Monday Made It!

Happy Monday, friends! I have been working pretty much nonstop on my graduate classes, but I managed to squeeze in some downtime and do some fun stuff! So, I'm linking back up with Tara from Fourth Grade Frolics for another week of Monday Made It! Head over to her blog now and see some of the other fabulous "made-its" by other amazing teachers.

(Future) Coin Dividers: Okay, so this wasn't as much a Monday Made It as it was a Monday Did It sort of project. I wanted to use these pill boxes in the classroom to hold coins or for place value practice, but those days of the week on the lids stressed me out. I could've covered them, but I knew my quickest solution would be to figure out a way to just remove them. So, I used nail polish remover and cotton balls, and VOILA! They wiped right off! I can't wait to figure out how I will use them first. I'm think mini-dice in each compartment to practice place value, since it's the first unit we teach. But...we'll see!

Summer Postcards: I love sending happy mail to my students over our long breaks. We are blessed to have an amazing school schedule that includes a 2-week fall break, all of Thanksgiving week, 2-week winter break, and a 2-week spring break. We do begin August 2nd, but I'll take an early start to get all those refreshing breaks! Anyways, I like to send my students something through the mail during each break. Postcards are my favorite because I can use the cheaper postage. (#poorteacher) I will be sending these out on Monday, and they will be the last ones for this year's kiddos! 

You can download a free editable version of the summer postcards HERE. Just make sure when you cut them that you stay under the 4"x6" requirement for postcard postage. I posted a couple of the other postcards I've sent below...

This was from this past Thanksgiving. I downloaded the sweet little note template from Polka Dots Please and adjusted the size to make it a postcard.

This was from this past spring break. The little bugs are from Creative Clips (I think!). 

School Bag: My daughter picked out this fun canvas bus tote at the Dollar Spot for $3. I thought it would be fun to add her name on to it, and it turned out even better than I imagined! I used some scrap glitter HTV that I had on hand, and I used my t-shirt heat press to apply it. Now she is all ready for her (second) first day of PreK! (She missed the kindergarten age cut-off by 8 days, so it's another year of PreK for her!) The font I used is by Amy Groesbeck. 

Well, I felt like I did more, but I guess I didn't! Check back next week because I just got access to my class list, so I will start making personalized labels for the kids' cubbies and coat hooks. I'm also still waiting to find out the status of hanging things in our newly painted hallways, so I can figure out a fun hallway bulletin board. Until then, have a great week!

Monday Made It!

Happy Monday! I am linking up again with Tara from Fourth Grade Frolics for her summer Monday Made-It! I've been wrapping up a grad class, so my "made-its" are pretty thin this week, but I do have some fun things planned for next week, so make sure an check back! But for now, see some of the fun ideas below, and then head over to Tara's blog by clicking HERE to check our some other great Monday Made-Its!

Content Folders: I found these 7-pocket flexi-folders at Walmart on clearance for $2.97 each. They were regular $6.99. I used one this year to hold my daily sprints, application problems, and exit tickets for my Eureka Math program. I absolutely loved it because I could just reach in a pocket and grab out everything I needed for that day. There was no searching through stacks. Everything was in one place for easy access. Then I would just put the folder in my drawer with my teacher guide.

So...when I found them on clearance, I thought I would buy a couple more to use for my CKLA literacy material. Of course...I couldn't just let them sit there all undecorated! So, I used my Silhouette Cameo 3 to cut the vinyl to label each folder for a specific content area. I can't remember exactly what the fonts are, but the thick one is definitely A Perfect Blend Teaching fonts, and the thin one is either Cara Carroll or Amy Groesbeck. (Hmmm...I should really do a better job of writing down the font names when I create the cut file!)

 Hall Passes: Last year, I found these adorable rubber emoji luggage tags on clearance at Walmart for .50 each. I bought several of them because I thought they would make great hall passes. Mine have a tendency of just getting, well...gross. Since these were rubber, I knew they would be easy to clean! I put the little pincher clip on, and they were perfect! However, I was obviously in a rush to use them because all I did was flip over the address card to the blank backside and write my name in Sharpie. There was a little sheet of plastic covering the card, but they were just starting to look gross.

So...using the same PB fonts, I whipped up these new inserts for my passes. I printed them on cardstock and laminated them for durability. They look so much better and are ready for my new batch of second graders!

Doormat (in progress): If there was a "almost" made-it button, I would be using it for this project! I found this rug at IKEA for $9.99, and I have big plans for it that involve my Silhouette Cameo 3, craft paper, sticky spray, and spray paint. But...you'll have to come back next week to see the finished product! I hope it comes out as great as I'm envisioning it in my mind!

New Brand Design: Okay-so obviously I didn't "make" this myself. But...I did finally make the decision to redesign my brand and blog. I'm working with Becca from Jumping Jax Designs, and I am SOOOOOO EXCITED! Here is a sneak peak at my new logo.

