Monday Made It.

Friday, when the little man was napping, I got lots of fun stuff done!

Take a looksie.

Here are my little table buckets I started last week by adding ribbon to them.  Friday I cut out the tags and vinyl numbers on my Cricut.  I haven't laminated them yet, so I just stuck them on temporarily for the pics.  :)  I think they turned out cute!  I made 6, because I usually have no more than 6 table groups. These will hold our community markers.  Does it bother you that the font of the numbers is different on each side?  I can't decide.  But I like both fonts.  And they're already made.  LOL.

The other side:

I bought the polka dotted paper plates at Dollar Tree.  SCORE.  Then I cut out the background borders and vinyl letters on my Cricut and stuck them down.  Again, still have to laminate the letters.

I'll display my CAFE subheadings under these letters.

I bought these cute little buckets at Target (dollar spot) a couple of weeks ago.  

I cut out the vinyl letters on my Cricut, and I already had the sticker gems/jewels and just stuck them on to jazz them up.  I also added a few black polka dots with a Sharpie.

I decided to stagger the letters because I KNEW I wouldn't get them perfectly straight!

What do you think?  I can't decide if the jewels and dots make it too busy.

I actually bought some super cute pencil cups last year, but now they don't match my new color scheme!!  I'll probably gift them to another teacher, because they are very cute.  :)

I'd love to know your thoughts and/or suggestions!

Happy Monday!  I'm sad I only have a few more weeks with my baby before back to work.  :(

Of course, I'm linking up over at 4th Grade Frolics!  I hope you'll stop over and check out everyone's fun creations!  I've gotten so much inspiration from everyone's ideas.

CAFE Headers Freebies

Well, I planned to get a lot done this week.  Then my son got sick.  Then I got sick.  And we're STILL sick.  Ugh.  Don't you just hate being sick in the summer?  It's like, WRONG or something.

Anywho.

I did make something a few weeks ago that I'd like to share with whoever may be able to use it.  I made these cute headers for my CAFE bulletin board.  I didn't have a CAFE bulletin board last year.  Because I didn't do CAFE.  See, we were told back in like, September that we were going to be doing Daily 5.  Only we hadn't been trained.  Or read the book.  So basically I had enough on my plate to figure out how to implement Daily 5 without also taking on CAFE.  Good times.

So yeah.  I digress.  As usual.  Adult ADD.

So here are the files.  There are 2, because I made several different designs.

Here's a preview of the 1st file, which has one set of headers with red and blue stars and a set with orange and green stars.  (Click the image to download on TpT.)

The 2nd file has 2 other versions.  The first is 4 different brights with white polka dots, and the second design is bright colored stripes.  Here's a preview.  (Click the image to download on TpT.)

I'm linking up with Made It Monday over at 4th Grade Frolics.  I am so excited to have come across this linky party!  I have already seen such amazing ideas from you people!  :)  Keep 'em coming.

I know most people link up their classroom craftiness, and I have lots of that on my list, but I just didn't feel up to anything this week, and I hope the linky party will get the freebie out to more people who can use it!  :)

I hope these will help make someone's life a little easier.  :)  Just print, laminate, and staple 'em up.  I'd love to know if you like these or have any suggestions.  Thanks for stopping by!

-Gayla

On My Nightstand

I have issues.  With reading, that is.  I love it.  So much that I'm always reading too many things at once.  ESPECIALLY during summer.  Also, I read magazines back to front.  It's an illness.

So here's what's currently on my nightstand (or on the floor next to my nightstand, to be more accurate; my nightstand is covered with various medications and dirty tissues):

The CAFE Book

by The Sisters

(bought for myself on Amazon)

We implemented the Daily 5 for the first time this past year, and I'm looking forward to incorporating it with CAFE.  I went to a workshop the week after school got out, and it seems just as great as D5.  Unfortunately, I've yet to crack this one open.  Mostly because I'm already reading another school book...

Work Hard.  Be Nice.  

by Jay Mathews

(borrowed from school)

Each team is required to read a set of 5 books this summer (as in, each person picks one, not we all read all 5, thank God).  I chose this one because I actually put it on our list of books I'd like to have available to us in our library.  It is very good so far; about 2 college graduates who signed on with Teach for America and how they fell in love with the kids in their inner city schools, and therefore, fell in love with teaching.  They are the guys who started KIPP Academy, if you've heard of it.  I'm about halfway, but it's a quick read, and I recommend it if you're looking for some inspiration.

Positive Discipline the First 3 Years 

by Jane Nelsen Ed.D., Cheryl Erwin, Roslyn Ann Duffy

(found at my brother's house and took it)

I have a 13 month old.  And this is my first time being a parent.  So I know nothing about it.  Need I say more?  I like this book so far.  I'm on like Chapter 9 or something.  It's hard to keep track when you're reading so many freakin' things simultaneously.  LOL.  

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Feeding Your Baby and Toddler

by Elizabeth Ward

(someone who thinks I'm an idiot my mom bought for me)

Again.  I have a 13 month old.  And not only do I not know how to discipline him, but I don't know how to get him to eat big people food.  *sigh*  He will basically only eat pureed baby foods, yogurt, cheerios, mum mum crackers and puffs.  With a few exceptions, but it totally depends on the day.  This book isn't really helping me much with my son's picky-eating issues other than to tell me the fancy-pants name for it.  Something or other-phobia.  Thanks for that.  Now tell me how to fix it.  

White Girl Problems

by Babe Walker

Please don't read this book if you are easily offended.  Or if you don't like cursing.  Or the word vagina.  You've been forewarned!  That being said, this book is hilarious.  I'm reading this one on my Kindle.  I hard core love my Kindle, but one can only afford to buy so many books at one time, eh?   

I'm usually reading a fiction book, chick lit, etc., but after finishing The Beach House by Jane Green last week, I decided I'd better read my school books before starting a new "for fun" book.  :)

So what's on your nightstand, peeps?  Anything I should read?