Getting Crafty With Painted Plates

I wanted to show off this super cute Christmas craft that my students did at their Christmas party back in December.  My amazing room mom came up with this and ran the show, but it's definitely an idea I'm filing away for the future.

These plates are actually chargers that she purchased at Michael's for less than $1 each.  (I believe they were on sale and she had a coupon.)  The paint that we used is just regular craft paint, which can be wiped off if the kids make a mistake while painting, but needs to be handled carefully afterwards because it may chip off.

She gave the kids cardboard stencils to trace to get started.  They got to select a Christmas tree, angel / gingerbread man (that one was kind of ambiguous), and star and they traced this with a Sharpie.  She also write some phrases that they could paint on their plates (to help with spelling) or they could come up with their own.

Other than that, the kids were pretty much left to their own creativity to finish the project.  To layer the paint, we let it dry so that the wet colors didn't bleed.  We started painting early afternoon, did that off and on, and then let them dry for about an hour before school ended.  All of the plates were dry and ready to go home that day.

I really liked this craft and may use it in the future as a keepsake for parents.  The kids had a blast doing the painting and getting their creative juices flowing.  (My district doesn't have art teachers at the elementary level, so it's pretty rare that our kids get to do any painting or anything artsy like this.)  My room mom even had an extra plate for the kids to sign in metallic paint pen, so I have my own plate with all of their names and the year!  How sweet is that?!?

I've seen a lot of similar chargers on clearance lately, so I figured even though Christmas and the whole holiday season has passed, it was still worth sharing.  With crafts like this, I try to keep the cost at around $1 per student, so this stays right within that budget.  

**PS ~ Rather than have parents donate specific treats for our Christmas party we had them donate money (any amount) to cover the cost of pizza, drinks, and the craft supplies.  I gave all of the money to our room mom and she did all of the shopping.  We had enough to feed everyone and even had some money leftover to put towards supplies for our Valentine's party!

Gifts for the Teacher

In this season of giving I get quite a few of my non-teacher friends and family asking me what types of gifts teachers like to receive from students.  I know that some schools discourage giving gifts, but even with that, I  know many parents want to give gifts if possible.  In my 6 years of teaching, I've been blessed to receive some really thoughtful and generous gifts from my students and their families.  

Here are a few ideas:

Gift Ideas For Teachers by conolley featuring body moisturizers

My Tips:

• Gift cards are almost always a winner.  If you don't know them very well, choose one that could be used several places.  Target is almost always a safe bet for anyone (unless you happen to live in the middle of nowhere and don't have one nearby.)
• Give a practical gift of something they enjoy.  Sometimes the best gifts are my everyday favorites like a 12 pack of Diet Mountain Dew or some Special K Bars.
• Find out "their thing."  My thing is K-State and it's pretty apparent when you walk into my classroom. It's a pretty safe bet that I'll love anything K-State...  Jewelry, blankets, decorations, etc.
• A useful gift set is another safe bet.  I actually received one of these Starbucks sets from a student.  I'm no Starbucks addict, but I do love me some hot cocoa and a cute travel mug!  It's something that is generic enough that most people can probably use it.
• Bath & Body Works products...  They have a great exchange policy!  If you didn't already know, B&BW will let you exchange products if you don't like the scent.  This always makes me feel better when I give something to someone.  Last year my old roommate was able to swap out several gifts from her students for items in scents she enjoyed.
• Classroom supplies are always needed.  I don't know many teachers that couldn't use more classroom supplies like Post-Its, Sharpies, or colorful grading pens!  
• Note cards and stationary with a personal touch.  I love cute notepads and cards.  You can get plenty of cute patterns at specialty stores or even places like Target or Michaels.  If you want to step it up a notch, have it personalized through a website like Vista Print or Shutterfly!

I hope that helps you with any last minute shopping you may still have, or keep these ideas in mind for teacher appreciation or end-of-the-year gifts!

Happy Tuesday!

Since everyone seems to be in a shopping mood...

It's been fun reading everyone's shopping posts over the past couple days.  I feel like I've been spending money and shopping like crazy over the past few weeks, but oddly enough, really haven't done much shopping this weekend.  (I've been working part-time, so that's helped a little bit.)

I've been buying a lot for myself, but I've also put a pretty big dent in my list of things to get family and friends.  I thought I'd share some of my favorite affordable gift ideas and some of the things that I like to give as gifts to my friends and family.

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Scarves

I'm personally a bit obsessed with scarves and I think they make a great gift.  It's a great clothing item that will fit any size person and add a great statement to any outfit.  Here are a few of my current faves.

