Five for Fraterday . . . and a Back To School FREEBIE!!!

 

Howdy folks!!

 

It feels SO good to be blogging with y'all this morning.  It has been a long time  . . . A long, long, LONG time.  You'll just have to trust me that the end of the school year was wonderful and fabulous and that I was too busy changing diapers and chasing after my own chitlens to share it with you . . .

 

But here I am.

 

So today I am linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for the Five For Friday Fraterday Linky Party . . .

 

 

 

1.  Summer  =  Family Fun

 

So far this summer we have made a lot of fun memories, taken a few quick trips and just had a blast being together . . .

 

First we took our annual "camping" trip.  Five years ago several couples from our church (along with Mr. Messyhair and I) went camping.  We had so much fun we decided to make it a yearly tradition.  The next year that we travelled we had a baby and THREE pregnant wives.  As the years went on the families grew, and this year we had NINE kiddos. 

 

Needless to say, the husbands revolted once the baby wave came . . . The sheer number of diapers, wipes, baby bottles, pacifiers, toys, carseats, pack 'n plays, stuffed animals, sippy cups, etc. was just too much. 

 

(That and the fact that apparently small children love to eat dirt. LOVE it I tell you!) 

 

So for now we rent a ginormous cabin and cram all five families under one roof.  I'm hopeful that SOMEDAY we will be able to actually bust out the tents again and go camping . . . but for now we are thankful for all the fun and craziness that comes with this special annual trip.

 

Here we are at Lake Arrowhead.  Our children didn't actually GO INTO the water.  But they sure looked cute anyway, right??

 

 

 

Another fun memory = Beatles cover band concert on the green. 



Next up: trip to Grandma's house in the desert.  It was 115 degrees!!  All we could do was play in the water . . .

 

 

 

 Oh, and play with the fun pets and Grandma's house too! ;)

 

 

 2.  Boot Camp

You heard me right . . . boot camp. 

I received a Groupon advertising SoCal Boot Camp a couple months back, and since one of my goals this summer was to focus on a more healthful me, I thought "Why not?" . . . (Famous last words, right?)

I am about three weeks into my 6 week trial and its very addicting!  The workouts are 40 minutes long, consisting of five stations.  Each station has two activities.  You are your partner take turns doing each activity at each station three times each.  And each activity is done for 50 seconds with just 10 seconds to get to the next activity.  Which means NO rest, NO water, NO getting your heart rate down.

The thing that I love is that everyone is so positive, encouraging and upbeat . . . While I am by NO means one of the most in shape people at the 5:30 a.m. class, it doesn't matter.  They are all about positivity and just BEING there. 

Will I have chiseled abs by the end of the summer?  Probably not.  Will I be super proud of my improved ability to do a Burpee - heck yeah!! 

(Sidenote: If you are like I was only a few weeks ago and you have NO idea what a Burpee is . . .trust me - they are rough!)

3.  Vegas baby!!

Kerri already mentioned it in an earlier post, but we had SO MUCH FUN at the TPT conference in Vegas a few weeks ago!

It was amazing to be surrounded by such wonderful, talented and SWEET teachers - all in one place! 

Here we are giving a standing ovation to Paul - the founder of Teachers Pay Teachers.  His story was quite inspiring.

 

 

 
And here are Kerri and I at The Venetian. What a fun trip - did I forget to mention that we road tripped out there together?? 

 

4.  My Favorite Pinterest DIY

 

Its no secret that I L-O-V-E Pinterest!  (In fact, I have been editing and updating many of my boards this summer to help make it more organized!)

 

Awhile back I found a pin for a DIY chalkboard project  HERE and I fell in love. 

 

 

 I had been wanting some sort of a chalkboard for awhile and the directions sounded so easy that I knew I could do it I could talk my husband into doing it for me! 

 

I love my husband.

 

So check it out . . . Our brand new, handmade (and super huge!) chalkboard on the wall next to the stairs.  I have BIG plans for this baby . . . Holiday displays . . . Birthday wishes . . . Perhaps some favorite Bible verses to display. 

 

 

And I thought this sentiment was perfect to start with: THIS is our happily ever after.  When I see that message amidst the crying (tantruming?) children and the piles (and piles and piles) of laundry that are waiting to be folded and the dirty dishes in the sink I am reminded how blessed I am to share this life with my husband and these crazy, lovely little people!

 



5.  A Back To School FREEBIE for you all!

 

Its hard to believe that school will be starting soon (VERY soon for some of you!) . . . so I wanted to share my Classroom Scavenger Hunt FREEBIE!

 

Amongst the many other things my kiddos do their very first day is finding all of the important items and places on our scavenger hunt sheet: bathroom (VERY important!), cubbies, desk, etc. . . .  The pictures on this scavenger hunt make it super easy peasy for my kidlets to find everything they are looking for  . . .

