November 2016

Christmas Gift Ideas for the Classroom

28 November 2016

Christmas is my FAVORITE time of year. I love the songs, lights, movies, and everything that involves the celebration of Christ's birth. I have a couple gift ideas for you to use for coworkers, students, parent helpers, or whoever you want!

I found these little milk jars at Michaels and they were on sale for $2 each. I filled them with some chocolate and markers because WHAT TEACHER DOESN'T LOVE MARKERS?!? I am going to attach a Starbucks gift card to them and give them to my son's teachers.... this would also be a great gift for your coworkers!

This next idea is for the students to make an ornament for their parents. It can get expensive trying to supply the materials for gifts for the kids to make, so I like to think about what I already have in my classroom, and if I can get away with spending under $2 per child then I totally scored. I found this pack of 6 wood ornaments on sale for $6. These are perfect to cover in liquid glue and then sprinkle with glitter. It is basically fool proof and will be a gift the parents can have for many years.

This next gift is something I will give my students as a gift. I made gingerbread crayons using old crayons that we don't use anymore.

Here are the steps to make the gingerbread crayons:

Step 1:

Find a silicone baking tray and some old crayons. I found the bat tray at Michael's. It is supposed to be used for melting chocolate! I keep a box of crayons that are broken or have been used so they are now a little nub, I peeled them and chopped them up into small pieces.

Step 2:

I put the crayons in the gingerbread tray, trying to spread out the different colors so when they melt they will be vivid and visible.

Step 3:

Heat your oven to 250 degrees and melt the crayons for 10-15 minutes. The length of time will vary, so keep checking on them.

Step 4:

Take the tray out and let them cool. I actually put mine in the freezer so they would cool down faster so I could make the next batch!

I am going to put a couple inside a small stocking and give one stocking to each student. I might add a candy cane as well.

Merry Christmas!!

Teacher Style

Dansko Shoes for Teachers

20 November 2016

Bring on the scarves and jackets!!! Oh wait, I live in Southern California and it's still 80 degrees once a week. 😏 BUT it was raining today so I got to wear a scarf, which was super exciting! (by the way Miss Kindergarten gave it to me, and I am kind of obsessed.)

This is my second year partnering with Dansko, hunting for comfortable shoes to teach in during the winter. I have shared before, but something changed with my feet after I had my son and I have been wearing higher quality shoes to ensure that I can stand all day long.

I always thought loafers were a more "elderly" (no offense!!!) type of shoe. Boy was I wrong! They are comfortable, sophisticated, and with the crackle leather look that the Addy brings I am ready to go for a full day of teaching.

For casual Friday I like to wear jeans, but these Lolas dress up my simple look. I felt brave going for a light shoe in the winter, but I am excited to wear them throughout the year.

My new hobby has become figuring out what colors are on trend for the current season. Though wandering through social media, I found that maroon tones are the new red. I decided to snag the Sandra to incorporate a pop of color! These shoes have a subtle heel and are perfectly comfortable to each in all day long.

My dress (WITH POCKETS) is from Dainty Jewells. Form fitting dresses are not my thing, so this flowy dress with pockets is my JAM.

These shoes are courtesy of Dansko, but my review is my honest opinion. I love working with brands to promote their product as well as find items that am excited to wear.

What are your favorite shoe brands? I would love to check them out!

Freebies, Thanksgiving

Thankful Tree for the Lounge

08 November 2016

Building up the teachers' morale can be a simple/difficult task. Here is an easy way to bring cheer to your staff during this Thanksgiving season. I found this "build your own thankful tree" at Target for $5. It comes with the tree, 28 leaves, and twine. You could make your own bulletin board and not purchase this, but if you want this one, take a look in the party section at Target!

I am going to place the "give thanks printable" in every teacher's box and tape a leaf to it! I will place the tree in the lounge for each teacher to hang a leaf sharing what they are thankful for.

If you want to use the printable, grab it here!

Early Learning at Home

Minted Christmas Cards + Craft

02 November 2016

This year I am partnering with Minted to showcase some of their newest Christmas card designs. I narrowed down my choices down to my 3 favorite card designs. One helpful feature is you can order a sample card for $1, that way you can see the colors, quality, and style in person. I really appreciated being able to hold the different cards in my hands to better pick a card! (You can't personalized the card, they just send you a pre-made sample.)
Note- In my partnership with Minted, I do have referral links within this post that I earn a small commission from through your purchase.

I ordered about 5 different cards but these are the front runners:

Be Merry & Bright

Fa La La

Heaven + Nature Sing

I also decided to order a "Baby it's Cold Outside" print to add to my Christmas decor. I didn't hang it up yet because I am being a good wife and waiting until after Thanksgiving! haha!

This year, I decided I wanted to send a little craft along with my Christmas cards. I made this printable and stamped my son's fingers on it to turn it into a string of lights! As he stamped his little finger I kept repeating the color, he loves trying to repeat words, but for now he just catches the first sound in the word.