Hello Friends! I am just stopping in today to share a little more...... SNOWMAN LOVE ...

'Tis almost time to start shopping!  Fa-la-la-la-la!  La-la-la-la! Start moving your most-desired products from your wish list to your cart, friends! The TpT Cyber Smile Sale will be in full force from Monday, November 30th through  Tuesday, Dec. 1st and you will want to take full advantage of discounts offered from your favorite sellers!  I've linked up with Jen over at Teaching in the Tongass to share the three products my customers love most, as have many other TpT sellers! Know that the product testimonials below  (as well as the thoughtful feedback you submit) warm my heart and keep me creating as I celebrate my two-year anniversary on TpT!  I am grateful to be a member of this collaborative community that helps you "work smarter not harder" in your classroom every day! These three best-selling and most wish-listed units just happen to be three of my personal favorites too!  Designing them was a true "labor of love," e...

Welcome Friends! To me there is nothing better to do on a snowy day than wrapping up in my favorite fleece blanket with a good book and a warm cup of cocoa! Snuggling into a wonderful picture book just makes the rest of the cold, frosty world outside melt away, and allows my imagination to go to a magical place!  Using wordless picture books to inspire young writers to create their own stories is another favorite instructional practice of mine, so keep reading to find out how I do it!  I invite you to join me in doing the same now as The Reading Crew takes you reading in a winter wonderland! ...

Greetings Friends! I hope this blog post finds you well, happy, and celebrating with the folks you love!  This year marks my fifth as an educational blogger, and the words I wrote three years ago in this post still ring true!  I continue to be grateful for all that life offers, especially after the medical scare I had last year!  May you and yours continued to be blessed in the days ahead! ...

WHOA NELLY! HOLD YOUR HORSES! I MAY BE GETTING TOO BIG FOR MY BRITCHES! Yes.....I sometimes get carried away with thematic language when I am teaching an integrated ELA unit, and it just seemed to be the best way to begin this post that I am linking up to for a  cowboy-themed Thematic Thursday this week!  I just had to mosey on over and share some of my favorite stories, songs, and ideas!  Thanks to my dear friend Carla over at Comprehension Connection for the opportunity! HOST TO  A CLASSROOM READING RODEO Many  summers ago, my family vacationed together near Lead, South Dakota, my mother's hometown and a place that we traveled to for many years while growing up.  While there, I was inspired by all things rustic and western, and came home to transform Room #2 into the Rockin' R Ranch! Here are a few photos from the trip that shaped my "vision!"  Imagine sitting on the deck of this lodge house, sipping coffee, and waking up each day to this...

I did it!.... I survived October! What usually is my favorite season has been a bit stress-filled this school year, but I am happy to say that now that progress reports have been filed and parent conferences are over, I am hoping that the fun-filled months of November and December will help me find some balance and  re-discover what brings me joy...... It is with great happiness and hope that I am joining Farley for her CURRENTLY linky tonight!   It's been forever since I blogged.  A "sick" laptop has prevented me from sharing here and creating new resources for TpT--and it feels good to be back to share a few stories and some favorite songs...... This album was the first one I purchased from a small record store in uptown Oxford, Ohio when I was a freshman in college.  It was the beginning of my love of all things played and sung by  Dan Fogelberg .  It is my still my "go-to" playlist when I need to de-compress a...