Yumm-O

Polka-Dotted "Pie" One of the best parts of having summers off is honing my cooking skills (or lack thereof) and trying some new recipes! I want to share one of my absolute favorite recipes that is always a hit at my house. The hubby loves it and it is a great little casserole to take to any gathering. The best part...it is SUPER simple to do and involves very little brain power. If you can follow a recipe, you can do it! My kind of cooking! I was given this recipe at one of my bridal showers. My friends threw me a recipe shower and every person brought their favorite recipe! This one has become a staple at my house! Drumroll.....

Spaghetti Pie

8oz. box of spaghetti

1 lb. ground beef

1/4 tbs. salt 

1/4 tbs. pepper

Two 8oz. cans tomato sauce

1 1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup chopped green onion

1/4 cup cream cheese

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I like to use the block kind and shred it myself)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cook the spaghetti on the stove as usual. Drain and place in a 2 quart casserole dish coated with cooking spray.  Cook the hamburger meat in a skillet until it is no longer pink.  Drain. Stir in the salt and pepper. Stir in the tomato sauce into the ground beef.  Bring to a boil, reduce and simmer for 20 minutes to let the flavors blend. Combine sour cream, green onions, and cream cheese in a bowl--mix together. Spread this mixture over the cooked spaghetti that is in the casserole dish. Spread with a spatula. Top with the meat mixture from the stove. Spread with a spatula. Sprinkle with the shredded cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 25 minutes.  Take the foil off and bake for an additional 5 minutes to make the cheese extra bubbly! It is seriously delish! 

*Five for Friday Linky Party!*

The most exciting start to my week was visiting my new school! I got to see my new classroom and I gathered up all of my materials so that I can learn the curriculum that my district uses for third grade. I still can not believe that I am going to be a third grade teacher! EEEK! I am partly excited/nervous/scared/anxious/curious. I definitely know that it will be completely different from kindergarten...which will be an adjustment for sure. I also know that I have never been one to turn down an adventure, so I am ready for it. I spent most of my day today revamping my classroom management system. After talking to a fellow teacher at the school and listening to her great ideas, I changed my system a little....it's still cute and still polka dots...and still birds...but it's a little bit more "grown up" (*tear) than my old one. It's very similar to several that I have found on Pinterest. I, of course, had to create my own.

Basically, the kiddos start on blue and can move up to the birdhouse or they can move down. Let's hope we do a lot more moving up! 

My husband and I are thrilled about signing the contract on our new build! We picked out a house plan, ordered the blueprints and have met with he contractor and signed a contract! We couldn't be more excited! In the meantime, we are living with my parents (oh, boy) and counting down the days...which will be a little more than we planned for. Our builder said it will take around eight months! Let's hope we can stand it for that long! Here is a picture of what our finished home will look like:

Having recently moved back home from one of my favorite cities, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the hurt that I've felt this week watching the coverage from Charleston. My heart aches for the families and friends of the victims and I will never understand the hatred that one person can have towards others. I'm glad I can't understand it, because to me, it is unfathomable and completely senseless. I found this beautiful picture and although it doesn't heal the hurt, it does remind me of the beautiful city I just left and of the strong community that remains there. 

With summer finally here, I have been lucky enough to have gone to the beach (North Myrtle) and have been able to soak up some rays. I did happen to get sunburnt, but who can complain about that when this was my view? The clouds look like cotton don't they?

My last Five for Friday share is a picture of my fur baby, Oliver. He is adjusting somewhat well to the move, but he has gotten himself into trouble lately. Just two days ago I was horrified to see that he peed (yes, peed) on the blueprints to our new house (the one you saw in #2). He is a spiteful little turd sometimes. Any time I leave him home and go somewhere with my mom or husband he gets so jealous. Keep in mind that he is completely potty-trained. He does it out of spite. I could create an entire list of things he has peed on out of jealousy...in fact, I think I will:

1.) My husband's couch when he moved into our first house after we got married.

2.) My husband's boxer shorts after he moved in.

3.) My favorite Anthropologie dish towel that he pulled off the oven handle and peed on when I left him to get my hair done one day after school. 

