Monday Made It (Beginning of Classroom Library Makeover!)

I was pretty productive this week, knocking items off my to-do list at home and school!  

My home to-do list items that I accomplished were organizing areas in my home that have needed it for a long time, so I didn't really "make" anything.  

But I have some projects that I have been working on for school!  

I am excited to share them with you for 4th Grade Frolics Monday Made It.  

I just love Mondays over the summer and Tara's linky!  Everyone is so creative and inspiring!

I have desperately been needing a way to keep track of the blogging world to-do list.  

I can't seem to keep straight all the linky parties, the giveaways I donate to, and posting links on Pinterest, Facebook, and so on.  

When I saw this product, I knew I could use it!

Okay, so I didn't make it...but I printed it and stuck it in this handy binder.  

I'd have to say that I "made" a way to organize my blogging! :)  

Here is a page to keep track of giveaways.  There is a new page for each month of the calendar.

Here is a page to keep track of linky parties for the month.

Here is the first calendar page for each month.  The little squares on each date are to check if the post is scheduled and for status updates for Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.

I found these two bookcases this summer at two different garage sales!  They are both very sturdy and have real wood.  I bought a cheap bookcase at a department store last summer for $15.  Well, a student sat on the top of it and it broke.  Good bookcases are SO expensive and I was on the lookout for some good garage sale finds that I could spruce up.

This one was $7:

This one was $10.  A father made it from his daughter's old bedroom furniture set!

I already have two other mismatched bookcases in my classroom, and knew that I wanted to paint all of them the same color.  I decided to go with black because I bought some bright book bins at the Dollar Tree and I knew they would look striking against the black! :)

First, I primed both bookcases.

 I love using these little 4" rollers for jobs like this.

Then, I painted them black.  They each took two coats of black.

 I had my 6 year old stand here so you could see how tall the bookcase is. :)

Don't they look better?  I think it looks much more upper elementary appropriate in black.

I can't wait to put my colorful bins on them but need to put a coat of polyurethane on the shelves.

I may even add some fun, bright scrapbook paper to these bookcases or the two I still need to paint in my classroom once I can get back in there.  

I found some bins at the Dollar Tree for $1 each and knew they would make great book bins!  

I have never had book bins in my library before and am so excited for the change.  

Since I am sticking with my owl theme for another year, I had my heart set on owl book bin labels.

I searched and searched but couldn't find what I really wanted that I could customize.

So, I made my own!!  You can find them here on TPT.

Here is a preview of what they will look like. 

 These are not laminated yet, but I wanted to see how they look on the bins.  

I plan on laminating the labels and applying them with double sided tape.

The owl graphics by Digital Potpourri are so bright and colorful.  

They are just what I was looking for!

I hope my students remember where to return the books that they borrow, but, in case they forget, each book will have a label to help ensure it goes back in the right place!  

(Help is the key word...hopefully, my classroom librarians will be right on top of keeping it organized!).  

Here are the labels I printed for Realistic Fiction so far.  I used Avery address labels 8160.

 

On a final note, yesterday we went blueberry picking.  

There was finally a break in the heat and it was cloudy.  Perfect day to pick some blueberries! 

We picked a combined 12.5 pounds. :)

One bucket is my 6 year old daughter's, one is my husband's, and the other is mine.   

Guess who picked the most? 

Yep, me!  Not gonna lie.  That was pretty satisfying.  

My husband and I compete over little things like that.  

Of course, to rub it in a little more, I pointed out that I also took time to take pictures while picking AND he dumped my three year old's bucket in with his (not that it was much...buy hey!). 

I told him he didn't have a prayer because I am so used to multitasking that I can just do my tasks "super fast"!  Haha!!  

I have yet to meet a man that can multitask like the women I know can. :)  Sorry guys!

Don't forget to go back often this week and check out all the Monday Made Its!!