Monday Made It {{July 29}}

How does time fly by so fast in the summer time??? Seriously, it feels like I was just waking up after a night out celebrating the last day of teaching for a beloved team member && now it's almost time to go back to work. Where has the summer gone? I guess it's time to start making the most of my carefree days before they've all slipped through my fingers. First things first with the make the most of summer before it's bye bye umbrella drinks and hello water bottles... Monday Made It with 4th Grade Frolics. I have a few different things to share this week, I've been busy designing, printing, laminating and hot gluing so grab a cup of coffee and settle in for a trip to crazy town. Speaking of crazy town, this is my hoarder closet storage closet..my own little slice of crazy town:

Don't dial the number for Hoarders on TLC just yet, it's all making the trip back to the school with me as soon as they let me back in to work my magic. . .which isn't coming soon enough. I'm starting to get really anxious...I've never waited this long to set my room up and to say I'm going crazy would be an understatement. Buuuuut for new carpet, I'll hold tightly to my bottle of chill pills and anxiously await the all clear email. My first MMI project has nothing to do with teaching...maybe once you get home from teaching, but definitely not classroom material {{ain't nobody got time to be fired}} It's definitely a must for an overly anxious caffeinated teacher (I should really try to break myself of this coffee habit) who is more than ready to jump at the chance to organize and clean her classroom (sad, yet true...I'm keeping it real y'all).

Project #1: Homemade Wine {{Raspberry Zinfandel}}

We finally got to bottle up this sweet stuff last night and as always it's delicious. It was 4 weeks in the making, but we have 28 bottles to last us until the next kit is ready. The starter kit is a little pricey...and the wine packets are about $70, but with 28 bottles coming out of the kit it's way worth the money. Think about buying 28 quality bottles of wine (I'm not talking box wine ladies) at the grocery store && what that cost would be...yeah, I'll keep my arm and leg please and thank you. We've made about 8 different flavors and I haven't been disappointed by any of them. They were all delicious (especially the Strawberry Riesling...holy cow yuuuuuummmmm). The wine is a little stronger than store bought wines...I'm talking one glass and I'm relaxed...what's not to love about yumminess that takes half the calories?? Seriously the less time doing push ups and burpies...the more happy, happy, happy my life becomes!

The rest of my MMI projects are all teaching related. If you haven't been reading lately, I decided to redo my classroom this year: changing it from the beachy theme to an owl theme. I've been bouncing from store to store picking up owl pieces that I have to have (ok, want to have...but have to have because they're too cute not to get) for the past few weeks. That's part of the reason why my closet looks like the hot mess that it is right now. I forgot how much actually goes in to changing the theme of your classroom- -all of the tiny touches of the beach that have to be stripped away (cubby numbers, book bag hook numbers, job chart, alphabet line, behavior chart, outside wall display, Meet the Teacher Night, etc, etc, etc)...does your head hurt yet??

Project # 2: Job Chart
My biggest project: a new job chart. Currently mine is a store bought one of overalls. I have no clue why I got overalls...I guess it was cute and it worked. When I first started teaching I hadn't really "found" myself as the designer/organizer that I am now. It was in me, but I didn't really have a clear vision of what I wanted because I was too focused on not drowning. My excuse for the other 5 years...it wasn't a priority? I wasn't as anal as I am now? I had too much time to think about things this summer because I can't set anything up yet? Any way you cut it, overalls just weren't cutting it anymore for me && it was time for a redo. {{nothing against overall job charts if you have one like my old one}} So keeping with the colors/patterns I used in my behavior chart, I put together a job chart. Whooooo's Helpin'? is available in my TPT store {{here}}. If you happen to be using an owl theme as well the work is done for you. If owls aren't your thing, my intention is to upload a variety of themed job charts so anyone can join in on the fun. Why not right? In the download you'll get 2 versions: a ready to print version or a print, place on scrapbook paper matting and then laminate version. I used the second option because it saves ink (enough said) and the scrapbook paper colors are more vibrant (and you can customize the colors a little more). I hot glued a ribbon chain to each side of the chart to hold it all together && a ribbon loop to the top of the chart for easy hanging. The accent bow came from the Hobs (Hobby Lobby). Each job card has a dot or two printed on it. These dots correspond with the amount of kids that assign each job to. My class typically has 18 kids so my job chart has 18 job dots. You'll see clothespins on the job chart...I covered these in two kinds of Washi tape. If you haven't heard about this you better ask somebody for reals. It's amazing...I got it Office Depot...and I'm in love! The clothespins will be used to assign jobs--each student will have a clip with their name on it. Easy breezy, lemon squeezy y'all!

Project #3: MTT Night
My next MMI project has to do with Meet the Teacher Night that I've blogged about {{here}} and {{here}}. I won't go into all of the nitty gritty, but our MTT Night is done drop in style. The kids and their parents drop in to check out our rooms and ask any questions that they may have. I set up my back table....errrr by set up I mean deck it out (I'm a tad bit of an over achiever). I have a sign in station, an estimation station, and a sweet treat station. When my kids and their families enter the room, they receive a to do list. This leads them to the back table, to their seats, and finally to me at the door to check out && get their sweet treat. I've found that it cuts down on some of the awkwardness/anxiety of the night by giving everyone a set list of things to do. It keeps everything organized and above all it looks put together and cute. First impressions are everything and who doesn't love a cute room? The packet in my TPT store has everything you need to make your Meet the Teacher Night styled, organized and simple. You can get your copy by going {{here}}. &&& no worries if you're not into owls, I'll be putting together packs for other themes during the week.

With time ticking away before Kathy Lee and Hoda Woman come on I need to wrap it up. So, until next time live, love && get ready to teach because it's coming up quick ready or not!