New Blog Design!

It's that time of year.

Blog design ADD.

I wanted to go for a more simple look, so I went with a one layer background and a white middle. I updated my button, so if you feature my blog on your blog, feel free to switch it out. I have to admit, it didn't turn out as cute as I had hoped, so I may be tweaking some things.

Any suggestions?

As always, if anything looks funky or doesn't work on your computer, please drop me a comment!

Credit to Jiovannas Creations for the background paper and Carrie Loves Design for social media buttons. As always, all elements of my design were freebies.

Talk soon!

Currently

Hey guys! Popping in to participate in Farley's currently. I've been on a currently hiatus for a few months. Luckily, it's like riding a bicycle. =)

Listening: Self explanatory. However, for giggles, I went and looked at my July currently from 2012, and I wrote almost the exact. same. thing. What can I say, homegirl likes her air conditioning. So predictable.

Loving: Similarly, I changed my blog design at right around this time last year. I have blog design ADD. But, I'm hoping to finish up and install it within the next week. One great thing about blog lovin' is that more readers will get to see it. Yay!

Thinking: I'm going with my mom to pick up her new foster dog from a transport van that brings animals up from the south. I went with her last time, and it nearly brought me to tears that all of those babies were getting a second chance at life.

Wanting: I don't cook. There, I said it. Well, scratch that. I could cook, if I wanted to. But I don't. So, I have sandwiches for lunch pretty much every day. I feel like my life would be so much more fulfilled if I had a chef to cook me different healthy, but yummy, stuff every day. A girl can dream!

Needing: On the last day of school, my teaching partner [and one of my best friends] got news that her husband is sick. I don't want to go into too much detail, but they are going through a lot with appointments and stress. They have two small boys at home. So extra thoughts and prayers for this sweet family would be appreciated!

Tips, Tricks, or Hints: I only make resources/products that I use myself, so I always test my products out on my kids before I put them in my store. It helps to iron out any kinks, catch mistakes, and assess the worth of the product. If you make things that aren't applicable to your grade level, ask a colleague [blogging or real life] to give it a test run. At least, let another set of eyes look it over. What else are husbands/boyfriends for? ;)

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Random news and thoughts...

1. Be on the look out for my Career Research pack. It is internet based and geared toward grades 3-5. It should be finished soon! My kids loved it when we did it in May, so I'm sure your kids would love it to as a beginning of the year or end of the year research writing piece.

2. Any baseball fans out there? How are your teams doing? Mine, not so hot. But last night was hilarious. Sorry if there are any Dodgers fans in the house, but geeeez. The Phils haven't scored that many runs combined in like two weeks worth of games. BTW, because the games are on the west coast, these late nights are really messing with my sleep sched!

3. How are you enjoying bloglovin'? I hate change, but I think I'm coping well. If you haven't yet, please follow me using the link on the top of my sidebar. I'm like the only person in blogland who didn't do the bloglovin' giveaway thingy. I sometimes have this complex that my stuff isn't worth it, so I get gun shy with giveaways and such.

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Okay, now go link up! I'm hoping to get in under 100. [yay, #62!]

EOY Made It!

I've been out of school for a week! Summer time is in full swing!

But, my oh my. This is the first 'last day of school' that I've cried. I cried, team teacher cried, parents cried, and the kids cried. I really connected with this group, despite the challenges, and I will truly miss them as they move on to the 4th-5th grade building, which is one town over.

Anyway, it was very emotional!

As an end of the year gift for the parents, I started out by making this Pinterest-inspired frame for my students to hold. Even though I made it last week, I wanted to link up! =)

Here is the original pin:

[Pinterest is acting up on my computer! I'll insert the pin when pinterest gets its act together!]

And here is my version:

[Let me assure you that the face behind the smiley is oddly similar to the smiley!]

This craft wasn't expensive. I bought a plain wooden frame and letters that spelled out 'third grade.' All of the other materials [scrapbook paper, paint, buttons, flowers, hot glue] I already had on hand in my craft box.

First, I painted the letters, then I mod-podged scrapbook paper onto themr. I added a black outline with a foam brush, which I usually do on letters, to make them pop! Next, I painted the frame with a few coats. The next day, I added the embellishments. Ta-da! It turned out super cute!

