It's #3 -- HOT Summer Giveaway Week 3

3 is my favorite number and this is the final part to our 3-part giveaway.  

I've had so much fun with this Giveaway and have even gotten a message from a follower that told me she was notified that she's a WINNER from last week!  That is awesome!

This week is our last HOT and we've got some more great prizes.  I know I could use these gift cards  (I only have one of my Target gift cards from my kiddos left & have already spent bunches on TPT).

This one will end on August 3rd so get your entries in.  Thanks for having fun with us these last 3 weeks.  Be on the lookout for more great things to come.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tips & Tools 4 Back To School - Week 7

 It's sunday, friends.  That means another of the Primary Peeps is bringing you a quick back to school tip and tool.

This week is brought to you by the wonderful duo at Coast To Coast Kinder, Autumn & Ruth.
Stop by to take a look at their post about literacy centers.  Not to mention that they are sharing a wonderful freebie!  Look at these cute literacy center signs!  You can click the picture below to get to their Tips & Tools blog post.

 Then don't forget to come back next week for another Tip & Tool.

High/Low Linky Party w/ A First For Everything

I'm doing my first Link-Up with a bloggy buddy of mine.  She has this great Saturday Link Up called 

I told her that it reminded me of the Kardashians because they sometimes do a "high & low" of their day at family dinners.  So here's mine from the week:

My high comes straight from the CAMT conference I spent most of my week at.  CAMT is the Conference for the Advancement of Mathematics Teaching.  It began on Monday morning with a keynote speaker that was HORRIBLE!!  I know what you're thinking right now.  Yes this is still my HIGH for the week.  She was so bad that there were tons of people walking out of the arena.  On Tuesday, there was another keynote speaker for the opening of that day and we were sort of hesitant to go to it however, a friend I made while there suggested that I do.  He told me I wouldn't regret it and HE WAS RIGHT!!  

This guy's name is John Antonetti and he was hands-down the best speaker I have ever listened to.  He is from Colleagues On Call and if you ever get a chance to hear him motivate teachers, don't miss out!  You won't be disappointed in any way!  His best analogy is that of two kinds of students:  Melissa Sue & Bubba.  He had us laughing and crying and feeling like super heroes by the end of an hour long opening session.

My down of the week is pretty down.  Earlier this summer, my grandmother was diagnosed with cancer.  She opted out of radiation and chemotherapy.  We were blessed to visit with her on Mother's Day.  Her health has been deteriorating rapidly and she doesn't seem very coherent these last few days. I really want to be there by her side but we live so far apart.  I just am so sad that my next trip home might be sooner and under circumstances that aren't about a vacation/trip.

 Grandma Helen with Dennis and the kids at Christmas last year.

 My mommas on Mother's Day.

My grandma and I took a selfie last summer.

Now that I have everyone in tears...grab a tissue and stop by A First For Everything to link up and share.

Five for Friday -- Just Before It Ends!

Just a quick 5 to share my past week.  Linking with Doodle Bugs.  

I have been "Rebranded!!"  

We drove out Sunday afternoon and began our CAMT experience in downtown Ft. Worth!  I had a blast!!  I have to admit...my strength is Reading & Writing but Math is where I feel like I have to put loads of effort and try, try, try.  This is the 1st year that I am so excited to approach Math.  I have learned so much from this conference.

I tried to take a selfie with the banner.  Not so good -- so a friend helped me out.

Since I'm in a Mathematical frame of mind...

What questions pop into your head when you see this amazing display from the Ft. Worth convention center?  I bet it has something to do with math, right?  Well, that is one of the most fun things I learned from one of the presenters, Dan Meyer.  Math is really all around us.  We have a natural, innate curiosity that can be mathematical driven.  What a great way to make Math relevant and let kiddos see it in the world around them!!!

(BTW -- I don't know how many hats that is, but I'm sure there is a mathematical way to solve it)

It must be Back To School time because there are giveaways galore!!  A good bloggy friend of mine has hit 200 followers and is having an awesome giveaway.

