Hunger Strike for Royal Wedding Invite

Have you heard about the teen from Mexico who is on a hunger strike in hopes of getting an invite to the royal wedding? She has evidently planted herself outside the British Embassy in Mexico City. I'm a fan of the royal couple, but P*L*E*A*S*E!!!!  What is up with this girl?  As of now, she has supposedly been food free for nine days, and sources I have read mentioned that she is planning to hold off on eating until she gets an invite. Hmmmm......It looks like she is going to start getting pretty darn hungry here soon since  it seems that Buckingham Palace is aware of Chavez's hunger strike but no invitation will be extended to her. I gotta give the girl credit for being persistent, and it even appears she is a wonderful artist, as she is spending her time painting a portrait of the royal couple as she awaits her invite. Here is the thing though... she probably should have started this strike in another month or so because the wedding is not until April 29th.....if she doesn't eat before then it's going to read more like "DYING to go to the royal wedding!".... eat girl, eat! 

____________________________

If you enjoyed this posting, please share it on Face book by clicking on the link below.

Also, I love comments, so please feel free to leave one.

Thanks for stopping by. Please visit often.

St. Patrick's Day Activity

It's a Lucky Charm tag! Let your children know how wonderful they are on St. Patrick's Day, or if you are a teacher, let your students know how much you care about them. These are fun tags to use on St. Patrick's Day when you attach them to a baggie of Lucky Charm cereal. You are sure to bring a smile to their face!

If you're teacher and you are looking for a fun St. Patrick's Day math activity, you can find find one  I made by clicking on this link:  St. Patrick's Math Activity  This basic math activity involves Lucky Charm Cereal. These printable tags below can be used with this activity.



Click on the image to enlarge. Right click on the image to print.



___________________________

If you enjoyed this posting, please share it on Face book by clicking on the link below.

Also, I love comments, so please feel free to leave one.

Thanks for stopping by. Please visit often.

February Word Search

 

___________________________

If you enjoyed this posting, please share it on Face book by clicking on the link below.

Also, I love comments, so please feel free to leave one.

Thanks for stopping by. Please visit often.

Enjoying Life's Little Moments



This little guy adds so much life to our family.

___________________________

If you enjoyed this posting, please share it on Face book by clicking on the link below.

Also, I love comments, so please feel free to leave one.

Thanks for stopping by. Please visit often.

Coupon Stacking

In my couponing quest, I have learned that in order to save the major bucks you have to learn the art of coupon stacking.  What does coupon stacking mean exactly? It means that when you purchase an item, your goal is to: Find your item on sale, then apply a manufacture coupon, and also apply a store coupon.  Most retailers, such as Target, offer store specific coupons on their website you can print off. Some grocery stores also offer coupons that are good for stacking.  For example, when you shop at Publix, pick up their in-store flier right in the entry-way to the store. You can also find store coupons in the Wal-greens ads that are good for stacking. I won't lie, coupon stacking is not all that easy. Time is what it really takes, and most people, especially if you are working full time, probably can't find the time to cross reference manufacture coupons with store coupons in order to get the great deals that coupon stacking has to offer. But, I will tell you that when you find a good deal, it is very rewarding.  This is an example of one of my deals for this week... Target has this cereal on sale for $2.50. With the two coupons you see, I will get the cereal for just $0.50, which is a great bargain! If you have several of these deals on every shopping trip, you can see how the savings can quickly add up.

Click here to read about how to stack coupons for FREE groceries.

___________________________

If you enjoyed this posting, please share it on Face book by clicking on the link below.

Also, I love comments, so please feel free to leave one.

Thanks for stopping by. Please visit often.

Wordle

To enlarge the wordle, click on the image above

 It's a wordle cloud for my Valentine.  If you aren't familiar with the website Wordle.net, then check them out.  You can create all kinds of word clouds.  These are great for lots of things, such as making cards or even using in the classroom with vocabulary words.

  

________________________

If you enjoyed this posting, please share it on Face book by clicking on the link below.