4.) My parent's golden retriever's food bowls.

5.) My parent's kitchen table one night when Ryan and I went on a date.

6.) My husband's side of the bed after he returned from a business trip and was no longer allowed to sleep with mommy.

7.) Our $800.00 house plans---that coincidentally were sitting in the middle of my parent's kitchen table. He did this after my parents and I left to go for ice cream one night after dinner. He is so bad. 

Can you believe this dog is so rotten?

If he weren't so damn cute and love me so much, we might have a problem. He is the most spoiled Yorkie that has walked the earth.

Well guys, I hope you enjoyed my Five for Friday. I didn't have many creative things to share, just a few things near and dear to me at the moment. If you want, share a few comments and don't forget to follow me! Thanks for reading and don't forget to LINK UP to the party. You can get there by clicking here or clicking the banner at the top: Five for Friday Linky Party!

*Chirp, Chirp!*

*Big Changes*

To say my blog has taken a "backseat" is a bit of an understatement.   Unknowingly, 2015 has brought about some big changes for me and my husband, Ryan. In October he accepted a position 3 hours from Charleston in our hometown of Cheraw, South Carolina. Deciding to leave the Holy City was a hard choice to make, but being close to family and friends has been wonderful. 

With the big move came some even bigger changes for me. I have taught kindergarten for the past 7 years. At my school I made lifelong friendships with my fellow teachers and had the pleasure of being with the sweetest children I have ever met. Leaving all of those people behind was, by far, the most difficult part. Saying goodbye is never easy and even thinking about searching for another job made me shudder. Luckily for me, I accepted a position at a great little school and I am excited for a new adventure---in 3rd grade (eek!). We shall see how it goes... :) At least now I have my mom close by to help me decorate my classroom! Unbeknownst to her....

Ryan and I are in the process of building another house in a sweet little neighborhood in Cheraw. We chose a floor plan and recently signed a contract with a local builder to get it started. I am excited for this new phase in our lives!

November Currently

And Currently in Polka Dot Land...

Listening

So...currently, I am listening to the television as background noise. I have a sincere affinity for Netflix, in fact, I don't know why we even pay for cable. I recently finished up Breaking Bad, which led to an HGTV binge of Flea Market Flip. After just one week of incessant watching and dreaming ("Hey, I can make that...mmmm, nah, probably not"), I am now hooked on Restaurant Impossible with Robert Irvine. Why you ask? Am I a great cook? Nope. Not at all. Do I want to own a restaurant? Nope. Do I like to eat? Ding! Ding!  All jokes aside, this show really is surprisingly great!

Loving

How do I pick one thing? I do, indeed, have so many things to love! I am, after all, a very lucky girl. But right now, in the steamy mist of Charleston humidity, we in the lowcountry have been blessed by some sort of anomale-esque southern blizzard! How does the weather go from pushing 90 degrees to 30? I'll never know, but I will say, I am loving the cool snap. It was 37 degrees on the way to school this morning! I wore a scarf...A SCARF! And leggings, to boot! It was wonderful...all elastic wonderfulness.

Thinking

So, I have been thinking since this morning..."I get to sleep in tomorrow!" Happiness for teachers is so simple and borderline pathetic. Does anyone else wake up and the first thing you think of is a glimmer of excitement envisioning yourself settling in for that night's sleep? I guess this is warranted considering I get up at an entirely inhumane hour.Phew...glad I'm not the only one. Tomorrow is election day, which means no school! Which means sleeping in past 5:30. Which means awesome-sauce. 

Wanting

With this cool snap that has been a welcome visitor here in Summerville, I was pretty psyched to turn the heat on for a change. Well, as luck would have it...no such luck for me. Our unit won't turn on! Which means (lucky me) I get to wait for the AC guy to come and check it tomorrow. Why can't a girl just have a normal day off? We are hoping it won't cost an arm and a leg and that it is fixable. We have had so many issues with our HVAC system since we built this house that it has reached a comical level. 

