Winners announced!

Thank you to everyone who entered my giveaway! I am excited to announce the winners:

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I just sent the three of you an email, so check it and let me know what you would like from my store!

If you didn't win, don't fret! I am super close to 1000 followers on TPT and I am sure I will do something special then!

Freebie - Table of Contents for Interactive Notebooks

Hello, there!

This is just a quick post to share something I made last night for my kiddos and I thought I would share with all of you!

If your students are like mine, it takes them FOREVER to set up their Interactive Notebooks that first week of school. Maybe they are still on summer break, maybe they are perfectionists, maybe it is something else, but it drives me bananas that they cannot number from 1-160 in less than 5 minutes. I do not know why it is so hard. But, then again, there is a lot about middle schoolers that leaves me completely befuddled.

So, after several years of going through the agony that is setting up the table of contents page, I am ELIMINATING the worst part by printing out the table of contents page for them. I am going to print this two sheets to a page, front and back to get this all on one sheet of legal paper. As soon as I get to the copier at school, I will post a picture on my FB page to show you what I mean!

I hope that this will be helpful to you! You can find it for FREE in my TPT store!

Also, today is the LAST day for this fabulous giveaway! Even if you have entered before, you can still share this giveaway again to gain more entries! Good luck and stay tuned for the announcement of the winners on my blog tomorrow!

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One Teacher's Adventures - Giveaway!

I am teaming up with some fantastic teacher-authors for a huge giveaway!  Diane at One Teacher's Adventures has reached 200 TpT followers, and as a celebration, she is hosting a giveaway of 3 fabulous prize packs. 

Each prize pack includes amazing products for the selected grade range plus winner's choice shopping sprees at participating stores! 

Check out the amazing prize packs below, then enter the giveaways!

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Good Luck!

Also, if you haven't done so already, be sure to enter the giveaway on my blog that can be found here. It ends on Wednesday at 11:59 PM! Remember, you can enter once a day :)

Monday Made It & 100th Post (read all the way through)!

Oh my gosh, you guys. I remember when I wrote my first post almost two years ago. I literally remember feeling like I was writing to no one (and I was) and that no one would ever find this little blog! Well, although I still find it strange that people enjoy reading my ramblings, it makes me feel good to say that this is my 100th post! Well, I have a little surprise for you, so make sure you read all the way to the bottom :)

I am linking up with Tara from 4th Grade Frolics to link up for Monday Made It!

This may not be anything too exciting to you all...but I have NEEDED something to keep my life in order at school. I am the queen of post-its! Which is fine, except they blow away, get covered by other post-its, kids can see them, etc. I needed something that would organize me! So, after about 2 hours yesterday, I came up with this:

Can you just pretend with me for a second that this is LIFE-CHANGING!? I think it is so great that I am giving it to my blog followers for FREE! Just click here to download as a PDF!

You may have noticed I only have one "Made It"... that is because I am JUST getting into the groove of creating things again, so it is taking me a bit to get back in the saddle. I'm sure you won't mind, because in honor of my 100th post, I have decided to have a little giveaway!

AND, the best part is that the more entries we get, the more winners we will have! For every 500 entries, there will be TWO winners! So, be sure to share the giveaway image everywhere to increase the number of winners :) I will choose a winner July 31st after the giveaway ends.

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Good Luck, and thanks for being a loyal follower!

Flash Friday Deals! Week 2

Did you snatch up last week's deal in time? It's time for Week 2!

Without further ado, here it is!

My Fold it Up! Bundle of Foldables to use in Middle School!

Right now, there are 13 different Fold it Ups! that are included. As more are added, the price will go up, but you will be able to download for free. Click the image or the link above to be taken to my store where you can purchase this for 50% off!

Here are some examples that are included:

Just to give you an idea of what is included!

Same as last week...if you have an item that you would like to be included for next week, leave a comment and I may add it to the list!

CAMT Reflections -- Day 2

Today was just as great but for different reasons. Due to the slim pickins for some afternoon sessions, we cut our day short and went to the exhibit hall. It always cracks me up to see the various booths that people have. Most of them are content-related, but some of them are just out of place. I was happy to see some people that I have purchased things from in the past, both at CAMT in previous years and online.

First, I had to pick up two t-shirts that I had customized from Claire Lynn T-shirt Designs. Do y'all know these people? They make the CUTEST teacher t-shirts! I have 3 and these 2 will make 5! I don't even like wearing t-shirts, but these are just the best.

If you don't already, go follow them on facebook. They have flash deals all the time and such cute stuff. Have I said that already? Their stuff is the CUTEST! Go. Do it now. 