Also, I love comments, so please feel free to leave one.

Thanks for stopping by. Please visit often.

Presidents' Day Activities

Lesson Plan Activities



Presidents' Day is celebrated in February to honor two of our greatest presidents, Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. The holiday is celebrated in the United States on the third Monday in February. If you are like me,  you are always looking for themed activities to incorporate into the classroom. Themed activities offer a change of pace while still providing curriculum for productive learning.

Presidents' Day Bookmarks - I think a new bookmark every month is a great activity for just about any elementary grade.  It's a fun way to get kids motivated to read. They love marking their page with a  creative new bookmark that they helped make. These always make a fun and quiet morning work activity. Here is another choice for a Presidents' Day bookmark.

Presidents' Day Coloring Page- Students can color this sheet after they do a writing activity on this paper - Presidents' Day Writing Paper. Here are some other choices for President's Day writing paper: writing paper, writing paper

Presidents' Day finger puppets - very cute and made with coins. Students can write their own play or read and present facts about these two presidents to the class.

Presidents' Day reading comprehension activity- You can use this activity with the finger puppet activity above for a reading/language arts lesson. It even has questions you can use for a grade.

Presidents' Day wordsearch - After completing the wordsearch, have the students use the words in complete sentences or try to write a short paragraph.  Grade it for proper punctuation and sentence structure.

Presidents' Day wordsearch - Here is another wordsearch. It has some great vocabulary that you could use for a social studies discussion on government.

Presidents' Day Word Scramble - Press the 'get it' button to download this. The students can work with a partner to solve the scrambles. You can also do a dictionary activity with this where you have the kids look the words up in the dictionary and write down the page number of where they found the word.

How about some fun President's Day snacks - Presidents' Day cupcake ideas
Another cupcake idea using pictures of the presidents.

____________________________

If you enjoyed this posting, please share it on Face book by clicking on the link below.

Also, I love comments, so please feel free to leave one.

Thanks for stopping by. Please visit often.

Burping

It is my understanding that in some countries the act of burping after a meal is a compliment to the chef for a job well done. Well, that's just fine and dandy if you live in another country, but that's just not how it works here in the good 'ole US of A....

Especially not here at my house.

Not at my table.

Not in my car.

Not at a basketball game.

Not while you shop with me in the store.

Not. Not. Not.

Get the point?

So, who is the burper in the family?  Nope, it's not little Huddie I'm talking about. His burps are actually an okay thing. It's my lovely and beautiful  DAUGHTER, and the excessive belching....AKA...BURPING.... has got to stop. It's just down right annoying. I try to explain to her that it is so unlady like, and I just get the, "OH Mother!" comment. This is a work in progress here at the Phillips' house.... smile smile.

Let's just hope she doesn't aspire to become this:

World Burping Champion. 
At what point do you decide THIS is what you want to become?

___________________________

If you enjoyed this posting, please share it on Face book by clicking on the link below.

Also, I love comments, so please feel free to leave one.

Thanks for stopping by. Please visit often.

Cake Mishap

But it still tasted good!



_______________________________

If you enjoyed this posting, please share it on Face book by clicking on the link below.

Also, I love comments, so please feel free to leave one.

Thanks for stopping by. Please visit often.

Cute Valentine Ideas

I came across the CUTEST Valentine ideas that would be perfect for those of you looking for teacher treats.  The first one is a printable "You knock my socks off" tag that you attach to a pair of socks.  This one struck my fancy because Madison loves socks so much... such a fun idea. This would be cute for a daughter to pass out to all of her friends, too. The second one is a printable "I was Soapin you would be my Valentine" tag that you attach to a bottle of soap. You could go with inexpensive soap or hit the Bath and Body Works for something extra special. 

Photos borrowed from My Digital Creations.

_________________________________

If you enjoyed this posting, please share it on Face book by clicking on the link below.

Also, I love comments, so please feel free to leave one.

Thanks for stopping by. Please visit often.