Isn't it amazing??? I just cannot stop looking at it! I cannot wait to see everything when it is all complete. It is crazy how you give someone the most vague ideas of what you want, and they can turn it into exactly what you want! 

I hope you all have a fantastic week!

Monday Made It!

Has another week of summer already flown by??? How can it be??? I go back to work in 5 1/2 weeks, so I need to make the most of it! Of course, that means getting down to some serious "stuff" makin'. And who better to link up with than Tara at 4th Grade Frolics for her weekly Monday Made It link up? You can click the button below to head over and check out more fantastic ideas!

Probably one of the most fun things I've made this past week has been slides for my new Heidi Swapp Lightbox. Once I figured out the template, inserting the pictures I was making and cropping them to fit each slide was pretty easy. My head is currently exploding with ideas for slides in my classroom. 

I uploaded a growing bundle of Lightbox slides to my TpT store. It's 50% off for this week only, and designs will continue to be added until it is full! You can check it out by clicking HERE or clicking on the picture below.

You can also download this cute freebie that can be used for the days of the week. It's a pretty simple design, but it looks super cute on the Lightbox. Click HERE to download it or click on the picture below.

I plan on doing a more in-depth blog post on how I make my slides, so check back!

I had seen the pictures of the ABC Kraft Mac & Cheese floating around Instagram, so when I saw them at Walmart, I decided to pick up a box to use for my 3 year old. The letters were a lot small than I thought they would be, and I knew she would have a hard time manipulating them. So, I tried to come up with a way to use them in my classroom. I had my teenagers sort them into vowels and consonants for me, and then decided to dye them red and blue-like the magnet letters we have in the classroom. 

I used a 1/2 cup rubbing alcohol and SEVERAL drops of food coloring.  I did mix the food coloring and alcohol together before pouring it in the bag. I read somewhere that it helps distribute the color more evenly (because you know...second graders totally care about that!). About every 30 minutes I would flip the bags, and after about 2 hours I poured the liquid out and put the pasta on a cooling rack to dry. They came out so vibrant and nice!

I plan on using them as part of our spelling station this year. The kids will love them!

I love using community supplies in the classroom. I know a lot of teachers (and parents!) don't prefer it, but it saves SO MUCH TIME. Over the years, I have accumulated more than a class set of scissors. That is what went in the community supplies at each table. If the kids brought their own scissors, they kept them in their personal pencil boxes. But...I started to notice that scissors from the community bucket would *disappear*. I really didn't have a way to hold tables accountable for their supplies because all the scissors were mixed up. 

Until...I saw this Instagram post from Carolyn at A Primary Kind of Life. Her scissors match her table bins! Come on, Lori!!! Duh!!! What a great way to hold my tables accountable! If I gave each pod their own color, they couldn't accuse another table of stealing their scissors. I had enough scissors in my personal collection to give 4 tables their own colors. Two tables will have share red scissors. Bummer for them.

So...where is the "Made It" in this, you ask? Well, I added silver duct tape to the handles to mark them as "Property of Mrs. McCoy" because it is HARD to peel it off. Sure, washi tape would've looked prettier, but they can peel that stuff off pretty fast. We'll see if the scissors stay put a little bit better this year! (Oh! I made the handy label on my supply bucket, too. All my overflow supplies have their own buckets int he cabinet like this.)

This is a more personal made it, but isn't it cute??? I made it using my Silhouette Cameo. Can't wait to put it on my girl.

It's the first day of summer, and I hope you find a great way to enjoy it! See you next time!

Five for Friday!

What better way to kick off the summer than with Doodle Bugs Teaching's Five for Friday Weekly Linkup?!?!

Most of these were on my Instagram this week, which you can follow HERE. But...here's a quick (re)peek at my week...

Last fall, I found 24-piece Crayola sidewalk chalk for $1 a box at Walmart. I knew they would make a great end of year gift for my kiddos. I made the tags using fabulous chalk clipart letters from Rebecca B Designs. The rainbow digital paper is from Red Pepper Paper, the black chalk frame is from Lovin' Lit, and the font is from Cara Carroll and is called Mascara Queen. I love how they turned out!!!

You can download an editable copy of the tag HERE.

I've seen a lot of posts flying around about this cart from IKEA being discontinued. I bought mine last summer, and it is invaluable to me. It normally sits right next to my easel. It holds my dry-erase and poster markers, post-it notes, and all of my multiple response strategy tools. I used that cart many times a day every single day. If you've been debating on getting one, I would definitely go know and get one before they're gone forever!

I love, love, love brag tags. This was the first year I've used them, and I followed the crowd and bought a storage container from Lowe's to hold them. I never got around the labeling the drawers, so I had a hard time finding the tags I wanted. Plus, it sat up on a shelf that wasn't too accessible. So, I decided to switch over to a binder. I used collector card protectors from Walmart. A pack of 35 was only $4.98. I had some old dividers that I labeled with specific categories like holidays, homework, data, etc. I love this system so much more! (Handy tip: Keep the binder at an angle when you're flipping through it or you risk tags sliding out. I also keep my binder standing up on my shelf.)

