August Currently, laminator, giveaways

I am linking up with Farley at Oh Boy...Fourth Grade for my second Currently:)

I went to school several times hoping that...

A.  the hot laminator would be fixed (even though it is ancient and smells terrible...I am desperate)

B.  the cold laminator would have a refill supply loaded (it has been empty for months and I guess there won't be any more refills???...I don't like how it laminates anyway but, hey, did I mention that I am desperate?)

So, I kept thinking that I should just get my own laminator to have at home but didn't want to spend a fortune.  Then, I saw Farley's post and had to check out the laminator she bought.  It was only $31 with 20 laminating pockets included!!  I bought it on the spot.  I cannot wait!

This is the one I bought...click on picture for link:

I always need more books for my classroom.  Especially after viewing all the pictures of your lovely classroom libraries, I am feeling my library is quite inadequate:)  Definitely need to beef up the nonfiction too.

You have to check out this AWESOME giveaway!!  It is the BEST!

Who doesn't want a $30 Target gift card?  Check out this giveaway at Literacy and Laughter:

Check out this giveaway of lots of items at An Apple for the Teacher:

Join Layla at Fancy Free in Fourth for her HUGE 300 follower giveaway!!

Adventures of a 6th Grade Teacher is having a massive 700 Follower giveaway!  Check it out!

Teaching With Hope is giving away her super cute grade level team shirts!!

The Hive is having a 150 follower giveaway!!  Check out the tiles!

Also, don't forget to enter my 100 follower giveaway!!  Click here to see post.  Ends 8/10...

My 100 Followers Giveaway! YES!!

Wow!!  I cannot believe that I have 100 followers!!  I have been so inspired in just a few weeks from all of your ideas, stories, and advice.  Thank you, thank you!!!  

To celebrate, I am hosting my first giveaway.  Yay!  I absolutely LOVE amazon and can find just about anything I need there.  So, I am giving away a $25 gift card to Amazon!  Feel free to use it professionally or personally...treat yourself how you see fit if you are the lucky winner.  Good luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tell Me More Linky:)

I am linking up with Amy at Step Into Second Grade for the Tell Me More Linky.  How fun!
Also, I am ALMOST (99) at 100 followers!!  Check back soon to enter my giveaway.  Thanks!

1.  The only sport (besides the Olympics) that I watch religiously is NFL football.  I never miss a game when my team is playing.......The Buffalo Bills!!  I have been a fan since elementary school when they had their golden years and stretch of 4 consecutive Super Bowl appearances (which they still hold the record for the most consecutive appearances by the way!).  

I remember being at a party in 6th grade for the Super Bowl (the infamous one where the Bills missed the field goal in the last seconds of the game to the Giants).  Well, it was 6th grade and ALL my friends were running around the house.  Not me!  I sat glued by the TV, biting my nails.  I still am in a terrible mood on Mondays when the Bills lose on Sunday (which is about half the Mondays September to January).  The game they lost to Dallas in Monday night football a couple years ago kept me up all night.  If you have a team you have loved for 25+years, you get it.  I always am the optimist and think this will be "THE YEAR".  But really, this will BE THE YEAR OF THE BILLS!  You just wait.

Monday Made It (editable schedule cards, journals)!!

I have been a busy little bee and am so excited to be linking up with Tara at 4th Grade Frolics for Monday Made It!!

I have a blue pocket schedule chart and have always written the schedule with dry erase markers on my laminated cards (I am so boring!).  Then, I saw this on pinterest:

I searched high and low for cards with times that were editable and could not find any!  I am not very tech savvy in taking a PDF and altering it.  So, I gave up and made my own.  They are made using powerpoint and can be downloaded for FREE today at here at my TPT store.  They are fully editable in Powerpoint for your schedule needs.  Please kindly leave feedback:)  Also, the cute font shown below may not download for you correctly.  The font is from KevinandAmanda Fonts and there are directions in the download if you want to get that font for free!

I printed and cut out one at home in black and white (they are colorful but my printer is out of colored ink).  I am going to lay them over top of my old schedule cards and use the nice heavy duty packing tape to cover the new label.  You could also print them on cardstock and laminate!

Fits over top nicely with space to tape:)  I can't wait to get them all printed in color!!!

Next, a HUGE thank you to Tonya at Tonya's Treats for Teachers for the "Making Memories in 4th Grade" (she has all grades available for download) printables.  I printed yellow for the ELA group memories and purple for homeroom.  They can go in the same container to save shelf space.  

Here is a picture:

I LOVE Dollar General!! "Fabulous Find" and Blog Award

I am finally linking up for Fabulous Find Friday with Elizabeth at Fun in Room 4B!