Yesterday, my friend and I went to the Texas Instruments booth because we saw they were giving away free t-shirts. I don't know what it is, but when something is being given away for free, I have to have it. I will feel anxiety as if they will run out before I get there. I know, I have a problem. I'm working on it. Needless to say, I am glad we picked these up yesterday, because today they were GONE! 

Gone, I said! As in, they had run out completely. So, you see, I was rightfully feeling some anxiety.

We made it our mission to go through the booths today and not make eye contact so as to not be sucked in if it wasn't something I was totally interested in. Like a beacon in the night, I saw these books. Now, there is a back story here. About a year ago, I was in a training during the school day with other math teachers. I was sitting next to someone I used to teach with and during a break she was grading papers. I saw that it looked like a coloring/drawing activity and needed to know more. As someone who loves to color all the time, I was hooked. I ordered a copy online for myself before we were done with our 10 minute break. And you know what? MY KIDS LOVED THESE ACTIVITIES! So, when I saw the booth today, I made sure to get two more. Being that I am moving back down to 6th and 7th grade next year, I wanted something a little different than the pre-algebra book. I also like the "Create your own" books because you can insert your own problems. Want to know more? Check out their website here. Just come back and finish reading!

We stopped by the Carnegie Learning booth. This was one of the textbooks that were up for adoption in our district and sadly it wasn't chosen. The teachers on our textbook committee chose something different, but I still wanted to go talk to them. We didn't leave without getting some CAMT swag! How cool is this?

No, no. Not the tote bag. I mean it is cool that it folds up neatly so it can be stored in what I can only assume would be another tote bag. Which, by the way, I think I have scored 4-5 tote bags in two days. But that is neither here nor there. 

Look at that pen. It isn't just a pen! It is a stylus, too! How cool is that? I want to go back tomorrow and get another in case I lose this one! See? Anxiety. Maybe I should see a doctor about that.

Lastly, I want to share with you one last purchase. No, your eyes are not deceiving you. That is in fact Tupperware. There actually was a lady there selling Tupperware! I LOVED it! This brought back such memories of my mom selling it when my sister and I were kids. My mom has had hers forever and I have a few pieces. I bought a few extra things just because they were good deals. I still thought it was hilarious to buy food storage containers at a math conference. I felt even sillier walking into my session carrying a bag of plasticware that clanked every which way I walked. Excuse me, pardon me. Don't mind me and my Tupperware. 

My sister and I were in the booth yesterday looking at the Tupperware that we had used as little kids that had obviously been updated, but was still so cool to look at. Does anyone remember these?? We played with this as kids and they still look EXACTLY the same!

I mean, how cute are we?!

CAMT Reflections -- Day 1

It has been a whirlwind of a few weeks, y'all! From Vegas, back to Houston for a few days, to now being in Ft. Worth for #CAMT14, it's beginning to all catch up to me. In addition to attending this conference as a classroom teacher, I have joined forces with 9 other math teachers to sell a bundle of resources at a deeply discounted price. This bundle is exclusive to conference attendees and is such a great value, so if you are here, be sure to snatch one up! 

We also set up a blog, Math Teachers of TPT, and each one of us introduces ourselves a bit. You can my post here: http://mathteachersoftpt.com/2014/07/meet-danielle-from-live-love-math.html

One of the teachers featured in the bundle is MissMathDork! I was so excited to finally meet her in person this morning and take a picture.

She is SO sweet and just genuinely a nice person. 

My friend Melanie and I are here together and set off for our first session. It was presented by Glenna Tabor. I hadn't ever heard of her, but she was a featured speaker so we thought we would go for it and check it out. I'm sure it was beneficial for some, but it was a little disappointing that she never actually told us how she made stations work in middle school. She showed some videos from her website and kept directing us to that. Needless to say, we didn't get anything out of it. Oh well, live and learn. I hate to say it, people that are out of the classroom for 20+ years have a hard time relating back to teachers still in the classroom (don't yell at me...just my perspective!)

I did like one quote that she shared and was able to snap a pic really quickly:

It is hard to see since I was sitting in the back, but it says "A person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing it." That really resonated with me.

Anyhow, my friend, Jennifer from 4mulafun, had two sessions in which she was presenting and asked me to help her out a little since she just had surgery last week. Can you believe that? Surgery five days ago and she is presenting to over 100 people each session? I would totally be taking advantage of the obligatory netflix watching and ice cream eating that follows surgery. 

Her session was about interactive notebooks and raising achievement. 

Some of you may have noticed I am name-dropping. I am not even going to try to hide it! I'm a name dropper!

In the afternoon, I met another fellow blogger whom I have followed for quite some time. After following  her, I realized that she followed my blog, too! It was like a celebrity sighting :) So, we took a picture!