I use these pencil pouches to hold math manipulatives throughout the year. This is what we start our year with. I had some of my second graders reorganize everything and restuff the bags. We will add more things-like shapes, place value blocks, clocks, etc. They're really convenient because I don't have to waste time handing out supplies every day. If a random piece is left out, I just keep it on my cart and more often than not it is claimed by someone. 

I've mentioned NAEIR before, but I'll give them a quick shout out again. I just placed an order, and I received it within 4 days. Their turnaround time has really improved. In all, everything you see in this picture cost me about $50. My order included 1,000 labels and 450 BIC mechanical pencils. It was definitely worth the money. If you haven't signed up for a teacher account yet, you must!

And finally...summer has officially begun for me! This was my happy face this morning before work. I expect that look will stay plastered on my face for quite some time. I had a great school year, and I loved my class...but I am ready for some down time to spend with my family and to get my crafting on!

Happy summer break!

Crate Seats: A How To with Live, Laugh, Love Second

(Update 07/16/15: I was able to upload my Periscope video to You Tube! Scroll all the way to the bottom to see the video of how I made the seats.)

Since the whole Periscope-craze has taken off, I've noticed that there are certain types of broadcasts that I prefer over others...and that is a how to. Did you catch Ashley from Schroeder Shenanigans in 2nd's broadcast about organizing your fonts and clip art? GENIUS!!! Try to catch it before it expires. I also enjoyed Amanda from Patterson in Primary's broadcast about how to use Chatter Pix and other apps in the classroom. Ashley from Teaching in Bronco Country showed her viewers how to play Sight Word Jenga. Loved it!

You can see them common thread there, right?

So I decided I would try to do the same thing-a how-to of sorts. And I immediately thought of the crate seats I made this weekend. I remember being worried about how hard it would be, and then I was amazed at how easy it was. So what better how-to to share than this???

If you caught it live, yay! And thank you for watching. I unfortunately forgot to save it to my phone, but I promised directions on my blog, so here we go!

Materials:

crates (I used Sterlite from Walmart; $3.47)

crafting foam (purchased 2.5 yds from Joann's Fabrics, but you can also used a foam mattress topper found at Walmart; $20; enough to make 6 seats)

plywood (Lowe's, 4'x8' sheet cut into 12.75"x15.5" pieces; $12; enough to make 21 seats)

duct tape

fabric (at least 1/2 yd per seat)

ribbon

staple gun

felt squares (Hobby Lobby; $0.25 each)

hot glue gun

tacky spray (optional)

scissors

Step 1: (Note: Measurements can change depending on which kind of crate you use, so always measure the inside of the crate where you want the wood to actually sit.) Use the duct tape to wrap the raw edges of your wood. You could sand them, but I preferred this method. (Don't worry about having to have a saw to cut that big "ole piece of wood. Lowe's will do it for you. Some Lowe's charge for cuts, so look out for that. Tell them you're a teacher, and they're for your room. That helped me!)

Step 2: Trace the edge of the wood onto the foam and cut out. I cut 2 pieces to use for each seat.

Step 3: Here's where the optional tacky spray comes in. I used it to stick my 2 pieces of foam together first, and then I sprayed the wood and stuck the foam on top of it. I just thought it made everything a bit more sturdy. But-you do NOT have to use it.

Step 4: Place the seat upside down on your fabric. (I sprayed a bit of tacky spray on the foam before I placed it on my fabric.) I cut 1/2 yard of fabric for one seat, and I still trimmed off about 1/4 of the piece I had. This picture is before I trimmed the excess.

Step 5: Start folding the fabric like it's a present, and staple it down using your staple gun. Go all the way around, making sure to cover the foam.

Step 6: Using about 12-14" piece of ribbon, make a loop and staple to the side of the seat. Make sure it's long enough to actually use as a handle. 

Step 7: Cover the staples using one of two methods. On my first seat, I used duct tape to cover the staples. However, the next morning I noticed that the tape was falling off. I sprayed tacky glue on it, and now it's sticking fine. Another method is to cover the staples and exposed wood using felt squares.  I simply hot glued the squares to the bottom on the seat, being careful to get all the edges.

And that's it! I think it took me about 15 minutes in real time to make each seat-from the edging to the foam and fabric cutting, and stapling. I got faster each time. I could not believe how easy it was.

(Here's the video I was able to upload!!!)

I linked up for Made it Monday, even though it's a little late. I made my seats this weekend, but wanted to wait until I could Periscope about it before posting this. But this was too easy of a project not to share! You can also join in over at Fourth Grade Frolics.

Thanks again to those of you who watch my Periscope of this Back to School craft. I would love to see any seats you make! Make sure and tag me on Instagram at @livelaughlovesecond. Let me know if you have any questions, and have a great week!