Valentine's Day... A Month Away!!!!

Guess what a month from today is?  Valentine’s Day!!!  It will be here before you know it.  I’ve found several cute items at Oriental Trading. 

I try to send home Family Project several times during the year.  I saw this DIY Valentine Heart Pocket Classroom Quilt and I knew that it would be perfect for the month of February.  Each student will be given their own square to take home and decorate.  When the squares are returned they will be displayed like the picture below.  I can hardly wait to see what they look like!  (I will update the picture when I get them back from my students! J)

During the week before Valentine’s Day my first graders will start making these Rainbow Hearts.

They are really cool.  In the package there are 24 individual kits.  Everything you need is there, well… except for a pencil.  Students complete one color at a time by peeling the next piece of precut paper off, wrapping the tissue paper at the end of the pencil and pushing it to the sticky part.  No glue involved!  I must admit there was one issue with these hearts.  Have you heard of Roy G BIV?  Well that is how my students remember the order of the colors on the rainbow (Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Indigo & Violet).  This is not the order listed on the directions…but I’m totally okay with that… who needs directions anyways??  My kiddos know the order.  J

First graders always need more practice writing sentences.  They will have so much fun writing different types of sentences while using these fun  Valentine Conversation Self-Adhesive Foam Heart Stickers.   There are two sizes and there are several saying on the pieces.

  

These DIY Heart Masks will be so much fun to make and what little first grader wouldn’t love wearing them when they are are decorated.  If you don’t like messy, they could color them using markers, crayons, or colored pencils.  I’m all about letting them express themselves, so they will pick from a variety of items I have at school… even glitter!!!   If you decide to get this… be careful… the product says it will make 24, but the package I received had only enough for 12.  hmmmm... L

I also found a heart shaped card I will be giving my kiddos in their Valentine boxes.  It says “I Think You Are Just Write” and it already has 2 holes to put the pencil through.  It can’t get much easier than that!  

These Peanuts® Valentine’s Day Pencils along with these Frosted Valentine Hot Air Balloon Lollipops will also be a hit in their boxes.  My kiddos love the frosted lollipops they have there.  They have a huge selection of really cute ones. 

Lastly, I can’t forget my precious dog Samson.  Here he is modeling one of the three Valentine's Print Bandanas that came in a package (3 different designs).  Isn’t he about the cutest thing you have seen today? Precious boy!

That’s it.  I know your favorite is my little puppy dog…but trust me there is a lot of stuff to check out over at Oriental Trading for very reasonable prices.  Head on over their to check out all their Valentine's Day crafts, decorations, teacher supplies, toys, etc.  Don't wait too long though... Valentine’s Day will be here soon!  

I received these products at no charge in exchange for my honest review of their products.  The opinions expressed above are my own. 

Swivel Wheels & Clean Green Gloves

I have always wanted a coffee table that I could move around easily and now thanks to these Instant Swivel Wheels that has finally happened.  After cleaning the bottom of my table (with the alcohol wipe provided) I was able to quickly peel off the protective paper and stick a wheel on each corner.  Absolutely no tools needed!   Easy Peasy!  Then I anxiously waited to see if my table was going to move the way I pictured in my head.  I was not disappointed.  The wheels roll easily and my coffee table is now easy to move out of my way!   I didn’t even know that these kind of wheels existed!  

I will definitely be purchasing several sets of these.   These Instant Swivel Wheels could easily be attached to totes, bookcases, coolers, and so many other possibilities.  The only limit that I can see is there is a weight limit of 250 pounds. 

If you have not ever used a pair of gloves like these you really need to try them!  These Clean Green Microfiber SMARTer Dual Action Gloves are special in so many ways.  They are designed to allow you to wear them while using any type of touch-screen electronics.  The material itself is very soft so you don’t have to worry about your device’s screen getting scratched. Another plus is your fingers stay warm when you’re out in the cold!  It hasn’t gotten cold her in Oklahoma, but I’m sure it's coming soon!!!  I have rather large hands, so I was somewhat concerned that they wouldn’t fit, but they did!   In fact, they are very comfortable!   Here are few other things that you might want to know about them these awesome gloves:

• Lint Free
• Static Free
• Odor Free
• Hand Washable & Air Dry
• One Size Fits Most

I wish they came in smaller sizes, because I would order them for my classroom for my students to use whenever they were using our classroom iPads!  Have you ever seen what the hands of 1^st graders can leave on an iPad.  Trust me, you don’t even want to know what some of those things are.  Lol    Since these gloves need to be hand washable and air dried, I think they would be perfect for my classroom,  if only they came in a size for little children. 

I do have a small minor complaint about the gloves. There is a white tag that is sewn into each of the gloves. I found it slightly uncomfortable as well as a bit of an eyesore since the gloves are black.  I was able to get the tag off though by clipping near the seam and then pulling part of it though the seam.  Problem solved.

Are you ready now to do a bit of online shopping to make your life easier? Go ahead and find your way over to Shoplet.com.   They will help you meet a wide variety of your shopping needs while searching for office supplies, cleaning supplies, medical supplies, and office furniture.

I received the above mentioned items at no charge and in exchange, I agreed to give my honest opinion of each of these products. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Shopping Made Easy!!

Christmas is just a few weeks away!  YIKES!!!  Why oh why do I let it sneak up on me like this every single year!!!!

      Thank goodness for Oriental Trading and their huge selection of Christmas items!  I found several things that will bring huge smiles to my first graders. 

      Every year the students make gifts for their parents.  This year, I decided to go with some Pot Holders.  Who wouldn't love getting this as a gift from their little one?  My students will be able to color/paint these in no time at all!    These will be painting them with these 10-Color Crayola Fabric Markers.  Unfortunately there wasn’t a brown one in the box... so I had to find a brown paint marker to use also. 