If I learned anything at CAMT today, it is that I am short. Not just kinda short. Insanely short. I need to grow.

I forgot to mention that my sister (who teaches elementary) is here as well this week. I had dinner with her and some friends mentioned above and had to take a picture to make me feel better about my height! She and I are about two inches apart :)

Stay tuned for more updates tomorrow!

P.S. My links don't work since I am on my iPad...sorry!

Flash Friday Deals!

Hello, readers!

I am mourning the fact that I have only 5 more Fridays until I go back to work. Which really means 4 more full weeks! And, to be honest, I have done NOTHING to prepare for back to school. Well, I bought some sharpies and white out yesterday, but I don't even think that counts.

If you have followed this blog for a while, you know I love a good sale. And, there is something about getting a good deal that makes you want to shout it to everyone you know! So, I am going to be celebrating the last 5 Fridays that I have off from work by choosing 1 product from my TPT store each week to mark 50% off the regular price. Is that crazy?! Probably...but I LOVE all of my readers and since I own the store I can do what I want.

This week's sale item is none other than my Middle School Math Writing Prompts!

Click the image above to be taken to my TPT shop and purchase for $7.50 (Regular price is $15!) These are great to pre-assess where your kids are or to even see if they have mastered the concepts you have taught. I use them as formative assessment all the time and they work well as exit tickets. 

Looking for a specific product to be marked down next week? Here is what you need to do:

1. Pin this blog post on pinterest!

2. Leave a comment on THIS POST with the name of the product that you would like to see discounted next week!

Be sure to share this with your friends as this product will only be discounted TODAY!

Happy Friday,

Throwback Thursday -- Monday Made It (Aug 2013)

I am linking up with Angela at The Teacher's Desk 6 for Throwback Thursday. This post was originally from August of 2013. I remember being so excited to get things together for my new classroom at my new school and went on a binge of creating things on this particular day! Maybe this will give me the motivation I need to get cracking on my own classroom for this year?!?

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I have a few things I whipped up on Sunday afternoon to share with you today! I am linking up with Tara from 4th Grade Frolics for her Monday Made It linkup.

Before I could start making anything, I had to run a *few* errands! Knowing Monday would be my first day to get into my classroom to start setting up, I needed to get some of these...15 to be exact!

I know I could have found them cheaper somewhere else, but in the grand scheme of things, how much would I have really saved? Probably not enough to warrant me going shopping in this disgusting heat wave we seem to be having! Anyhow, I bought 15 so that each pair of students would have one. I plan to use these as my INB supply boxes. I am going to work on labeling this this week and be back with a post of what goes in them later!

Next up was Target. A friend of mine told me how inexpensive Five-Star Notebooks were at Target and I had to scoop some up. I bought 6, one for each class period so that each class has their own "model notebook." I had trouble keeping up with 3 last year, so I certainly hope I do a better job of keeping up with 6! If you are using these instead of composition books, run--do not walk--to Target. These babies are $1.89!

Also, at Walmart I picked up these deals. The index cards are neon (my fave!) for under $1 per pack. I know the white ones are on sale everywhere...but I love the colored ones! I also found post-it notes cheaper than the dollar store (not much...$0.97) but hey! Every cent counts! Plus, the colors were way brighter...and that makes me want to use more of them.

 I was going to get some plain magnet tape, because I am always putting it on the back of posters that I want to stay on the board, but I hate how it always curls. I found these packs of magnet strips that are pre-cut, and they come 18 in a pack for less than $1! $0.97 seemed to be the magic price at Walmart! I got 3 packs. I have no idea what I will use it for, but I like to be ready :)

Last but not least...my clothespins. I went looking in my craft room for my bag of clothespins the other night and couldn't find them ANYWHERE. Seriously, I know it is a mess in there...but it's like they had runaway from home. Had to buy a new bag. Why? Keep reading :)

HOME MADE IT:

I made this lotion in March and it went over so well with my mom and some friends that I had to make more! I love to use lotion, but hate when it is greasy...and this is perfect! It is light, but thick at the same time and feels so luxurious when you use it. And, it makes 24 ounces of lotion! I did not come up with this recipe on my own...I adapted it from this pin. I swapped the Vaseline for Coconut Oil because I thought it might be greasy...I never tried it, so it may work for you!

Here's what you need:

15 oz of baby lotion (any scent...any brand--mine is from the Dollar Tree)

Twin pack of Vitamin E skin care cream (only found at Walmart on the bottom shelf of the lotion aisle)

2/3 cup of coconut oil (any brand will do...mine is from Sprouts, but I have used from Whole Foods, too)

Pour all ingredients into a bowl and whip with a hand mixer for 2-3 minutes making sure that all is incorporated and evenly blended. I periodically stop and scrape down the sides to be sure that there aren't any chunks of coconut oil floating around.