AEO Floral Paisley Scarf

Gap Cozy Classic Plaid Scarf

Gap Snow Leopard Scarf

Gift Cards 

I know, you're probably yawning at the thought of gift cards.  I think these are a great option for those people that you're just not sure about.  When I give gift cards I like to add in something a little extra.  Last year I purchased cute little coin purses to give my friends and I put the gift cards in there.  Another option is to give multiple gift cards to create things like a "date night" package or to different stores to create a complete outfit.  And if all else fails, give a Target gift card.  I don't think I know a single person that wouldn't be happy with a Target gift card.

Bath & Body Works Goodies

I say this one for several reasons.  First, I'm always a fan of Bath & Body Works items.  I will gladly accept candles, lotions, body sprays, and hand sanitizers at any time.  Second, this store has a great return / exchange policy that makes it really easy for your gift recipient to swap things out if they don't like the scent.  Last year my roommate got some scents from her students that she didn't like and she was able to go in and trade them out for ones that she liked.  Nobody wants their gift recipient to have to make a trip to return or exchange something, but in the event that happens you at least want it to be easy for them.

A Tasty Treat

Source: verybestbaking.com via Michelle on Pinterest

I think these types of gifts are adorable! Not only are they yummy, but they'll also look cute sitting out on the counter.  You can purchase packs of jars in the kitchen department at Target, so these are a great option if you're looking to mass produce a gift.  You can also customize the look with cute gift tags, ribbon, fabric lids, etc. or tie a cute ornament to the jar for another added touch.

A Random Favorite

I think sometimes my favorite gifts are ones that show the person truly knows me.  Yes, a gift wrapped 12 pack of Diet Mountain Dew truly makes me happy.  I think this is a fun idea for coworkers or just as a little added extra.  Pop, gum, or snack foods can make great practical gifts and you can always get cute and creative with you wrapping.

Source: adventuresofabettycrockerwannabe.blogspot.com via Amelia on Pinterest

A Little Something For Pampering

Source: supremecourtney.blogspot.com via Jen on Pinterest

I think this idea is absolutely adorable.  Maybe it's because I'm addicted to nail polish right now and I know many of my friends would be more than happy to receive nail polish as a gift.  Ulta currently has a 5 for $5 table with all sorts of neat beauty gifts.  I picked up 5 items the other day to give as little pampering gifts.  

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What are some of your favorite Christmas gift ideas?

Please share! :)

Merry After Christmas

I wasn't really online much in the past couple days, so I neglected to wish everyone a merry Christmas!  I hope you all had a wonderful time with family and friends.  And, since most of you are teachers as well, I hope that you enjoy the rest of your time off work.

I have quite the "to do" list for my break...  I cleaned and organized my bedroom closet on my first day off and am soon going to attempt the basement closet / bedroom.  I know I'm going to be moving this summer and I'm not sure where yet, so I am trying to weed out extra clutter!  (I'm 90% sure I will be downsizing for at least a year while I save money to buy a house!)  I have piles all over with things to take to resell, donate to Goodwill, or give to my mom to try.  

All of this cleaning has really motivated me to do the same in my classroom!  I started some of that before break, but I think that is going to be one of my big classroom projects this semester.  It's amazing how much you can accumulate in 5 years of teaching!  I think that is one slight disadvantage to staying in the same school / classroom for long periods of time--  I've never been forced to weed through things hard core!  

So, here is my winter break to do list:

• Clean and organize clothes
• Donate, sell, and get rid of stuff I don't wear or need anymore
• Create state assessment prep quizzes
• Create comprehension posters for my classroom (thanks, Pinterest)
• Organize seasonal decor
• Print out folder games and other activities I've been saving from Pinterest and Teachers Pay Teachers
• Update my class website on Shutterfly

I tried going shopping today, but really didn't have much success with the after Christmas sales...  Two Targets and I left both empty-handed.  I think it's because last year I bought everything 75% off and so 50% off was "too much" for me to spend.  LOL  I did get a fun hot pink tee and some great work pants at Gap for a total of $15!  The pants alone were originally $59.50, so I was pretty pleased.  Other than that I wasn't too impressed and have decided to wait out for better markdowns in another week or two.  This whole cleaning and organizing thing has also encouraged me to not add a whole lot more to my already too large wardrobe!  I'm thinking I may try to clothing shopping ban like I did for school stuff...  I stuck to that shopping ban quite well!

Did you get any good shopping deals today?

Are you working on school projects over your break?