 

{Click the image below to download in my TPT store}

 

 

Of course their favorite item to discover is their special treat waiting for them in their cubby!

 



 
Last year my special treat was a SMARTIE for my lil smarties!

 

 

Well, that's it for now folks!  Hope you all have a great weekend!  We are off to the Orange County Fair tonight!!  Hooray for hot dogs and photo booths! :)

 

Lindsay



 

 

Christmas in July-Rainforest Style!!

Good morning, Friends! Kerri here...

This is just a quickie little post to let you know that all of my Rainforest Products will be 20% off today and tomorrow. The rainforest is my ABSOLUTE favorite unit to teach and my kids go BANANAS every year  learning about all of the different animals! It is the PERFECT unit for Open House...here is a little peek of my room at Open House last year!

Here are the different products that are on sale (click on each picture to take a closer look)...
My Rainforest Art and Writing Unit

 Rainforest Fun! Math and Literacy Centers

Rainforest Fun! Writing Center

And don't forget to snag your rainforest FREEBIES while you're there!!

Have a great weekend, friends!

XOXO Kerri B

Stitch Fix Review #2!!

Hiya Peeps!! Kerri here...

I am so so so excited to share with you about my 2nd Stitch Fix box!! It came on Saturday and I was over the moon with excitement! It was even better because my mom was over and I got to model all the pieces for her. She is THE perfect person to model clothes for, let me tell you! She was more excited than I was!! :)

Have you heard of Stitch Fix? I recently found out about it because of Pinterest, and I was immediately intrigued. Having someone SHOP for me, and picking things out that are uniquely MY style?? Heck yeah!

Here is how Stitch Fix works:

1. Create a Style profile on the Stitch Fix Website
2. Have 5 handpicked items that fit your style profile delivered to your house.
3. Keep what you like and check out online. Send back the rest in a pre-paid envelope.
4. Look fabulous at work!!

It takes about 10 minutes to fill out your style profile online, and it is very fun, because you get to choose different outfits that best represent you. I loved this part! 
This really is the easiest service in the world. There is no pressure to keep anything. If you don't like anything, they charge you a $20 styling fee, but if you keep at least one item, the $20 fee goes toward the cost of that item, and shipping is FREE both ways. Easy peasy lemon squeezy!!

Well, here is what I saw when I opened the box this time... I just love and adore the style cards that they include with every box. This gives me a great idea of what I can pair each piece with!

And here are my pile of lovely clothing items...aren't they so beautiful??

So now, I'll break down each individual piece and show you how I looked in each one. Disclaimer-I feel horribly awkward in these pictures and I desperately need botox on my crazy forehead lines (I'd never do it though-too weird!), plus I feel like I was squinting (sigh),  but I love to see other bloggers try their clothes on, so what the HEY, right??

Up first...the KUT FROM THE KLOTH Cranston Paisley Cross-Front Racerback Blouse. When I first saw it, I was IN LOVE with the coral and teal color! Plus the style was sooo unique. I was excited about this one for sure...

When I tried it on, I noticed that the racerback style was making my bra show and unfortunately, I don't have a racerback bra so that was going to be awkward. Also, the neckline was a bit LOW for my taste. Gotta keep those girls hidden, right ladies?? ;) 

So the jury was out on this one...

 Next up...the DANIEL RAINN Archer Ikat Print Button Front Blouse. When I took it out, I was like, "Meh. Cute but kinda boring?" I love bright colors and this one was so subdued, plus I thought it was a little old for my taste.

Then I tried it on. Girls, I must be getting old, because I ABSOLUTELY loved it!!I love that it has a built in cami underneath that is super soft and silky. I love the button details on the front and I love the subtle print. When I paired it with jeans and my Kendra Scott abalone jewelry set, I know it was a winner!!

Item #3-the DANIEL RAINN Tolley Mixed Print Crochet Detail Tie-Neck Blouse. This one I fell in love with the minute I saw it. I love the color, I love the crochet panel down the front, and I love that it also has a built in cami. I couldn't wait to try it on!

Yup, I LOVED this one too!! The color, the style, so girly and feminine! This top can be dressed up or down, but I love wearing it with my good old cropped jeans (my favorites!)

Okay, item #4-the Ark n Co Violette Embroidered Detail Dress. I liked this one immediately as well. I thought that the embroidery was interesting and I liked the shorter length. I NEVER would have picked this out in a store, but I really liked it!

And then I tried it on. And felt like they accidentally left a couple of inches off the bottom. This one was WAYYY too SHORT for me! Maybe when I was 21, but not anymore people!! So sad too, because I thought it was super cute!!

