Liebster Award

I was totally jazzed when Mandy at Caffeine and Lesson Plans told me she nominated me for a Liebster Award! I still feel way too green to think I would EVER deserve a blogging award.  However, I feel very honored for her to think of me! For those of you, like me, that don't know about the Liebster Award here are the rules:

1. Link back to the blog that nominated you.

2. Nominate 5-11 blogs with fewer than 250 followers.

 

3. Answer the questions posted for you by your nominator.

 

4. Share 11 random facts about yourself.

 

5. Create 11 questions for your nominees.

 

6. Contact your nominees by commenting on their blog or sending them an email to communicate the nomination.

Thank you Mandy for nominating me! When I started blogging last year I had no idea if people would even want to read what I had to say. I can't tell you how excited I am!



Mandy asked me eleven fabulous questions!

1. Heels or flats? Why?
Flats all the way! I love the look of heels, but I can not even make it an hour while teaching in them. Even a kitten heel becomes an enemy after being on my feet a few hours. I always keep a pair of flip flops, matching my classroom colors, under my desk in case my shoes become too much.

2. What is your favorite color?
Purple! My bedroom is currently painted light purple, and I have a dark purple bed spread.

3. How do you spend your Saturdays?
If my fiancé is off, I normally spend my time with him. We like to go to the bookstore, watch movies, and just chill. If he is working, I tend to spend the day sleeping in, running errands, and cleaning house.

4. What is your favorite vacation spot?
Mount Vernon! I have been there three times and still want to go back. I guess it's the nerd in me, but I love the history and beauty of the place.

5. Do you prefer summer or winter?
Winter all the way. I love snow, hot chocolate, warm blankets, and cuddling! Besides, it gets way too hot in Oklahoma during the summer. Last year we had over a month of 100 degree days. No thank you!

6. What is your favorite subject to teach?
Social Studies is by far my favorite subject. I love that in 5th grade my students still love history. Everyday is a new adventure into the past. I would rather change grades, schools, etc. than give up teaching Social Studies.

7. If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would buy?
A full time aide for my classroom. Seriously! Someone to do all the grading, copying, and filing for me. That way I can really get back to teaching and stop spending so much time on other stuff.

8. What is your favorite TV show?
Grey's Anatomy. I honestly rarely get to sit down and watch a show regularly. However, I always try to make sure I am home for Grey's. I've been watching and waiting for this last season to appear on Netflix.

9. Are you married or dating someone? What is your spouse's name?
I am currently engaged to an awesome man named Jason. We have been engaged since the day before Thanksgiving. He told me how "thankful" he was for me. Awww. We are getting married in January!

10. What is your "can't live without it" teaching tool?
My Smartboard. I can't believe I ever survived without it. I love that it is interactive! I'm not sure a day goes by without me using it at least several times.

11. What is your favorite restaurant?
I love Mexican food, so my favorite in OKC is Cocino De Mino. I also love Alfredo's in Moore. However, I will NOT go to a Mexican restaurant that charges for cheese dip. How rude!

My Eleven Random Facts
1. My babies are my two dogs and cat. My dachshund, Bella, thinks she runs the house and even pouts when she doesn't get her way.

2. My living room is yellow. Yellow may seem a little bright, but yellow reminds me of happy. I smile every time I go in the living room.

3. I love to go camping! I take my Girl Scouts several times a year and try to take at least one personal trip a year as well.

4. I have my Girl Scout Gold Award. It is the equivalent of the Boy Scout Eagle. I'm very proud that I grew up in Girl Scouting!

5. I love to craft and sew. I always have a mile long to do list of crafts and sewing projects.

6. I am about to turn 30! Yes, I said it (or typed it.) :)

7. I can never sleep the night before school starts. I am always way too EXCITED!

8. I am super afraid of heights but love roller coasters and used to go rapelling.

9. I almost always love the book better than the movie.

10. I own all the Harry Potter movies and would love to have a magic wand. Goodbye dishes with just one wave!

11. I'm going to Paris and London next year with my Girl Scouts. I have only been to London once, which really doesn't count since I never left the airport. It is one of my biggest dreams to go to Paris ever since I took French in high school. J'aime Paris!

Now it's time to pay it forward. My nominees are:

2 Super Teachers



Ms. Cranfill's Class


Numbers Rule My World


Questions for my fabulous nominees:

1. Why did you decide to work in education?
2. What teacher had the most influence on you?
3. Where is your favorite place to visit but you wouldn't want to live there?
4. Who is your hero?
5. What phrase do you say most often during your day?
6. Would you rather give up your cell phone or give up your favorite food for the rest of your life?
7. What is your favorite movie?
8. Why did you start blogging?
9. If you could travel back in time to meet one person, who would it be?
10. Who is your celebrity crush?
11. What was your favorite memory from this last school year?

Once again, thanks Mandy for nominating me!

Sunday Smorgasbord

This summer has been flying by so fast. I can't believe it is coming to an end in less than a month. One of my goals was to work on blogging this summer. Well I haven't been great about that, but have spent some time catching up on some of my other goals like sleep, reading, swimming, and working out. To catch up on my summer I am joining Fabulous in First's Linky Party: Sunday Smorgasbord.

Working Out:

As many of you know I'm getting married in January and HATE the idea of wedding dress shopping. I decided the only way I would even begin to want to shop is if I knew I was working on making myself feel more comfortable in my own skin. This summer I have started taking Zumba classes with some of my favorite girls. I've been having such a blast going to class that I actually bought the DVD's so I could do it on my own. Let me tell you, I am by far not coordinated and have no rhythm. However, I am loving Zumba and can't believe how fast time flies when you are having fun!

Reading:

I have visited the library several times this summer, and the book store more times than I should admit. I get so busy during the school year, that I feel like I go months without reading a new book. I have greatly enjoyed catching up on my reading.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Janet Evanovich! After catching up on her Stephanie Plum novels, I moved on to her Wicked series. She has two books in this series so far, but I hope there will be more soon. These novels are silly and make me laugh my head off. A little bit of magic, hilarious characters, and a monkey make me not able to put the books down.

I love books that are part of a series, so I randomly picked up Bared to You when I was at Hastings one day. There are three books in this Crossfire series, though a fourth is set to come out sometime in the future. Once I started reading this book, I could not stop. I had to go back to the bookstore two days later and get the other two books. If you liked Fifty Shades of Grey then you might really enjoy this series. The books present a love story of two very complicated characters with a whole lot of border line too steamy parts. This series has me rooting for the two characters to find their happily ever after...

Summer School:

Summer School started last week. I am teaching Vocabulary. I have forty minutes every day to teach Vocabulary!  I have been using the Reading Olympians to teach Greek and Latin roots, prefixes, and suffixes.

 

 

This is the first time I have used The Reading Olympians system, but I am really liking it so far. This is kind of my test run before I start using it this school year.

 

I have also pulled in some fun games like Blurt and Apples to Apples. They love these games and are quick and easy to use once they know how to play them. I have also introduced using vocabulary cartoons to learn a new word every day. We are not using the premade ones, but are making our own to go with the novel they are reading in another class.They really enjoy making these cartoons.

 

I have never had this much time in my day to focus on just vocabulary. If you have any cool activities you use to teach vocabulary, I would LOVE for you to share them with me!

 

Well, my time for some random catching up is over. Hope your week and summer are going great!