A Catch Up Mash Up

Phew! I have some time to come up and breathe, so I thought I'd stop by the old blog and catch you up on some of the things I've been up to.

First, do you notice anything new about my blog? It's OK if you don't. It's a subtle change. I've added an Instagram button to my sidebar, so now, you can follow me on Instagram, as well as on Facebook and Pinterest! I'm all about Instagram. It's quick, easy, and I can post a picture as soon as I take it. Instant gratification! Check it out!

I also taught myself how to create my own desktop organizer, using this amazing tutorial. I'm a basic, black-and-white kind of gal, so I kept it simple.

Definitely basic, but it serves a purpose.

Now, my desktop looks like this! Much more organized, and I can find things much more easily now than I could before.

OK, on to the next update. During the month of December, the Kindness Elf, Noel, came to visit our classroom! I started using Erica Bohrer's fantastic (FREE!!) resource last year, and I was amazed by the impact that it had on my students.

I picked up this sweet little $3 ornament at Target last year. Adorable, right?

Here, my firsties are working hard to write notes of appreciation to our cafeteria staff. 

The finished product. 

"Thank you for making us breakfast."

My families truly went above and beyond when Noel asked the children to bring in donations for the local food pantry. It's hard to see in this picture, but the students brought in so many boxed and canned food items that the crate in the middle was literally overflowing! So was my heart.

We've also been working really hard on our animal research projects. I've been doing this project with my students for the past three years, and it is always a huge hit! (I've blogged about it before here). This year, my students have moved through the project much more quickly than in years past, and their work has been amazing!

This picture warms my heart. All three students are completely focused and engaged in their research. I love it!

I love that the kiddos find a spot in the classroom, flop themselves down, and get right to work with little or no prompting.

I adore this picture. This little guy was so proud of the cover that he created for his project. Check out that shark illustration!

You may have heard that the Mid-Atlantic experienced a little snowstorm recently. OK, it was a pretty big snowstorm. Fine, it was a blizzard. We didn't get hit as hard here on the Eastern Shore as the folks across the bridge did, but we still got our fair share.

We ventured out, right at the peak of the storm, and I can honestly say that I haven't experienced wind and snow like that in a mighty long time. 

Princess A and Deedle, braving the storm. 

We have already used four snow days, and it's only early February. Here in Maryland, we usually get the most snow late in the winter. In fact, they're calling for more snow on Monday evening and into Tuesday. 

Hmmmmm. That will definitely mess with my 100th Day of School preparations!

Speaking of the 100th Day of School, I actually thought ahead this year, and I took these awesome pics of my students to accompany the writing that they will be doing.

These are a few of my favorites. I just searched "aging apps" in the App Store, and I downloaded a freebie. It took me five minutes to take pictures of each child, upload them to my computer, and order prints. They arrived in the mail yesterday, just in time for Tuesday's (fingers crossed) celebration.

I've been a slacker when it comes to running lately, mostly because I've discovered Piyo. Now, I'm not one who likes to pay for something before I try it (call me cheap, I'm OK with it), so one of my good friends lent me her copy of the DVDs. I was skeptical at first, but after the first few workouts, I realized that I was using muscles that I didn't know that I have! I'm a believer! Don't get me wrong: I still love my runs, and although I didn't run my first half-marathon this past October, I have plans to run my first this spring. So, before I completely pig out on Super Bowl food later today (think ribs in the crockpot and cheddar brat meatballs with three dipping sauces), I'm going to head out for a long overdue run. 

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and RELAX!