Self Defense Tip

I just came across an interesting self defense tip I thought I would pass along.  Instead of using pepper spray to defend yourself, keep a can of wasp spray on hand.  From what I read, wasp spray is better because it is more accurate when aiming at a target, and because it will spray 20-30 feet, you don't have to be close to an intruder to actually hit him with the spray. Wasp spray could be kept under the seat of your car, on a desk when working late nights, or on your bedside table when staying alone.  I also thought this would be a great tid-bit to pass along to kids.

Another self defense suggestion for when staying alone is to have your car alarm panic button nearby. Go to sleep with your keys on your bedside table, and if for some reason you feel unsafe or need to draw attention, set your panic button off.  The alarm will keep sounding until you press the button to make it stop or until your car battery goes dead. This is great if you don't have a house alarm, but it provides double protection if you do.

_________________________________

If you enjoyed this posting, please share it on Face book by clicking on the link below.

Also, I love comments, so please feel free to leave one.

Thanks for stopping by. Please visit often.

Swagger Wagon

Thank you very much!

Okay, so I'm glad my van doesn't quite look like THIS, but let's get for real......where is the respect for my van??? I mean, it's not just any 'ole van, it's Momma's Swagger Wagon, it's the taxi of all taxis, it's my Mommy Mobile for goodness sake!  You moms know what I'm talking about (Dads too). Forget second homes being beach front property. A second home for today's active family does have 360 degree views, sleeps about 7, and even has a bathroom (okay, don't ask... that might be TMI).... only difference... it has 4 wheels.  It's called a VAN! It's crazy how much time we spend in the van just going back and forth... school... sports... rush, rush, rush.  And with the rushing to and fro, this usually means eating in the car.

Let me just get right to the point.......  since when did the compartment of my passenger car door become a landfill for Pop-Tart leftovers?  Since when did it become okay to eat a fry, drop a fry, leave a fry?  Since when did it become okay to sip a Capri Sun, squeeze a Capri Sun, and then forget about the Capri Sun container, along with the empty water bottles, Coke bottles, and all of the other crap that kids seem to accumulate. I could darn near open a bookstore right now with all the books, writing pads, and colored pencils stashed behind the seats.  And what's up with the jackets, shoes, and blankets?  The next time I hear, "I don't have anything to wear," I'm sending them to the van.

I need some swagger in my wagon!



_________________________

If you enjoyed this posting, please share it on Face book by clicking on the link below.

Also, I love comments, so please feel free to leave one.

Thanks for stopping by. Please visit often.

Valentine's Day Printables

lesson plan ideas

Yeah, I know.... I'm not teaching right now, but if I were, I would be planning my Valentine's Day lessons.  Valentine's Day has always been one of my favorite days during the school year.  The kids love it and I love it... everything red, white, and pink.  It's just one of those feel good holidays. Here are some cute FREE February printables I found, or more specifically, Valentine's Day.  Enjoy!

February Printable  Bookmarks- Let the kids color them for a morning arrival activity and then laminate them.  This is actually a fun activity to do at the beginning of every month.

February Printable Acrostic Poem - Use with dictionary skills. The kids can use the dictionary to make sure their words are spelled correctly.

Printable Lined Valentine Paper

Printable Valentine Paper

Printable Valentine Paper

Valentine's Day Double Digit Addition - Great to use for review of basic skills

Valentines Day Three Digit Addition- Great to use as review of basic skills

Valentine's Day Missing Digit - More challenging

Box of Chocolate Adjectives- Explain to your students that you are going to give them each a piece of candy. They should write as many descriptive words and phrases as they can about the candy. Remind them to use all their senses when they are writing. You could even have them write the five senses on their paper and write the words under the correct one. After the students have completed this activity, have each one read their words and have the class try to guess which piece of chocolate the student had.

Candy Heart Sentences- Have students make up sentences or paragraphs around the messages on the candy hearts. For example:

"I do" want you to be my valentine!
You are such a "sweet one!"
Have student glue the candies on in the proper places in the sentences (remind them that these candies ARE NOT for eating!)
They can even try to write whole paragraphs using the hearts.