Who's Doing the Christmas Break Happy Dance With Me?

I am (almost) officially on Christmas break!  Today was the last day for students, but the teachers have to go in tomorrow for a work day and short inservice.  Thankfully, I should be done with my day at school by 2 p.m. and can get my break rolling soon after!  

I don't know about your schools, but my school has a lot of Christmas traditions.  Our new principal was a teacher in our building for years, so it's been nice that he's carried on most of those traditions this year.  One such tradition is to do a Christmas carol sing along on the last day before break.  We ended up doing a lovely rendition of "The 12 Days of Christmas" in which many of the teachers acted out each of the parts.  I must say I was a pretty awesome "7 swans a swimming"!  

Our staff hasn't really been very much into having a big Christmas party together for several years, so this year our social committee voted to hold our get together after school at the school.  We did an "Amazing Race" type game in teams where we had to solve clues and do different activities around the building.  I'll admit I was a little apprehensive at first, but it ended up being a lot of fun.  It was hilarious seeing all of our teachers wildly running through the hallways decked out in special Christmas headbands for our teams.  (We were the peppermint team!)  I think one of the funniest parts was when the Latchkey kids came out in the hallway to see what all of the running and screaming was about...  They were quite entertained by the masses of teachers in decorative headbands (peppermints, trees, gingerbread men, reindeer) literally running through the hallways.  One of my former students cried out, 

"I didn't know teachers could have so much fun!"  LOL

I'm hoping to get a fair about of school stuff accomplished over the break.  My goal is to try to have my act together and set a good example for my student teacher who starts back with us in January.  I've been getting all sorts of cool ideas from Pinterest and I think this may finally be my opportunity to get some of these projects accomplished.  I usually go into the school one day over break to do some cleaning and organizing before the new semester starts.  

Speaking of...  I'll share a quick story about that with you...

Two winter breaks ago I went in on a Sunday morning to work in my classroom.  I noticed that there were some tools and other things scattered about the building, which was odd, but I figured maintenance was working on stuff and was coming back to finish.  A couple other staff members came in to work later that day and also found these things odd.  We found out the next day that our school had actually been broken into that Sunday morning and that from what they could tell from the security cameras it was when I arrived that they were scared off!  Yes, I was alone in the building with armed burglars present! I just have to say thanks to the Lord for keeping me safe that day!

Okay, enough with my ramblings...  I leave you with my current favorite Christmas song:

"All I Want For Christmas Is You"

Justin Bieber and Mariah Carey

Does anyone else find it slightly creepy that she's acting all sexy and yet is old enough to be his mom?  Despite the slight creepy factor, I love this new version of this song!  Yes, I'm a 26 year old Justin Bieber fan.  Blame it on the fact that I have a 10 year old brother and that I hang out with 3rd graders all day...

Casual Monday

We only have 2 days with kids this week, plus one work day, and then my Christmas break begins! It rained ALL day long and the weather is turning more severe with sleet and snow... All I wanted to do today was come back home to my comfy couch and my warm, cozy sweats!

Part of me is hoping for a snow day tomorrow. 1.) I prefer snow days before Christmas break so that it doesn't interfere with state assessment prep. 2.) I HATE driving across town to work in bad weather. 3.) I really enjoy sleeping in and wearing sweats. 4.) It's not like any learning is going to happen on the last day before Christmas break anyway. 5.) Maybe I could get some work done here at home.

I'm not holding my breath for a snow day, or even a delay. I saw on Facebook that some of my teacher friends a few hours away have already had school called for tomorrow, but I don't know how their weather compares to ours. I honestly should be in bed right now since I have a feeling my commute is going to be a bit long tomorrow, but I've already been on a bad sleep schedule for a few weeks now.

Anyway, I wanted to share my "casual Monday" work outfit from today. It wasn't an official jeans day, but during weeks like this it's pretty much assumed we're going to dress down a bit. I bought this blazer a few weeks ago at American Eagle with my employee discount, sale, and coupon. I've been really into fashion blogs lately and blazers are all over the place, but until now I really had never found one that fit right and was an acceptable price for me. I think this outfit is the perfect mix of casual and still dressy / professional.

Casual Monday by conolley featuring slim jeans

Anyway, if you're still working this week, I wish you the best with these last few days with your students. If you're not a teacher, I wish you the best with whoever you work with and hope that they don't drive you nuts. (I seem to forget that not everyone in the world gets 2ish weeks off work for Christmas break...)

