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A few weeks ago, my sister told me she saw a cute idea to use a straw dispenser to hold sharpened pencils.  I thought it was such a cute and clever way to always have sharpened pencils on hand and ready for use, but I was bummed that I'm no longer a full-time teacher with a classroom of my own.  Then I realized we still go through a ton of pencils here during homework time and I'm always scrambling to find sharpened pencils when the kids have to restock their pencil cases before they go off to school in the mornings.  I decided I was going to go ahead and get our own pencil dispenser for our house. Check it out... It's funny how exciting it can be to get a new electric pencil sharpener and a cool dispenser.  No matter what time of year it is or how old you are, fresh school supplies can give you a fresh outlook! There was really nothing to this "project".  I simply ordered an acrylic straw dispenser from Amazon , (Amazon affiliate link)   the kids sharpened...

Since today is "Read Across America Day", my son and I thought we'd share a few of his favorite books and series.  He just turned 9, is in 3rd grade, and he's a pretty strong reader. Before this past year, my son was primarily interested in non-fiction books.  He'd read every night, just like his sisters, but his tastes leaned heavily towards books like The Guinness Book of World Records and Top Ten Lists of Everything Football .    While I loved that he was reading (and learning lots of interesting facts), I was eager for him to expand into some fictional books as well.  When he finally found a series he liked, he was hooked and has been enthusiastically reading a great mix of fiction and nonfiction ever since.  (NOTE:  While the books on this list are ones that have appealed to my son, my 10-year old daughter has read and enjoyed many of them as well)   Here are the books we recommend ... (Amazon links are included with each photo and tit...

Here is another one of those "No way.  I had no clue you could do that" ideas!  A couple months ago one of my readers (Hi, Bonnie!) sent me an email telling me that she makes her own little chalkboards for her preschoolers using just construction paper and glue.  Now Bonnie said she has been a classroom teacher for over 30 years, so I was sure she wasn't making this up, but I didn't have a chance to actually test it out until recently.  Well, it totally works and it's such an inexpensive, easy and awesome idea.   Check it out... I know a lot of schools use dry erase boards, but I think these could be even better for several reasons.  First, they're way cheaper.  Second, you don't have worry about dry erase markers which are pricey and dry out quickly.  Third, you can even make your own little reusable worksheets with this method! Here's how to do it (it's super easy!) 1.  Get a sheet of dark construction paper, a foam paintbrush and some...

Years ago at a fall festival,  I remember a story teller telling a really cute story about the star that you see when you cut into an apple.  When the kids and I came home from apple picking at the orchard today, I thought it would be a fun time to share the little legend.  However, although I remember the basic premise, I couldn't remember any of the details.  Googling led me to several versions of  "The Little Red House with No Windows, No Doors, and a Star Inside" but I couldn't find the story I'd heard.  Finally, I came across this version on a site for Girl Scouts.  It was short, but was the closest to the one I'd heard a long time ago.  I decided to elaborate on it a little bit and make my own version.  It was a big hit with my kids and I like how it includes a little lesson on how hard work and patience can bring you rewards. Check it out... Click HERE or on the story below for a printable PDF version! And here's my son after I read ...

I have to be honest with you, there are certain chores that I don't like to do ~ emptying the dishwasher, putting away clean laundry and packing lunches for three kids every morning top my list. (There are lots of other things on that list too)   However, I realize that I can't put in more dirty dishes unless the dishwasher's empty, we need to be able to wear the clothes I've already washed and dried, and my kids need to eat while they're at school. So this isn't going to be a post showing how to make an adorable themed lunch for your child.  (Don't get me wrong, I love seeing all those cute sandwiches cut and decorated in elaborate shapes and my kids would go nuts if they ever opened their lunch box to see one of their favorite characters made out of food, but it's just not going to happen here.)   Instead, if you're like me and lunch-making isn't your chore of choice, here are just a few things that have been working well for us. Here are my ti...

My kids are just finishing up their first week of school and I know most other schools around the country have started or will start soon. With so many of those students having their first "real" school experience as kindergarteners, I'm excited to have a guest post today from the wonderful Susan at Kindergarten & Preschool for Parents & Teachers .  Susan has years of experience in the classroom and the following advice is perfect for your new kindergartner (and your older kids too!)   You took the dramatic steps of enrolling your precious child in kindergarten. Now what? After shedding some tears, put away the tissues and realize that your child still needs you for a Smooth Move through Kindergarten . Can you say that fast? It might be rather difficult for your child to say if teeth are missing. Here are some ways you can help in the school year: 1. Focus on Your Child : When you are with your child, give him or her your undivided attention. Turn off the techno ...

Yesterday was the first day of school for my kids (woo hoo!)  They'd already made these cute little pencil bouquets for their teachers (which I heard were a big hit) and I'd picked up all the necessary supplies they needed to bring in to school.  However, I wanted to give them a little something special from me to celebrate the new school year. I decided to pick up some extra supplies that they might need for here at home ~ things that weren't necessarily on their supply lists, but that might come in handy for homework assignments or projects. Knowing that extra scissors and markers aren't really a "fun" gift, I decided to put a neat little twist on my practical gift.  Check it out... Pretty clever, don't you think? (and, yes, I am patting myself on the back for this one). Incorporated in each bit of advice are key words that correspond to the various school supplies.  As the kids read the words of wisdom, they were directed to open certain numbered gift...

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Astrobrights Papers by Neenah Paper for SocialSpark . All opinions are 100% mine. School starts here in just a few weeks and we're all excited for the new year to begin.  The kids are looking forward to seeing all their friends, meeting their new teachers and learning new subjects.  When I was recently given the challenge to "Make Something Astrobright", I knew just who I wanted to make it for ~ the kids' teachers!  As a former teacher myself, I know how demanding the job can be.  I want the kids' homeroom teachers to get a little something on the first day of school to say thanks in advance for everything they'll do this year.    Check out these cute and very  colorful pencil bouquets...   Won't they look pretty on the teachers' desks?  They're bright and very colorful, but practical too!  Plus, I think it's a thoughtful little gift without seeming like an over-the-top form of bribery...

Today is the last day of school for my kids!  We were blessed with some really great teachers this year and I wanted to show our appreciation with an end-of-the-year gift.   As a former school teacher myself, I know that gift cards and hand written notes of thanks are usually appreciated much more than yet another coffee mug or scented body lotion.  For our gift this year, I combined the gift card/thank you note with the photo idea that we used on our Photo Bookmarks and our Lollipop Valentine's Cards .  I really like the way they turned out and I think the teachers will really like receiving them. Check it out... For the "specials" teachers ~ Music, Gym, Library, etc ~ I put all three kids' photos on the front and they each wrote their note of appreciation inside the little booklet. Doesn't it almost look like they're holding up the gift card "sign"? Then for their regular subjects, we made a separate booklet for each teacher they had and I put the...