Last one...the PIXLEY Livie Abstract Chevron Maxi Dress. 
Okay, they had me a chevron and then lost me at Maxi Dress. I have never even entertained the idea of buying a maxi dress. Is that weird? Whenever I see them on the rack, I think too long, too skinny, just not me. But like I said, I loved the colors and the chevron was calling my name, so.....

TADA!!! Holy Cannoli!! I loved it with every fiber of my being. The length was PERFECT, the colors were MY COLORS 100%, and I felt pretty darn cute in it, if I do say so myself!!

 This dress was DEFINITELY my favorite one of the bunch, and here's a little close up to show you the beautiful print!

Well, there you have it! My  2nd Stitch Fix box was a HUGE success! The most amazing part of this whole experience is that I would NOT have chosen any of these items for myself, but I LOVED all of them and they all worked pretty well on my body, but a couple just made me a teensy bit uncomfortable. So in the end, I sent back the first top and the short dress, but kept the rest!! YAY me!!

My mom was SOOOO excited that she even signed up! She's quite the adorable grandma and I know Stitch Fix will pick out some fabulous pieces for her!

Stitch Fix is like Christmas is a box, girls! And the best part is, you schedule your own fixes. Once a year, once a quarter, once a month. It's TOTALLY up to you. When I checked out, I made sure to leave detailed notes about each piece, what I liked or didn't like, so the next time I get my box, my stylist Allison (Love you girl!!) will have a better sense of my personal style. 

If you are intrigued, you can check it out here and if you use my referral code, I receive a credit when your first Fix is shipped so then I can keep on blogging about it and showing you awkward photos of myself! :)

Stitch Fix is THE BOMB ladies! And I'm so glad I tried it. I think I might be hooked. You probably will be too!
XOXO Kerri B

Christmas in July-Character Ed. Style!!

Good morning, Peeps!! Kerri here...

This is just a quickie post to tell you about Christmas in July for Monday and Tuesday! If you are looking for some packs to teach your children about the 6 Pillars of Character or Kindness, then these are the packs for you...(click on each picture to see them in my TPT store)

Both of these packs will be 20% off on Monday and Tuesday! 

And don't forget to check back tomorrow because my 2nd 

Stitch Fix box came and it was 

AH-MAZING!!!

Here's a little sneak peek...

Ohhhh, it was sooo good. Like Christmas in a box and 

I. FELT. FANCY!!

See you tomorrow, Peeps!

XOXO Kerri B

Writing Mats GALORE on SALE!!

Good morning, Peeps! Kerri here...

Guess what?? It's Saturday, and I actually got to sleep in today. Why's that, you say? Isn't it summer, you say?

YES!! It is SUPPOSED to be summer! But my teenage daughter, who is on the cross country team at her high school, has practice Monday-Friday at 5:45 or 6:00 a.m.! GAH!!! And I am the one who takes her every morning at that god awful time. Blecchh...it is the worst. Gotta hand it to her though. I would NEVER in a BRAZILLION years wake up at 5:45 to run ANYWHERE!!

Christmas in July is still going strong and for Saturday and Sunday, my writing mats bundles will all be on sale!! These little babies are absolutely AMAZING tools to help your kidlets become confident writers and SUPER excited to write stories!! Even Kinder babies can use these mats to write stories. It's true!!

Here's a little throw back post to fill you all in on how I use them in my classroom...

 The real reason for my post is to remind you all, or maybe fill you in for the very first time, and let you know that I have over 40 writing centers in my TPT store available for purchase, and they are only $2 each! I have like EVERY SINGLE topic you can imagine. Each pack includes 2 types of paper to use, the themed writing mat, and a cute cover if you want to make a mini-book.

Occasionally, I will pull them out and throw them on the floor, and let the kids each pick one to use when writing a story. THEY ARE SOOO STOKED! It was literally like Christmas morning in my room. One of my littles even told me, "I can't believe how much I wrote!" HEE HEE!!  

Here are some pictures of their writing in action...

Space

Wild Wild West

Arctic Life

Once Upon a Time (FREEBIE!)

Pirates

Things That Go!

Super Heroes

Here is a picture of the left over writing centers that didn't get picked this time...

These writing mats can be placed in binders for the kids to use when they are writing in their journals or put in hanging file folders on the wall...like this...

 You can get any and all of my writing centers individually, or you can buy my writing pack bundles at a discounted price. They are bundled by theme. Here's a little sneak peek...

And, finally, your writing center FREEBIE! My Fairy Tale Writing Center! All for you...for FREE!! Click the picture below to access this file via Google Docs!

Here's a little teaser about what I'm going to be blogging about on Monday...

My Stitch Fix #2!!! C.A.N.N.O.T. WAIT!!!
XOXO Kerri B