I hung black bulletin board paper in the hallway as a back drop, and I took each student's picture. I told them that this was a gift for their parents, so make whatever face that you think they will like. Let's just say that personalities shown through!

Then, I brought my camera card to CVS. I printed the pictures, but I hated how they turned out. So, I went to Rite Aid and tried again. Unlike CVS, they have a 4x4 option, which was perfect for what I was going for. I printed out the 4x4s, brought them home, and laminated.

I attached a strip of magnet tape on the back. I found it super cheap [a roll of 30 inches for less than $2] at AC Moore. It was a strong magnet, and it did the trick.

I loved that I was able to send home this keepsake with my kids. I hope that they put their magnets right on the fridge and remember all of our great times!

Talk soon!

Blog lovin'. Meh?

Click here to follow Third Grade in the First State with bloglovin!

Made the plunge.

I'm now on blog lovin'. Are you? If not, what did you use to move on from google reader?

Not sure how I feel about it yet.

Any tips?

Talk soon! =)

Have We Met?

Oh my. Hello to those of you who still follow me in my tiny corner of the teacher blogging world. It has been a five month absence. I alluded to the fact that I was feeling less than inspired to blog in my last few posts, but now that spring break is here, maybe this will be the jump start that I need to get going.

Fingers crossed!

Here's the agenda!

1. Currently linky

2. New products I've created recently

Listen closely, you'll be quizzed at the end!

It has been so long since I've partaken in this linky!

Listening: Sports Final is a Sunday night thing on NBC just recapping Philly sports. Usually I am snugging solo in bed at this time on a Sunday, tossing and turning no doubt. But boys and girls, I am on spring break! Grown up appropriate bed time!

Loving: Well, without kids of my own, spring break is just a reaaaally long weekend for me. I usually don't have many things planned. And then I sleep the whole break away. Not this time, though. Boyfriend's birthday was yesterday, so we went to Atlantic City for the night. Today, I went out to the Cheesecake Factory [first timer here!] for Easter dinner [don't judge!] with my dad and sister. Now, I have a couple days of downtime, so I'm catching up on school and grad class work. On Wednesday, I'm off to Colorado for some family time until Saturday.

Thinking: That I miss this whole blogging thing!

Wanting: I gotta get back on my healthy eating kick. In the beginning of the school year, I lost about 15 pounds. Then, its been downhill since Thanksgiving. =(

Needing: Colorado is coming. Might want to bring clothes with me.

Advice: Be you! If you're outgoing, own it. If you're reserved [like me], own it. I've recently gone through some things where I feel like people are questioning my quietness. After some soul searching, it really isn't worth my energy to go against my natural personality, which is to be a listener and speak up when I'm passionate about my opinion. To connect that to TPT, blogging, etc, I would say not to compare yourself to others. I didn't feel like blogging for five months, so I didn't. At present, I only make products that I use myself in my classroom. Don't worry about what other people think, just be you. 

Because, well, you're great.

Like I need to remind you, but go link up!

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So, although I've been slacking on the old blog lately, I've still been creating some products that I've used in my classroom. Maybe they'd be useful to you as well?

I've made another task card/recording sheet product. They go along with 2nd-4th grade Common Core measurement [linear, mass, and liquid volume] math standards. Here's a preview. Click the link to head to my TPT store to check them out! [If you want an idea of how they look, download my free set of multiplication and division task cards while you're there!]

I also created a product that can be used to accelerate your upper elementary students, or it can be used in your middle school math classroom. It included placemats, both black/white for reproducing or in color for laminating, as well as a recording sheet, student/teacher directions, and playing cards. Students draw an expression and a variable. They evaluate the expression based on the value of the unknown. My kids loved it, and they were very engaged! =)

Right now, I'm working on a pack the is all about research! 

As I've mentioned, I'm currently in graduate school for my degree in School Counseling. I was inspired to meet some of the ASCA standards through my research unit that is coming up in writing. Right now, the pack includes lesson plans, graphic organizers, final draft paper, a brochure template, and a rubric. Anything else you'd like to see in the pack that would meet your classroom needs? If you post a suggestion that I end up using [and include your email!], I'll send you the pack for free when it is finished, which should be in the next couple days!

Before I go, sorry that I had to put the capsha code thingy back on the comments. The spam comments were out of control! Anyone have a better, blog commenter-friendly way to solve that problem?