Look at that prize!!  I need that one!!  And on top of the $$ there are some great products for some other buddies including one of my latest products.  Take a look.

Stop by A Grace Filled Classroom and enter for a chance to win.

Along my path throughout the convention center, I met & made lots of new friends.  Here are a couple of my favorites. 

 A fellow first-timer, named Miles.

 It's Miss Math Dork!  And guess what?  She gave me two of her cute earring sets for teachers to put into a giveaway.  Be on the lookout for that opportunity in the future.  I have to put some great products together to go along with it.  

It was so much fun meeting so many people and just getting back in the school mode.

 Then it was back to graduate school mode.  As soon as I was home I had a day to get my display board ready for our end of class, Literacy Symposium.  I think it came out great!  But, now I need a nap.

And that's my 5 for this week.  Now that we are getting into August, I'm sure I'll have more of a variety soon!

It's a HOT, HOT, HOT Giveaway #2!

Ok -- so we are on the second HOT.  I'm joining forces with all these wonderful bloggers to bring to you the 2nd week of our HOT Summer giveaway.

So this week here's what we've got for you:

A $20 gift certificate for TPT and one for Staples.  Perfect for getting ready for back to school, teachers!  I know my TPT cart is filling up quick!  See below for your chances to win this week's prize.  I'm a little late but you still have plenty of time to enter for your chance.  You have until the 27th and we will announce our winner.  And don't forget to come back for our last HOT next week!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tips & Tools 4 Back 2 School - Week 6

It's Sunday!!  er...no...wait no it's Monday.  You guys know how it goes in the summer.  I usually don't know what the date is let alone the what day of the week it is.  Jeez!  Does anybody else have that same problem?  

But Which ever day it is, I simply can't let you go without this AWESOME Tip & Tool!!

This one is brought to you from another amazing friend, Marisa at Inspired Owls Corner.

I am super duper excited about what she's sharing with us this week!  What an awesome idea!!!  I can hardly wait to plan for this with my new class this upcoming year.  Stop by and check it out!

  What a fantastic freebie!!  Go to her blog by clicking HERE and read about this idea.  Then grab it and have fun!

And hopefully next week I can get this to you on Sunday as opposed to Monday!  Let's see who will be providing some more great tips and tools next week.

Five for Friday -- I'm back!!

I know, I know.  I have not done a Five 4 Friday with Doodle Bugs in a while.

Let's see what I can come up with....

I've finally been able to finish some "works in progress" that have been sitting on my desktop for a while.  Stop by and take a look HERE.

Each packet has journal covers that can be used on whole class journals or as task cards in a writing center.  

My family of 6 have decided to spend some great family time this summer volunteering at a ranch camp for special needs kids.  It has been an amazing experience!  The kids are amazing and the volunteers that are working with us are some of the most awesome people I have met.  We have all had the most fun.  & to top it all off, I have fallen in love.  His name is Chief-Roast Beef.  He's the horse I lead on trail with some of the campers.  He is one of the older guys but is the sweetest thing I have ever met!!

We took a selfie!

And in between all that was mentioned above, I've been working on graduate school work.  I passed my first class with a 95%!!  Woohoo!  Not bad for someone that hasn't been in school since 2001.  I'm finishing up my lecture class over the next 3 weeks.  It's been fun beginning this adventure over summer break...I'm a bit worried about when school is back in.  How in the world will I find time to complete all this writing?  Help!!  Any suggestions from you guys with experience?

 I hit a TPT milestone!!
100 Followers!!!
So I hosted a sale.  It ends tonight at midnight.  Stop by and get 20% off before it ends!!

And finally, the scavenger hunt hosted by Blog Hoppin'!  I love, love, love the idea but am not the best in keeping up with Instagram.  I think I'm going to need to spend a full day hunting some of these things down.  It is so much fun to see what others have already posted and a little discouraging too.  So many of ya'll are so far ahead of me.  I need to get a move on.