Week 2: Dare to Dream!

It's Week 2 of the TpT Seller Challenge and I'm excited to share my GOALS for this "Dare to Dream" post. To be honest, the fact that it is Wednesday evening and I am JUST NOW posting for the week makes me a little crazy. Ugh...wish I wasn't so Type A. Anyways, if you are just tuning in and want to learn more about this exciting challenge, be sure to check out these fabulous blogs!

 

This week's assignment!!

I had to narrow it down and focus on what is really at the top of my list. Most important. 

Here they are...

So, up first....

First and foremost, when considering my goals for TpT...this one word comes to mind. As a mommy of young littles, coach's wife, grade level chair, and 2nd grade teacher, "new" blogger...BALANCE is key! This will most likely always be a constant struggle, I realize, but I want to try to find that happy medium. I feel there have been times that I've let my family down because I was trying to finish a TpT product or a blog post instead of tending to issues at home. Sure, there have been nights that I served PB&Js, potato chips, and cookies for dinner (more nights than I would like to admit), because I needed to get back on my computer. My kids are little sponges who watch everything I do and I don't ever want them to feel that they're second. My family is the most important thing along with my faith in the Lord. So, ((deep breath))...BALANCE. Blogging and TpT'ing has to wait until nap time or bed time!

For my next goal, this is important to me. I feel that TpT and all that comes with it will always be a part of my life. As cliche as it sounds, I really consider myself a lifelong learner. I want to know how these big time bloggers do it. How they find success. Their tips and tricks...I want to LEARN and then be able to CREATE high quality products and SHARE with others through my blog and TpT store. I feel that there has been improvement over the past year but I'm hungry for more! I would love to feel that I have made a "breakthrough" and found my place in the educational blogging world. I want my products to be "wishlisted" and sought after just because I created it. I always want to be able to share my work with others. 

This one is simple. We don't become teachers for the money. Everybody knows that. As teachers, we want to MAKE A DIFFERENCE! I want to inspire not only my students each year but also fellow teachers. Whether it be the amazing teachers I work alongside each day or teachers across the world. I want what I do each day to matter. I mean, really matter. To me, the greatest reward from teaching is a handwritten note from a student or parent declaring my importance in his/her life. My work mattered. My LOVE for my students has been recognized. It's the greatest. Can I get an AMEN?!

And lastly, pay off debt. Did you notice how I created the word "Debt" here? I wanted to display it sketchy as if it could just be ERASED easily. But since I know it can't, I have the dark shadow around the letters. And that is how debt makes me feel. Just a dark gloomy cloud surrounding us. My husband is a coach. So we have more or less reached our highest earning potential in the positions we are in. When I started TpT, I thought I would use the extra income for some of my personal fun things like massages, pedicures, highlights etc. But now, I need to get serious and pay off that credit card. Life happens and we need to get new tires, take a (really) expensive trip to the ER, or replace an AC unit. Yeah, all that just happened in the past 2 months. So...TpT and the income it provides will be redirected to erase debt! It will be such a great feeling once it happens!!

That pretty much wraps up my goals! Be sure to head on over to the other blogs to check out others' goals. I've noticed that many teachers all over the country have similar goals!

What are yours?!

Makeover Madness Take Two! Father's Day Book & Coupons!

This whole Makeover Madness hosted by the TpT Seller Challenge is rocking my world. Seriously. I'm afraid it may become a slight obsession to makeover my old products. It is crazy how much my style of designing and creating has changed or let's be honest, I didn't really know what I was doing when I started designing 2 years ago. Ha ha!

Wanna know more about this TpT Seller Challenge or want to join in on the fun? Head on over to these fabulous blogs:  Third in Hollywood, Teach Create Motivate, Sparkling in Second, and Peppy Zesty Teacherista!

I posted my makeover of my best selling The Great Sub Reference Binder on Monday and I LOVED how it turned out. But I know I had other products that were more in need of a facelift, desperately.

Here's my latest! 

Father's Day Book & Coupons

See what I mean? It was SCREAMING for a makeover. It WAS one of the first products I created so it really appears to just be thrown together. I really love the new and updated cover. 

Here's more of the transformation:

BEFORE: 

AFTER: 

In addition to the cover, I added more pages for the book and a book assembly directions page. I also included a Boy and Girl version for the cover page and made it available in black and white for easy printing! Aren't these covers cute?

Before I didn't even provide a cover...what was I thinking??

BEFORE: 

AFTER: 

BEFORE: 

AFTER: 

Just a small snapshot of some of the pages. I'm so glad I chose this one to make over. 

