This Article is Fantastic!

I just had to share this article that a friend of mine shared on Facebook. Click on the picture below!

Home Again, Home Again...For Now

We just got back from a week in the Outer Banks. We were very lucky: the weather was beautiful the entire time (except Friday, but we were prepping to leave, anyway), and we ate some delicious, local seafood while we were there! We spent most of our days at the beach, and the kids discovered the simple joys of jumping waves and building sandcastles.

Here are the kiddos on the beach, as soon as we arrived on the Banks.

Deedle was content to dig in the sand for mole crabs all day.

KShaf bought the kiddos some shovels, and Princess A had a blast, digging deep holes and sitting in them once they had filled with water.

Now, we're gearing up to head to Pennsylvania to visit KShaf's family. We usually time our summer trip to PA to coincide with the Fourth of July, and the kids always have a blast, riding Grandma's (many!!) ponies and watching Uncle Dave set off fireworks.

I've tried not to think about work too much, but it's tough! I have a million projects that I'd like to tackle, including these:

I desperately want to make cute, polka dot (of course!) curtains for my classroom windows. I, however, plan to use a glue gun, not a needle and thread (much to my crafty mother's chagrin).

I also can't wait to make four of these adorable crate seats/storage areas for my classroom!

OMG, I have to make one of these!

I also have plans to update/improve some Science units to post on TPT. We'll see if I actually get around to that or not!

In the meantime, I am toying with the idea of having my blog design created by a professional. I've been really impressed with Christi's work over at Design by Christi. I just haven't decided if I'm ready to commit to spending money on my blog. Ideas? Suggestions? Input? I'll take all the advice I can get!

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday! I'm off to pack (again!)!

Ten Pin Linky Party

I mentioned in my last post that I just (I know, it's embarassing) got hooked on Pinterest. What better time to link up with Ashley over at Just Reed for her Ten Pin Linky Party? The theme is Classroom Decor...oh, I could just go nuts with this one! I'll try to exercise some self-restraint.

1. I have been meaning to do this to a set of plastic drawers for ages. Not sure what I'll store in them, but I'm sure that I'll find something!

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2. Love, love, love this idea for a birthday bulletin board! (Can you tell I have a slight obsession with polka dots?)

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3. This picture doesn't do the set justice, but I bought this Polka Dot Classroom Decor set toward the end of this past school year, and I already love it! I am so looking forward to having everything match in my classroom.

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4. These colorful pennants just make me happy.

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5. These would be super cute for supply containers (only in primary colors, not neon)! And, oh, I love some Mod Podge!

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6.  Oh, my. This classroom door sign is just flippin' adorable! I'd be fine with skipping the ladybug, and just go polka dots all the way.

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7. Love, love, love this idea! I used owls last year for my door, but this bird theme is really tempting!

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8. I'd love to believe that I am crafty enough (and that I have enough time with two kiddos running around all summer!) to make something as adorable as this:

Hey, I made a seashell wreath last summer. How much trickier can this be?

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9.  I got tired of trying to keep all of my math manipulatives organized this year, so I went to Dollar Tree, got two dozen generic Gladware containers, and did something like this:

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10. So, I happened upon Molly's blog, and I think I officially idolize her. I have pinned a bazillion ideas from her classroom tour blog post, including these:

Simple, but adorable.

I already have these inspirational posters laminated, but I love the idea of framing them in brightly colored frames. 

Head on over and link up!

Five for Friday (on Sunday)

I have been seriously M.I.A. The end of the school year just about sucked everything out of me, but I made it through (hooray!), and I am officially on vacation. I have no excuse for neglecting my blog, now...I swear I'll be better!

I'm linking up with Doodle Bugs (as usual, I'm a day late and a dollar short) for her Five for Friday linky.

So much has happened in the past few weeks that I had trouble choosing just five things!

1.  On the last full day of school, my friend and teammate, TayKo, bought three ENORMOUS donuts to celebrate the end of the school year. One word: amazing.

I mean, seriously. Who wouldn't love a donut the size of a serving platter?

2. I had to get a pic of my own kiddos on their last day of school. I can't believe how much they've grown!

They're not babies anymore. They are Pre-K and Kindergarten bound in just a few short months!

3. Our awesome daycare provider had some special theme days planned for the kiddos to keep them busy in the days leading up to summer vacation. One of those days was Super Heroes and Princesses Day:

Deedle had outgrown his old Superman costume, so I cut out the emblem and hot-glued it and the cape to a plain blue T-shirt. Worked like a charm!

Another day, they had Red, White, and Blue Day.

4. Deedle got to go on his very first steam engine ride last weekend. 

The expression on his face as the engine approached was priceless!

Princess A got an engineer bear. She has changed his/her name a bazillion times.

5. I got a new pair of glasses from Zenni. The jury is still out.

Big is trendy. Right?

My hubby came home yesterday with this for me:

Just another reason why I love him.

I just got on Pinterest (again, a day late and a dollar short). I am obsessed!

I hope you're enjoying your summer as much as I'm enjoying mine! Happy weekend!