      Every year we have a Polar Express day in our classroom.  In previous years I have created a “ticket” for each of the them.  This year, however, I will be using these beautiful gold tickets.  They are stickers so the kiddos will be able to stick them directly on their pajamas.    

Like many classrooms around the world, we also have an Elf on the Shelf visiting us.  The class unanimously decided his name should be Charlie.  Charlie has brought special gifts to the students several times already this year.  These Elf on the Shelf Erasers are going to be a wonderful surprise to the kiddos.

      It’s not all about my first graders you know… I had to find something for my precious Samson for Christmas.  He loves wearing all kinds of bandanas.  When I saw these on the Oriental Trading website, I knew that they would be absolutely perfect for my little boy. I think Santa is my favorite, but Samson likes all of them.  :-)

Samson is always carrying around a little friend (that looks just like him... almost...).  His name is Little Lab and they alway wear the same bandana.    Aren’t these two twinkies adorable!? 

     Oriental Trading has a huge selection of items.  I hope that you will give them the chance to meet your Christmas shoppings needs this year.  They have reasonable prices and they ship very quickly!!  

***Disclosure*** All the items that are mentioned above, were provided to me at no cost.  In exchange for receiving these products for free, I agreed to express my opinion of each of the products without being influenced by any outside sources.  

At-A-Glance Planner at Shoplet

What is there not to love about this 8 1/2 inch x 11 inch At-a- Glance Weekly/Monthly Vienna Planner!!  Let me show you a few of the things that I love about it!

It is very well put together with its bronze wire bound binding.  I don’t know about you, usually I end up ending a few pages by the end of the year, so I’m anxious to see how this one holds up.   

The purple front cover which is made of durable poly, has a gorgeous die-cut.  It is extra thick because there is another gray poly sheet which has been attached to the purple.  Very sturdy!

There is a reference page at the beginning of the book which allows you to see three-years at-a-glance.  It is also a very thick page which appears to have some kind of laminate over it…perhaps for durability!

The monthly-calendar is a two-page layout with plenty of room for me to write any appointments or notes I need to! 

Behind each monthly calendar, there is a two-page layout for each week of the month.  There is definitely lots of room to write any additional information that doesn’t fit or need to be on the monthly calendar.

It will be very easily to turn to any month because of the tabs added for each month of the year. 

A special treat at the end of the book is a Holiday List for the next 4 years!  Now that is planning ahead. 

For those people that like to have a smaller personal size planner, then this 4 7/8 inch x 8 inch planner might be the answer for you.  It is exactly like the one that I just described above…just in a smaller scale. 

Shoplet has both of these At-A-Glance Planners.  I hope you will give them the chance to help you find a planner that works for you!  They also have an assortment of office supplies, cleaning supplies, medical supplies, office furniture, and everything in between.  Happy shopping!!!

***Disclosure*** I received these products at no charge.  In exchange, I have given my honest review of them.  

The Essential Guide to Deliverance by Larry Richards

This book was very informative.  I must admit that I haven’t read many books about demons and deliverance, so I wasn’t sure what to expect.  The information was presented in a very simple way that made it easy to follow.  The author writes about how our lives can be impacted by demons.  If you are interested in recognizing the presence of demons and what needs to happen for these evil spirits to be expelled…then this might be the book for you!

At the end of each chapter there is a “To Talk About” which has questions for the reader.  This is a time for reflection which allowed me to rethink many things.  It was definitely a learning experience for me. 

My biggest take from this book was the reminder of how we need to be careful about things that we hear and read.  EVERYTHING needs to be verified with Scripture from the Bible. 

***disclosure***I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review of this book.

A Squiggly Story by Andrew Larsen and Mike Lowery

This is a picture book about a little boy that has a strong desire to write a story.   He realizes that he is not able to write stories the way that his sister does.  His sisters is awesome!  She becomes a little teacher…she encourages him to start writing his story using what he knows…which is all letters.   He picks a letter and from there…his story emerges.  The young boy soon realizes that stories come from within...we all have our own stories to tell.  

This is a wonderful story to share with children that are beginning their journey of becoming readers and writers.  The beginning scribbles of writing are so important and children need to know that what they are doing is writing!

The book is beautiful illustrated with a comic-strip-style which students will enjoy!

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from NetGalley.  In exchange, I have given an honest review of my thoughts about this book.  

Artistic Desktop Organizer Review

I am forever losing things on my desk so I was excited to try the Artistic Desktop Organizer.  Look at that organization!   On my desk at all times I have to have these things: a calendar, my lesson plans, and Post-It Notes with reminders. Notice... I didn't show you the rest of my desk!! 

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Maybe it’s just me, but things just seem to get get totally lost on my desk!    I love the clear overlay which allows me to easily lift it up at the bottom and put papers under there that I need to see quickly.   

It has worked out perfectly for me so far.  All the items that are place under the overlay are secure!  They don’t get mixed up with the stacks of papers on my desk.  Love it! 

Here are a few details about this desktop organizer that you might want to know:

• writing surface is cushioned
• the base has a nonslip surface 
• it comes in black (insert sad face)
• nice size: 24" x 19"
• Metric and English Ruler 

If you are constantly losing papers on your desk you might want to give this product a try!  Go over to Shoplet to find out more information about this product.  Shoplet has many more products that you might want to check out as well.  They have a wide selection of office supplies, cleaning supplies, medical supplies, office furniture, and many other Artistic products.  

***Disclosure*** I received this product at no charge from Shoplet. In exchange I agreed to write an honest review of this product.  Please note that the opinions expressed here are my own.