Just in time for Father's Day too! I have this already uploaded to my TpT Store AND it's on sale through Father's Day!!! Get this HERE!

Thanks for checking out my latest Makeover Madness! I have a feeling that I will just have to do another one before the week is up. So addicting! Anyone else out there feel the same way?!

Don't forget to head on over the other blogs to view the link up of the other FABULOUS makeovers!!

Letter of the Day Training Camp! {ALL BOY style}

Depending on how you look at it, being a teacher's kid can have its perks... or its downfalls? This kid just happens to love getting dressed up and posing for a few pics. This is how I am attempting to teach him his letters this summer. 

You can hop on over to my family blog to see the activities we are doing each day. We've only made it through letter H so far but you can follow our ABC learning adventures HERE!

This has definitely proven to be a different experience than when I did Letter of the Day activities with my daughter 2 years ago.  She was more than eager to do every activity and every letter craft. 

You can read all about our Letter of the Day with my daughter HERE.

It's true what they say....girls mature faster than boys. No doubt.

 I know I would have to keep the activities centered around all boy stuff to hold his interest. Sports, garbage trucks, race cars, bugs...etc. So far, so good.

I am planning on printing out each letter picture, starring my little athlete, and hang them up on the wall upstairs. 

This one is my favorite so far. :)

Not sure how much he's actually learning, but we are having fun!!

Do you do any learning activities with your own kiddos? If so, I would love to hear about them! Leave me a comment below! ;)

TpT Seller Challenge! Makeover Madness!

I am sooo excited to be participating in this awesome TpT Seller Challenge hosted by Third in Hollywood, Teach Create Motivate, Sparkling in Second, and Peppy Zesty Teacherista! To learn more about it click HERE!

This week's topic is MAKEOVER MADNESS! I gladly accept this challenge and plan on making over more than one product within the week. This has definitely been on my TpT to-do list for awhile now. Just needed some free time (aka...summer!) and a little motivation to knock it out.

I wanted to go ahead and share my recently made over product: The Great Sub Reference Binder. This product has been PERFECT for long-term subs and just as a daily sub binder as needed. I just leave my copy near my desk in case I have to be out! I actually made over this product once before the original went on TpT. I had a friend about to take maternity leave and she had asked me to make her long term sub reference binder! So this is what was born....



 It is my #1 Top Seller on TpT and has received lots of re-pinning love on Pinterest. I know, so why give it a make over? Well, the content stays the same with a few added features and I just wanted to make it brighter and more updated. I LOVE the way it turned out!!

So happy with how it has turned out!

Here is an image used in my original blog post about the makeover. You can read that post HERE!

It also has more EDITABLE pages than before. Totally customizable to your classroom and ready for a sub!

Here is a little preview of what is all included!

So, what do you think? I would love to hear what all you would want to see in a sub binder. I might have to be making over this product again, you never know!

Be sure to check it out on TpT! Oh! And it will be on sale (20% off) until Thursday (6/18)!

Thanks for checking out this Makeover Madness! Stay tuned for more makeovers this week and be sure to stop by the other blogs linked up to see their new creations!

SCHOOL'S OUT....For Summer!!

So happy to have a little time off with my own babies this summer, but I sure am missing my sweet class!!

I know it may seem that teachers say this often but really, REALLY, this class was something special. Such an incredible group of kids and I am so proud of them. I do plan to post more about our end of year happenings later. Tons to share about our Animal Research PBL (which was FABULOUS!) and a few other fun things! So stay tuned!!

This pic was taken right after learning that our Halle won the all school Hula Hooping Championship! What? Your school doesn't do hula hooping on the last day of school!?!

Oh, and we also had a GAGA Ball Championship. Here is the 2nd grade team right before they played! Go Allie and Owen!

My little darling ready to cheer on her kindergarten friends!

Congrats Owen for winning the K-2 championship game. ;)

My class after the win!!

 Such a fun class!

Saying goodbye to my girls! :(

Earlier in the day, I had presented them with their End of Year Gifts...

Love the way they turned out this year! How did I make these? SIMPLE! Go HERE to read all about how the kids filled out ONE word for everyone in our class. Then I simply made a Wordle and printed it out! Cheap, Dollar store frames and a cute poem added to the back. Done! And they loved it!

To see my blog post on this last year, go HERE! I love how they each turned out a little different! The kids loved that the bigger the word, that meant the more people had put that word down to describe them! Very cool.

Would you like to do this activity with your class next year? It's FREE on TpT! And, oh my goodness, it has been downloaded nearly 6,000 times! WOW!

Get it HERE!

HAPPY SUMMER!!