fortunate to have a kiln at the school. Yes, the parents got both. (overachievers...) I liked 'em, but I wanted the kids to have more involvement, sooo...

...this year we are making these wooden plaques! I like how old-fashioned they look and I like that the kids have a lot of work to do on them. My favorite part, of course, is the Mod Podged snowman. SWOON! I wish I could mod podge the WHOLE WORLD!

I also make every year for my students a simple ornament with their picture on a die cut shape using Ellison dies. While I'm at it, I make my daughters one for our tree and for the 2 Grandma's trees. I have been making these since Sarah was only a year old, so we have them ALL OVER our tree and every year, I get a little misty eyed when I see the ones of my daughters when they were babies!

I even made one for Roxy!! Aawwww...

Well, there you go! A variety of Holiday Crafts for your viewing pleasure!! BTW, thank you Friends SO MUCH for purchasing my Winter Words packet! I am still in denial that I have to go back on January 2nd, which means I have GOT to get all my ducks in a row next week for the week we get back! YIKES!!
You can get your Winter Words Writing Pack ready to go for January by clicking on the picture below!!

P.S. Does the title of our blog look pixilated when you view it?? For some reason it does on my computer at home and it is making me BUG OUT!! I'd love some comments on how it looks your end!
Thanks so much!