Needing

Does anyone else hate going to the grocery store? I know I do. But, I am in desperate need of a trip to Publix. The fridge is puny. The pantry has nothing of substance. Perhaps on my day off tomorrow I could go.....or perhaps I could have an all day Restaurant Impossible marathon Hmmmmm....decisions, decisions. I'm pretty sure the decision has already been made...

Reading

I am so into my new book...well, new to me book, Gone Girl. I saw the movie when it first came out and loved it. I decided the book was worth a try and got it on my nook. I'm hooked. *(teacher moment: book, nook, hook...THEY RHYME!) Dare I say the book is better than the movie? It's a close call for sure. Pretty sure Ben Affleck wins out, but the book is certainly a very close second.

Want to share your currently edition for November? Head on over to Farley's and LINK UP ALREADY! Click below :)

Linky parties are the best, aren't they?

Keep chirping, friends!

Product Updates

Since I am dusting off the keyboard, per se, and ending my dry spell of blog neglect, I wanted to share some projects that I have listed in my TpT store! If you're like me, TpT is a lifesaver when it comes to finding kitschy, creative, funky, clever, differentiated, and simple ideas to implement in the classroom. Sometimes, we, as teachers, need that last minute item that will seal the deal and reach our students. And if you're like me, you don't always have the time or energy to always make the activities yourself. Not only am I a seller on TpT, but an avid buyer as well. It is amazing how many early childhood products are listed on this site...and to think the proceeds go to hard working teachers...even better!

Shape Bingo

My kiddos and I just finished up our unit on 2d shapes. I actually made these simple bingo cards for a Fun Friday math activity. They are so simple and my kids loved reviewing their shapes through a fun game. Basically, each child gets a game "board." I put the printed pages in plastic sleeves to preserve them. In this product there are 3 variations. All are winners! We don't want any tears, now do we? To extend the activity, this file also has a center game for your math center in which students roll and record shapes using a wooden block. They simply roll the "dice" and color until they reach the top for the winner! 

   

                         

The Five Senses

This school year I have really been trying hard to incorporate at least 25-30 minutes of science instruction into my day--aside from integration into other areas. It has been a challenge, but my students absolutely love it and I enjoy it, too! I have been busy making products to go along with our science units and FOSS kits and came up with this Five Senses Booklet. It never ceases to amaze me how certain products are "hot." I created this little student authored book as an independent work component to go along with our study of the five senses. It has been my most popular product to date! The kids enjoy making their five senses booklets and there are two variations for differentiation--one version that is fill in the blank and one version that has the prompt written at the bottom for them. It also comes with Five Senses unit word cards for your writing center or simply to help you introduce the five senses. If you're interested, this is available in my store and you can get there by clicking the polka dot banner on the right of the screen. And the best part...it's only $1.99!

                   

 

                    

 

Isn't that "Tweet?"

So, my big thing this year is trying to contact my students' parents on a more regular basis. I have started sending home monthly "tweets" which are basically little announcements to parents letting them know how their child is doing. They are based on positive behavior, so I praise their child for what is going well. I also have a section that I add academic updates based on their child's growth. Below is a miniature version of what I send home. I haven't uploaded the larger version to my store yet, but like this one below, it will be free! This little note is easy to print and it comes in different versions. As you all know, I like birds and dots....so....

Thank you for reading my posts on this Magical Monday! Take a peek at my TpT store and see if anything strikes your fancy! Hang in there...Friday is right around the corner! 

*Tweet Tweet*

Happy Halloween!

Boo Tidings to You!

Wow. I feel like a complete failure. Has it really been since May that I have updated this poor pitiful blog? I must admit, my summer was fun! And I must admit that going back to school was a bit painful. There are a lot of new initiatives this year in my district and they are a little time consuming. Excuses aside, I am very excited to announce that I will be dressing up this year for Halloween...Guess who I will be...

Elsa!

Anytime I see her face I can't help but sing "Let it Go!"

I am, of course, a slightly larger, less modelesque, frumpier version of her, but who cares! 

Let it Go!. 

Keep Calm....

I know I'm not the only one who needs to see this reassurance right about NOW!