Mother's Day Isn't Just for Moms!!

The verb "mother" means to bring up a child with care and affection.

Mother's Day is coming soon!!  It's a special day to celebrate the women in our lives who devote their lives to raising us.  As teachers, we have to remember that these women are not always traditional mothers...the children filling our classrooms come from all kinds of families!  There are so many women in "mother figure" roles for the kids in our classrooms:  grandmas, aunts, big sisters, foster parents, etc.  Mother's Day is the perfect time for children to honor the special women who love and nurture them.

My new "Sweet Love" Mother's Day card FREEBIE includes cards for "Mom".  But, I have also included cards that say "Love" that can be given to any of the special women in our students' lives!

(Click the picture below to download it for free from TpT!!)

This pack has many options for printing cards. 

Every child can select a "Just Right" card for the special lady in their life!!  

Older students can write their note independently.  

Younger children may dictate to a teacher or helper to write on the card for them.

Option 1 - "Sweet & Simple":  Cards can be printed double-sided and folded in half.  Easy-Peasy!!  :)  Students just write a message, decorate, and deliver!!

Option 2 - "Add a Photo":  With just a few extra steps, you can turn this card into an even more precious keepsake by adding a photo of the child inside the heart.  This can be done in 2 ways.

Click the picture below to grab a FREE editable heart template.

Option 3 - "Dress it Up!":  Cut out the card templates, decorate them and write a message.  Then, glue them to colored construction paper or patterned scrapbook paper to make these special cards even more adorable!!

These cards are guaranteed to melt those Momma's hearts!!

Your students will be SO proud and excited to bring one home.  

Sweet Love, indeed!!

GIVEAWAY ALERT!!
It pays to read all the way to the bottom of the blog post!!  ;)
Download a FREE copy of my "Sweet Love" Mother's Day cards from TpT.
Leave thoughtful feedback on TpT!!
Come back here and leave a comment on this blog post with your email address and TPT name.
I will pick a winner and send them my new
"Scoopin' Up Tens & Teens" math station!!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Happy GLUE Heaven!!

You might be a kindergarten teacher if... 

the mere mention of the word GLUE makes you twitch.

Save your Sanity with this Quick Fix!!

All you need is:

1 medium Sterilite basket

2 small drawer organizers

Easy Peasy...Lemon Elmer's Squeezy!!

I love this system!!
My sweet kinders absolutely LOVE keeping our glue "happy".

Here's a cutie-patootie little label for the front of your "Happy Glue" Basket!!
Just click the picture below to download a copy for yourself.  :)

And, now I want to know how YOU keep glue from threatening your sanity.
Tell me all about it!!

Five for Friday...on Saturday!

Whew...the weeks are FLYING by at warp speed!! 

I can't believe I have less than 4 weeks left in the school year. 

WOWZA!!

This was a very random week...here are 5 highlights!

1.  Our annual "Celebration of Learning" was Thursday evening.  I had so much fun watching the kids take charge and tell their parents all about the things they had learned in Kindergarten!  They were SO proud to show-off their classroom and their work!!  

2.  We had an exciting week watching our caterpillars eat, grow, and turn into a chrysalis.  I'm excited to transfer all of these sweet babies into our butterfly tent...can't wait to see them EMERGE!!!

3.  Time is so limited in 1/2 day kindergarten!  But, we squeezed in some Earth Day learning, fun, and artwork!!  

The fabulous Kimberly Ann from Live, Laugh, I LOVE Kindergarten reviewed this product.

It was a HIT with her sweet kinder kids...check it out!!

4.  We kicked-off our weekend by watching Son-shine perform in our church's children's choir musical "Spend a While on the Nile".  Love this sweet baby rockin' his shades!!  

5.  I joined Instagram this week and I think it's going to be SO much fun!!  I love how quick and easy it is to share little snapshots of teaching and life!  If you Instagram - come follow me at "happyteacherheaven"!!  