So, my little town is lacking in the shopping area and when I go to the larger areas, I usually end up at Walmart.  After reading about all of your great finds at Dollar General or Dollar Trees, I decided to go in this little Dollar General (and it was old and little!)........Well, I DID FIND SOME TREASURES!!  Check out this cute lamp for my reading area!!  I think it was $10 with the base and shade.  The base is a transparent purple.

I just love the bright colors.  They had coordinating boxes too!  I am going to use these to store shared writing journals, story stones (still need to make), and other writing materials.  The "owl" themed box on the bottom right is from Family Dollar ($6).  I had to get it to go with my other owl decorations!  The Dollar General boxes were $7, $5, $2, and $1 for the smallest one.

Yay for Monday Made-It! (Stool and Welcome Sign)

Well, I did it!  I am linking up with Tara at Fourth Grade Frolics for my first-ever Monday Made It and I completed TWO projects!!  For both projects I used scrapbook paper.  I love, love to scrapbook in my spare time.  Why?  It lets me be creative even though I am not artistic in the least!  I cannot draw to save my life (it is actually a joke with my students when I try to draw anything and they love laughing at me)........but I can use scrapbook paper, glue, and COPY borrow other people's ideas:)

So, I have recently started pinning two weeks ago when I first entered the blogging world (shocking, I know!).  I started seeing all these stools on pinterest that people paint and thought, I could NEVER do that!  This is from Laurie Cole Designs on pinterest....AMAZING!

Then, I saw this one on I Heart Elementary using scrapbook paper and I began to think I could redo my stool too!

So, I am extremely embarrassed to say that this is what my stool looked like for 12 years:

I started with my supplies (scrapbook paper, acrylic paint, mod podge, spray glitter, and foam brushes):

First, I lightly sanded the stool with 220 sandpaper.  Then, I painted the stool's legs and seat.  The legs took FOUR coats.  I didn't prime first though and I hope that doesn't come back to haunt me.

Need Class Pen Pals? Leave a Comment!

UPDATE:  I posted the information below requesting a pen pal and within no time I had several emails.  I went with the first response from an urban area since my students live in rural NY.  I am excited to have pen pals from Indianapolis next year!

However, I was thinking that maybe other people would like to hook up with someone in the blogging world instead of a "pen pal" site.  I don't know about you, but I feel like fellow bloggers are friends already!  So, if you are looking for a pen pal, post a comment below stating:

• your grade
• state
• rural/urban/suburban
• number of students 

Provide a link to your blog or email address for someone to contact you.  Look around at the other comments and see if someone looks like a good fit and contact them!  If you find a match, just come back and delete your comment so other bloggers don't keep contacting you.

Help spread the word by copying and posting this on your blog:

Are you looking for class pen pals and are frustrated with trying to find one using websites?  Try your blogging friends!  Just post a comment on the post, "Need Class Pen Pals?" or browse the comments to find your match on Fourth Grade Flipper's blog @  http://fourthgradeflipper.blogspot.com/2012/07/anyone-need-4th-grade-pen-pals-please.html

(You can make a link to the website address with the picture and delete the address if you want.  I wasn't sure my link would transfer when you copy and paste it.)


This was my Original Post Requesting a Pen Pal:
Since I entered this blogging world a few weeks ago, I have "met" so many wonderful teachers!!  My students had 4th grade pen pals last year from CA and, sadly, the teacher is moving to a new position.  So............I have to find new pen pals!  I was lucky last year and found someone reliable by November and we were able to exchange letters three times each before the end of the year.  However, the year before that, I had so many leads from that pen pal website and they all fell through until March when we were only able to exchange once!  I think there are a lot of scammers out there.

My students LOVED writing their pen pal letters and receiving them.  After recently reading "The Book Whisperer" I am even more convinced that this is a great opportunity for students to practice their writing.  It is true...........the students actually LIKED writing their letters and never complained!

If you are a 4th grade teacher and need pen pals, please contact me!  I will have 22-24 ELA students next year.  Preferably, it would be nice to have pen pals from an urban area, southern state, or western state since I am in a small, rural town in New York State.  It is fun to have students with quite different backgrounds.  You can send me an email at lillycharlie2915@gmail.com if you are interested or leave me your email in the comments.  I will update this post when (and IF) I find a pen pal match!!  UPDATE:  I found one!  Thank you!!  Look at the comments below for a possibility for your class pen pals!

Check out The Teacher Idea Factory's Pen Pal Pair Up!!  Comment by August 12th and she will match you up with a pen pal!

Thank you!!