Area and Perimeter of Hearts and Shapes

Heart Multiplication Flash Cards

Broken Heart Math - Multiplication

Valentine Bingo- Use a standard bingo game related to language arts, spelling, or math, but use candy hearts for the game pieces.

Valentine's Word Problems

Valentine Word Search

Valentine Spelling- You could also have them use the dictionary to find the correct spelling and then tell you the page in the dictionary they found it on.  If you have a smart board, you could project this.

Packet of  Printable Valentine Activities

Valentine Cinquain Poems

The 'AND' game - This activity just gets them up and moving.. something fun to do.  After you plan the game, they could pick ten of the word combinations to write complete sentences with.

Valentine Reading Comprehension- mid to upper elementary

Valentine Reading Comprehension- lower elementary

The Story of St. Valentine- reading comprehension

What is Valentine's Day- reading comprehension

I could go on and on with different activities,  but maybe my teacher friends can find one or two from this list they can use.... hope so!

____________________________

If you enjoyed this posting, please share it on Face book by clicking on the link below.

Also, I love comments, so please feel free to leave one.

Thanks for stopping by. Please visit often.

Vacuums Suck

That's right!  They suck and that's what I love about them. In a weird way, I love to vacuum. It's a love/hate relationship actually.  I love to get the carpet clean, but I hate to think all that grody grunge was in my carpet.  I have one of those bagless vacuum cleaners where you can see all the crap that you suck out of the carpet. This brings instant gratification.  It's like positive reinforcement for a job well done.  I'm often amazed how I can vacuum one day and come back the next and pull even more dirt and dander out of the carpet. Where does the mess come from? Actually, I don't want to know the answer to that. It's a never ending duty of dealing with the dirt, but as long as I have my vacuum, it's a job that will continue to suck.

Speaking of vacuums, if you have never seen the kid referred to as "The Vacuum Kid", you have got to

watch this video clip.  Enjoy!

____________________________

If you enjoyed this posting, please share it on Face book by clicking on the link below.

Also, I love comments, so please feel free to leave one.

Thanks for stopping by. Please visit often.

Reasons to be a Stay at Home Mom

.... even if it's just for a short while.



I know, I have given up lots of adult conversation by choosing to be home for a year, which is one of the downsides of staying at home. Well.....come to think of it,  in my job as a third grade teacher I pretty much talked to kids 90% of the time anyway.

So, what is so great about taking a leave of absence this year and being home with my little Huddie? Well, for starters, just look at the little fellow........... who wouldn't want to spend their day with this sweet little thing!

Who can resist this face (no, not mine silly)?

Just a few reasons I have loved being at home:

• No work stress!
• I get to spend my days with my baby.
• I have bonded with my little guy 24/7 for the first year of his life.
• My older children have seen firsthand me putting my career on hold for the family.
• My house is clean.
• The laundry is caught up.
• My older kids get to sleep 2 hours later each morning.
• I get to take my older kids to and from school each day.
• My life doesn't seem as rushed.
• I don't have to iron my clothes daily.
• I can work in my PJ's if I so desire.
• There is no school work to be brought home taking up family time.
• We eat out less (yes, that is a plus).
• I get to bake goodies for the family and actually enjoy it.
• I can visit with friends for a play date.
• I am more apt to enjoy leisure time, such as my kids' sports, because I don't have brain overload of deadlines to meet.
• More dinners on the table for the family
• I get to put Hudson down for his naps in his own bed.
• I was able to breastfeed full time for 8 months and still daily at 10 months.
• sooooooooooo many more!

I understand that staying home is not what works best for everyone and staying home long term may  not be an option, but I would highly encourage everyone to take time off to spend time at home the first year of your baby's life.  Trust me, you will be so glad you did.

____________________________

If you enjoyed this posting, please share it on Face book by clicking on the link below.

Also, I love comments, so please feel free to leave one.

Thanks for stopping by. Please visit often.