I'm linking up with What the Teacher Wants -- come on over and find lots of awesome teachers to follow on Instagram!  I'm so excited for Tuesday!!  :)

And, now I'm off to the soccer complex for Son-shine's game...hope the rain holds off!!

The Magical Product Swap!

I'm so excited to participate in the Magical Product Swap for the first time!
And then I found out that I had been paired with the talented and creative
Kimberly Ann of Live, Laugh, I Love Kindergarten!
EEEEK....SUPER EXCITING!!  :)

I was lucky to be able to go shopping in her store to pick out one of her FAB products to review for you.  We were just getting started on our insect theme, so I picked Kimberly Ann's "Buggy for Addition" math pack.  It has been such a fun way to review addition!  I always love it when my station activities all tie together with the same theme.  Sweet!!

Click the picture to find it on TPT!

This pack includes:

The cards are so bright and colorful!  

I love that there isn't "too much going on"...the kids can focus on what's important!

I got out some little plastic bug counters for my kinders who needed them.

But, Kimberly Ann also included some printable bug counters.

Isn't she the sweetest?!  

This adorable spring math center had everything I was looking for and more!!

If your kinders love bugs (and whose don't?!) 

and need to practice addition (and whose don't?!) -

then you should grab this product for your centers this week.

  

Thank you SO much, Kimberly Ann!  

Click on Kimberly Ann's button below to head over to her cutie-patootie blog!!
You can check out her review of my "Find Sprout" - a differentiated word sorting activity.
Just in time for Earth Day/Week!!  :)

Click the picture below to find it on TPT.
FLASH SALE!!
Grab both of my Earth Day literacy products ON SALE for 2 hours only!!
SALE ends at 10 pm (central time)!!

Be sure to check out Kimberly's awesome giveaway.

Ummmm...survival mode??  YEP!!  :)

Thanks for reading along!

Happy Earth Day!!  

Five for Friday and a FREEBIE!

It's time for...

1. You never realize how much you depend on something until it's gone.  Like my cell phone.  It's gone KAPUT...but I'm not eligible for a phone upgrade until June 1st.  {sigh} My phone did an automatic "update" about a month ago and it hasn't worked right ever since.  It only works when it's plugged into a charger...which basically renders it a landline.  I sure hope June 1st comes quick!!

2. Yesterday was a our District's annual "Spring Symposium" Professional Development day.  Teachers and instructional coaches from the district present sessions on various topics and you can pick which sessions to attend!  :)  I love "Choose your own Adventure" PD!!  I was able to attend sessions on Writing Workshop in Kinder, the "Language Experience Approach" for emergent readers, Poetry in Kindergarten, and "Coring Up" kindergarten curriculum.  Lots of new ideas!!  LOVE!!

3. I found out this week that I won't have my own classroom next year.  :(  We are adding another full-day kindergarten, so the AM teacher and I will share a room.  I'm trying to have a super-positive attitude about it.  She is AMAZING...I call her classroom "Kindergarten Wonderland".  I know I will learn soooo much from her!  So, we're putting our heads together and trying to figure out how to make it work.  Any of you ever had to share a room before?

I'm hoping we feel like this...

not this...

LOL!!

4.  I learned about the Book Creator app at our Symposium yesterday.  It makes me *wish* I had an iPad!!  If you have one, you should check it out!  

5.  Earth Day is Monday!  :)  Here's a fun little FREEBIE for you.  

Be sure to check out these fun Earth Day literacy stations, too!!

...a  little late!
If you teach kindergarten, you don't want to miss this giveaway! Hillary, over at Rockin' Teacher Materials, is giving away a free pass to attend the I Teach K! kindergarten conference is VEGAS this summer!!  And, you get to bring a friend if you win!  :) (click the picture to head over to her blog and get yourself entered)

April Currently

I hope your Easter was filled with family, friends, love and laughter!!

