It's official...

...I'm a homeowner:)
I am crazily moving, unpacking, planning, and organizing both new home and classroom. I just wanted to take time to quickly say thanks to those of you who have commented and emailed with your prayers and best wishes. This was a very stressful, wonderful time for me and my boys and we are overwhelmingly happy to have a place to call our own!!
Will post again when things calm down a little, and I'm a little more settled!
You wonderful, little bunch of followers are the best!

If you are also hurriedly planning and organizing (who isn't at this point!), my thoughts are with you, as well! I hope we all have an incredibly successful beginning to our new school year:)

Merry Christmas indeed! & one more pic...

I'm sharing my shopping and one more classroom pic...before I close on my first home in the morning!! Hallelujah, and PTL:)

I love me some First Grade Parade. It was the v-e-r-y first blog I ever stumbled onto:) From there, I just kept stumbling...and what a tumble it has been! I just {heart} this bloggy world, and all of you precious followers!

I have had Cara's Mooseltoe packet in my wish list since right after Valentine's Day. I just figured I would get it closer to Christmas. But...since everyone threw an early Christmas celebration, I scooped it up! Along with Cara's Merry & Bright packet, and Valentine's Friends pack---which also includes a little Presidents' Day & Groundhog activities. What fun!

Anyone else super-stressed by TpT during the sale? What timing, huh?

And speaking of The First Grade Parade, do you have Cara's Writer's Eye Freebie? I was really inspired by her post which included the freebie and a link to her inspiration. I used both her materials and the original blog to create my newest bulletin board. Excuse the blurriness; I had to use my son's iPod!

Does anyone else think these look like Cookie Monster's eyes? If they were a little closer together...I don't know:)

Our building is doing a Heroes theme this year, and I made this while working in the room today. The graphics are from Clementine, a cute little etsy shop:) I've seen this poem floating around, and I just love it! If you think you can use it in your classroom, feel free to click and download!

Alright, wish me blessings, dear friends! If all goes well, I will be an official homeowner this time tomorrow! Have a SUPER day!!

Finally...pics & my first FREEBIE!

Have you ever just felt in-over-your-head by a project? That is how I felt the last few days in my classroom. And...it's still not complete! Thank goodness I still have a few weeks before school starts (so sorry to those of you who have already started meetings...and SCHOOL! unbelievable...)

Quick backstory, last year when I was hired, I barely went through my room to de-clutter the things the former teacher had left. My sweet principal and school secretary had gone through a few things, but mostly it was up to me to sort through what I wanted to keep and what I wanted to pitch get rid of donate (to the landfill). This year, going through the ENTIRE ROOM was first on my priority list...but somehow it has wound up being one of the last things I have done. Any of you have that problem?

You will still see some piles and, what appears to be, clutter...but trust me, it is a FAR cry from what it was in the middle of June!

Without further ado, current photos of my home-away-from-home!

One wall of my library...the other side was MUCH too cluttered to photograph!

Writing station, just behind library

More Writing/Word Work stations....That long black wall will hold our sight words

Calendar/Gathering Place...I L-O-V-E my lantern lights:)
 (btw, the calendar board is unfinished, in case you wondered! See, still more work...)

My teacher desk (above)....I gave it to my para & aide last year, I so RARELY used it.

The Bulletin Board you see as soon as you walk in my room.
Our building theme is HEROES this year...I'm stoked!!

That's all I have for now...stay tuned for more!

Oh, yeah...I promised you a freebie; as in, my FIRST FREEBIE! I hope you like it:)

When I introduced the CAFE strategies last year, I found the coolest website that introduced each component with an animal character. I absolutely loved this idea, but altered it slightly to fit my OCD perfectionist personality. I kept two of her original characters (Cool Comp Cat & Expanding Ellie Elephant), but added two of my own (Fluent Finnyus Fish & Accurate Annie-Conda). Together, they are: The CAFE Friends! Each animal depicts the reading component perfectly (I think), and the kiddos really liked deciding "who" they wanted to read like each time.

If you like this idea as much as I do, feel free to download these character mini-posters to display on your CAFE board, or simply to use during Guided Reading. This is my first time using Google Docs...I'm a little nervioso! So if this doesn't work, leave a comment with your email and I'll send you the PDF directly:) If it did happen to work, just click on any of the characters to download your copy!

Okay, I am off to bed because I have a TON of stuff to do for my new home....I close (hopefully, say some prayers!) on Friday:) Night, sweet friends!

Oh!  Don't forget to go shopping tomorrow! It's that fabulous Christmas in July sale!!! Yay!