Christmas Gifts for Parents

Every year I seem to struggle with coming up with Christmas gift ideas for parents. I try to come up with something that is personal and creative, but all the while won't cost me my entire paycheck to reproduce for 20+ students. I'm pretty sure I've settled on making picture tiles again because they were super easy and cheap.

I made them for Mother's Day last year, so you can check out that post here. I think I'm going to attempt using the spray Mod Podge and see how that works. I think that'll speed up the process!

I've been finding all sorts of cute ideas on Pinterest and have pinned them on a few of my boards.

Classroom Stuff

&

'Tis the Season

I thought I'd share a few of my favorite Pinterest findings... If you click on the image you will be directed the the pin and from there can go to the website link.

Obviously this would be simplified a lot if I did it with my third graders, but you could totally make a cute collage Christmas tree with buttons and scrapbook paper. I picked up some really great unfinished wooden frames at Dollar Tree that would be good for this project as well.

I think this would be really cute to do with little kids. I'm not totally sure about how I feel about painting / inking feet, but I know if I were a parent this would be a picture to treasure.

I'm pretty sure I'm going to have my class make these cards to go along with their tiles. Aren't these adorable? I feel like painting hands would be a lot less messy than painting feet, making this project a bit more appealing.

Again with the feet... I love this idea, but I'm not 100% sure on the mess factor. I think I'd definitely have to have some additional adult supervision and major painter's plastic on the floor of my classroom.

What Christmas crafts are on your classroom agendas over the next couple weeks?

Goodies!

I went out of town this past weekend to do some Christmas shopping and to visit some friends and family. I've really been in the mood to get out of town since my life seems to be super lame these days. I must say, I had a GREAT weekend. I got a lot of Christmas shopping done, had a really fun time visiting my family and friends, and even found a new teacher store!

My friend I visited is also a teacher. In fact, you can see pics of her classroom here from when I was up to help her and visit back in August. Anyway, she'd mentioned the store US Toy to me before, but we'd never made it over there 'til now. Mardel is usually the teacher store we hit up when I'm in town (partially due to the fact that it is closer to her house.) Anyway, US Toy ended up being great! We didn't spent a lot of time there, which is fine since I'm still on my school spending diet, but I did pick up two goodies there. Their website doesn't really carry much as far as educational items, but they do have a lot of toys and offer free everyday shipping. I was really impressed with their selection of teacher books and picked up a great reading comprehension book. I also got a set of two comprehension spinners that I've intended to get forever, but always seem to be out of stock where ever I look! Plus, I signed up for their teacher reward program and got 10% off my purchase. I definitely plan on heading back there next summer after round 2 of our reading training and my brain is full of fresh, new ideas!

I feel like all I talk about on here is shopping on what's supposed to be my teacher blog, but it is one of the things that I'm really good at and that I do really enjoy. LOL I'd eventually like to get into posting things that I make and even venturing into TpT, but I'm not there yet. Maybe that'll be one of my (many) projects for Christmas break and summer break.!

I also had to make a trip to J.Crew to return my Cyber Monday purchase that I mentioned last week. Don't you hate it when you order something in the same size as another item you have and it fits completely different? And then they're sold out in the store? Yeah, me too!

I swapped it for this top, which I'd been eyeing online. I'm not a full price shopper, so I was happy that they let me apply the teacher discount to the price difference. Still a little splurge for me, but this is definitely an item I love and not just like!

I also picked up a "shocking pink" (we're talking neon, people, the picture makes it look tame) cardigan at the J.Crew Factory store. That color is definitely different and I liked that it was on a super sale (way cheaper than it is online right now). I wore it to school today and joked that I'm going to wear it during state assessments so that when the students look at me they will remember to highlight. Oh wait, I guess it's not joking since I'm actually serious! LOL Does anyone else get crazy thoughts like that while shopping, or is it just me?

The final "goodie" for this post was actually a pleasant surprise to me. I did a major after Christmas shopping spree last year with my gift cards and bought TONS of decorations at Target and even Wal-Mart for 50 and 75% off. As I unpacked my decorations I found a bag full of gift items that I purchased for my students! I bought goodie bags, cards, mini puzzles, and pencils, plus I always buy extra boxes of crayons during back to school time so I already have those on hand, too! What a nice surprise, huh? I'm totally stocking up again this year because buying 20 small gifts for kids can really get pricey if you're not careful. Now I just need to grab some candy and I'm ready to assemble my student gifts! I'm sure I'll have a post in the near future with more about our Christmas projects and gifts! :)

Well, that's all for now. I ramble, but just like shopping, it's something I'm good at!

How was your weekend? Get any good deals?