(And yummy food, tasty treats, bunnies, eggs, and jellybeans!!)

Wow...April already!?!  

Listening

When I was a little girl,
I remember thinking that there must be something very wrong with adults.

It seemed like the adults in my life were always watching the news.

Always.  

And if they weren't watching it...they were reading it.  

And getting their fingers covered in black newspaper ink.

(Remember when newspapers did that?!)

So now...whenever I watch the news, I feel very "adult-like".

But, now I wonder if my little boy thinks there must be something very wrong with ME!

Loving

I'm a Jesus-girl.

I love Him!!

I love Easter and the HOPE it brings to my heart.

I love being reminded that death has been defeated.

I love knowing with absolute certainty that sin will never have the final word.

And, I love the words of my pastor when asked if he
really 
believes in the resurrection...

"I not only believe it...I'm counting on it!!"  

He is RISEN indeed!!

Thinking & Wanting

So, my dear sweet friend from my small-group at church invited me to Yoga.

I almost said no.

{Big Sigh}

Then, I said yes...reluctantly.

So, now that I've committed, I have to follow through.

Someone please tell me this will be a good thing!!

I really want to get back to feeling like the best version of myself.  

Life is too short and precious to spend even one more day
just wishing change would come.

Time to act.

{gulp}

Needing

Whew...having a house for sale is no fun at all.

Advice

I'm such a newbie!!

In other words, I'm completely under-qualified to offer advice.

But, I know I struggle with balance.

I love blogging & creating for TPT!!

But, I have so, so, so many other things going on in my life.

Bigger, more important, essential things.

Things that deserve a place of honor in my life.

prayer

Bible study

being a good wife & mother

taking care of my own wellness

meals

family

teaching

fellowship

graduate studies

"me time"

So friends, be kind to yourselves.

Blessings are found in balance.

I'm linking up!

A Bunny Blog Hop

A Tisket, A Tasket...Freebies for your Basket!

Several phenomenal teachers and bloggers are joining forces for an amazing bunny blog hop!  As you follow us along the bunny trail, you will visit some of your favorite blogs and discover a few new blogs too!  Each with a fabulous freebie just for you!

Thank you for hopping on over to my blog! 

The FREEBIE I'm sharing with you today is a
Bunny Trail 10 Frames math station activity.

You can use this versatile activity for your math stations/tubs or as an intervention lesson.  I hope you enjoy them!!

I'm having a Spring Cleaning SALE on TPT this weekend.
Everything in my store is 20% off!!
This is the perfect time to clean out your wish list!

Be sure to check out my unique & engaging
Ninja Bunny differentiated math & literacy stations!


And, you can get a GREAT deal on my Sight Word Snapshot Bundle!!

Be sure to get entered to WIN BIG in my
100 follower MEGA-Giveaway!!

Thanks for stopping by and visiting!
If you are new to my blog and like what you see,
don't forget to follow me!

A Tisket, A Tasket...
Next up with a Freebie for your Basket is
Leah from Learn with Leah.
Hop on over!

Just in case you didn't join us from the beginning,
here is an ordered list of all the participating blogs.

Stephany from Primary Possibilities
Sally from Elementary Matters
Lory from Fun for First
Linda from Primary Inspiration
Nicole from Mrs. Rios Teaches Second Grade
Brian from Hopkins' Hoppin' Happenings
Liz from The Happy Teacher
Jennie from JD's Rockin' Readers
Sarah from Learning is for Superstars
Teresa from Fun in K/1
Nikki from Teaching in Progress
Faith from Kindergarten Faith
Renee from Fantastic First Grade Froggies
Amy from Happy Teacher Heaven
Leah from Learn with Leah
Nicole from Teaching's a Hoot
Kristy from The Phonic's Phenomenon
Rich from Mr. Giso's Room to Read
Susanna from Whimsy Workshop
Amy from Motivate to Learn
Lola from Preschool Wonders
Kimberli from Mixing the Next Batch