Then, I store it in airtight containers and pass it out to family and friends! I filled 3 of these today, and my mom was most appreciative of her lotion! In case you are wondering, I get these precious glass jars from Hobby Lobby in the glass section. They are normally $4, so just make sure you go when glass is 50% off, which is every other week!

 SCHOOL MADE IT:

I did make these supply labels to put on my storage containers at school. Well, I actually made them two weeks ago...but, I finally got around to printing and laminating! Like them? You can actually find them in my TPT store here

Also, I decorated my clothespins with some washi tape to go along with another project that will have to wait for next week's Monday Made It!

Aaaaaaand, I just realized how very long this post was! Sorry about that--if you made it to the end, you rock!

Teachers Pay Teachers FIRST EVER Sellers' Conference!

I am still recuperating from all the fun and excitement that was the FIRST EVER TPT Conference! I will admit that I was a little nervous going to Vegas by myself without meeting anyone in person before, but it was seriously no big deal. Everyone was nicer than the person before and we just had a blast. I had so much fun that I forgot to take many pictures, so we will just make do with what I've got!

I arrived at the Palazzo Hotel and Casino on Thursday, and my room was fantastic! I had a king suite on the 37th floor. I literally have never slept so far off the ground before! Just look at this room!

I mean, come on. It was ridiculously awesome. Confession time--I love my husband more than anything, but I had the best two nights of sleep ever. Or, at least in a really long time. Sharing a queen bed with a dog who takes up half of it just doesn't compare to being able to spread out in a king size by yourself! 

The next morning, bright and early at 7 AM, it was time for the conference. About 800 of us entered this humongous ballroom where were able to eat breakfast and meet other sellers. I sat with a great group of women, some even from TX! It was so fun. 

At 8 AM, it was time for the kickoff/keynote speakers. We first heard from Amy, who is just amazing! I got a picture later with her. She is just so down to earth and so super sweet.

Then, we heard from Paul, the founder of TpT. What a journey the site has had! I knew it started a few years before I joined, but I didn't know that it started back in 2006! I signed up as a buyer before signing up as a seller, and boy am I glad I signed up when I did. 

I can't thank this man enough for following his dream after being in the classroom himself, especially when everyone said, "It couldn't be done.." Well, who's laughing now!? What a humble guy. I absolutely LOVE that he wore jeans and a plaid button-down shirt. This is totally the type of guy that he is. Totally true to himself and I think that is just awesome. I was so honored to meet him in person and take a picture with him after the sessions yesterday. 

Now for the sessions themselves. I went to two sessions in the morning and two in the afternoon. 

First up was a TpT A to Z Session presented by Tammy and Christy from Fluttering through First Grade. They covered a lot of good information. A lot of it I knew, but definitely good to refresh my memory and get re-inspired. They had some awesome giveaways, and in true fashion I didn't win! But, I was so excited for everyone else because I am not a sore loser. No matter what you've heard. Nope. Not me.

My next session was the one I was most excited about: making clip art. It was presented by Nikki of Melonheadz! She was so nice and definitely opened my eyes to the fact that ANYONE can draw. Really. She said it. I actually drew an elephant in her session (following her step by step directions, of course!) 

We even got some swag for attending!

Don't worry, I'm not going to become a clip art artist any time soon...I'll stick to what I am good at--buying clip art! 

I ate lunch with a few other sellers who actually had heard of my store so that was exciting.

For the afternoon sessions, I attended a session about making sensational secondary products (4mulafun and Michele Luck) and accelerating your store's success (Lovin' Lit). Both were really good and got me thinking about some things that I should change in my store. I can't wait to have time at home to revise some of my older products!

I left the sessions having met several people that I "knew" already and some that I didn't. It was cool to be able to put faces with logos. This is a small pile of business cards that I left with:

I can't wait to start following these blogs and seeing the wonderful ideas and products these sellers come up with.

After the sessions, TPT hosted a happy hour so we could all relax and really interact with each other.

I had two glasses of wine while chatting with all of these fantastic secondary sellers!

And last, but certainly not least, the sellers presented Paul and all of team TPT with a few gifts. You can see what Paul's looks like. It is a giant canvas and a mosaic of many of our store logos as a collage. Then, the TPT apple logo is placed on top with a sweet message.

I am so glad that I started my TPT journey just over a year ago. I am blessed to not only share my resources with all of you, but to impact the lives of kids all over the world. It gives me chills just thinking about it! 

#TpTVegas14