Monday, August 4, 2014

Monday Made It - August 4

Wow! I cannot believe it, but I have blogged three days in a row and four times this week. I even had time to make some things to share on Tara's linky.
My first project was another "redo" from my daughter's graduation party. I found this set of chalkboard pennants at Michael's. The chalk markers were also from Michael's. For the party, my son's girlfriend made letters. She was more patient than I was. I loved the fact that the paper was "erasable" and could be put to use when G was done with them. The letters are going to look great in my classroom with the black and neon colors.



 My second project was a crayon wreath. The inspiration was a wreath our receptionist made for the office. It was a Pinterest inspired project. The crayons, ribbon, wooden pieces, and embroidery hoops are all from Michael's. The hot glue and glue gun I used were also from Michael's purchased for previous projects.
My favorite project was one I made as part of my Make-It, Take-It session last Wednesday. Our County CeMAT Center has great printing capabilities. I earned a $10 credit by attending a Revised Daily 5 PD. The poster took advantage of Melonheadz clip art I had been hoarding. I made the poster in PowerPoint, and then set the print to 300% on the poster printer. (Much better than piecing it together!) Then I slowly increased the size to fit the poster size limits. I was able to print and laminate it, print $2 worth of colored pages, and still have a dollar on my account! 
Love the 24 by 34 size!
The third project was inspired by this poster from Creekside Teachers.
What projects have you completed for your home or classroom? Don't forget to link up with Tara.

Sunday, August 3, 2014

BTS Sale

Like so many of you, I will be hosting a Back to School Sale on August 4 and 5 at my store on Teachers Pay Teachers. This sale comes as most of you are getting ready to head back to school. I still have a couple of weeks, but that hasn't stopped me from shopping. My TpT cart  and wishlist are packed with goodies I just cannot wait to purchase.
Graphic by Jena Hudson @ Sew Much Music

My entire store is on sale for 20% off. With the additional discount from TpT, you can save 28%. That will help those BTS funds stretch a little more. Make sure you use the Code: BTS14 to get the best deal.

I have added a couple of things to my store that you may want to check out.




 What will you buy?

Saturday, August 2, 2014

The Worth of Water

Image waking up on a lazy summer Saturday. It is rainy. As you reach for the coffee pot you check your texts or turn on the television. A warning flashes to not drink or touch the water. A water advisory that later turned into a state of emergency for over half a million people was issued. That is how my family was greeted this morning. Although it doesn't directly affect me, as we have a well, it has caused havoc for people and business throughout northwest Ohio and southern Monroe County in Michigan. An algae bloom caused toxins to form in our beloved Lake Erie western basin. The toxins are concentrated when the water is boiled. Consumption by humans and animals must be avoided.

The City of Toledo sent out a warning at 2:15 this morning. By 8:30 AM most grocery stores, carry outs, or national chains did not have any water. Citizens panicked and hoarded any water that could be found. Restaurants were closed unless they can guarantee "no water use" will be maintained. Dishes and clothing are not to be washed in the water. Neighboring cities that are not affected are filling bottles at fire and police stations. Restaurants in the far outlying areas are being overrun with customers, including hubby's. Water is being sent by truckloads, being diverted from other areas.

Ironically, it continues to rain off and on. The rain has no effect on the algae bloom. The water temperature and wind direction do. There is virtually no wind today. We need a strong southwest wind to blow the pea-green algae out into the lake where colder temps will help it disperse.

Why should you care? The Great Lakes provide so much of the drinking water for millions of people. Neurotoxin that form here can form in freshwater throughout the world. Runoff from farms and industry, faulty septic systems, etc. lead to the algae blooms. This should send a message to all of us, that we need to look into ways to safeguard our natural resources before the "well" goes dry.

Friday, August 1, 2014

Currently August 1st

Wow! The summer is just flying by. It has been too cool to swim much, and I have been too busy. I am linking up with Farley at Oh' Boy 4th Grade for her monthly Currently Linky Party.

My usual Friday night guilty pleasure is SYTD. Not much else on of interest tonight. I finished my book earlier, and I know I cannot finish any book I start tonight. I am a cover to cover reader.

I had a two day Daily 5 Revised PD session. I didn't really learn anything new, but it gave me a chance to meet new teachers and share some tips, tricks, and teaching strategies. The best part of the session were the breakout sessions on Wednesday. I got to play with apps and made a really awesome poster using my $10 credit  in their "shop". I will share it on Monday. 

With our late ending June 18th, and graduation party tasks, I feel like summer just started. We go back in a month. Hubby and I are heading to NC to see son's new home and take some things. I have things to finish, like cleaning before I go. I am looking forward to getting away. It is our first trip in a year and a half. 

I can get a key to my room on August 11th. Our first work day is August 26th. We get a half day to work in our room, but Open House is Wednesday! We have PD at the county before Open House :( so I have to be ready before the 26th! We have all day PD on Thursday, followed by a mandatory four day weekend in Michigan. Kids come back on Tuesday, September 2nd. What are you doing Currently? Link up!



Pin It button on image hover