A long-awaited post with BIG NEWS

I'm embarrassed that it's been this long since a post. But it's worth it. I promise.

Between launching Reader's Workshop, launching Writer's Workshop, understanding the new Common Core standards, meeting the requirements for the new teacher evaluation system, presenting Web 2.0 tools to a packed crowd at the Massachusetts Computer Using Educators conference at Gillette in October, staying on top of my growing Google Reader count, and incorporating many new TPT activities and goodies into my class, life in Room 16 has been NON-STOP.

Not to mention, we're having a baby! :)

Amid the baby excitement, there has been much to celebrate.

 Last weekend included a delicious dinner at Hooters with the hubs, Sarah, Dan, and some best girl friends, a day in the city with my mother-in-law to celebrate her November birthday with handbag-designing, lunch and cupcakes on Newbury Street, some quality time with Leah (and a sleepover), a birthday brunch with favorites at Cheesecake Factory, and a family birthday celebration with homemade cake and ice cream. Yum!

No rest for the weary-- family dinner last night, a birthday dinner for a friend at Lolita's (tapas, pop-rocks covered cotton candy...) tonight, the Jingle Bell 5K tomorrow morning, a girl friend's ornament/beer Yankee Swap party tomorrow!

Excited for this week in third grade. I've got Holidays Around the World and some creative ways to meet the standards all while promoting the holiday spirit! (Composing tweets from Santa Claus and Dan the Dreidel's point of view? You bet!) 

4 days until our school's holiday party...
5 days until we see our sweet babe again in an ultrasound...
6 days until our family holiday extravaganza...
and 6 days until school vacation and time for wrapping, gifting, and a whole lot of nesting!

Time to hit the gym-- we've got 6 weddings and I have a whole lot of dresses to fit into in 2013!

We're Back to School and Busy is an Understatement!

It sure is easier to create/ post/ sell/ blog in the summer months.

School (and a whole lot of changes) make for a busy September!

We're launching Reader's Workshop and Writer's Workshop and teaching ourselves along the way.

We're teaching an updated Common Core version of enVision math--less a textbook. [Another challenge...] But we're keeping our heads above water and doing our best!

I hope to create more TPT and Teacher's Notebook items aligned to the Common Core in the coming weeks. I admire my fellow teacher bloggers who maintain, manage, and update their blogs and stores daily! Pipe dreams! :)

Beyond the walls of Room 16 I've...

+ climbed stadium stairs with the November project [a free fitness program in Boston]

+ attended a friend's wedding in Rhode Island Labor Day weekend

+ explored Wompatuck State Park in Hingham on bikes

+ registered for a 10K in October, a 5K on Thanksgiving, and a 5K in December 

+ admired the handiwork of the hubs and dad as they transformed our bathroom from this...

to this...

+ went apple picking in Stow

+ biked 44 miles in Northhampton with the hubs, a few good friends, and my younger sister 

A birthday cake is in the oven, and it's time to prep dinner...

Be back soon!

It's August!?

We've been so busy crossing off items on our summer bucket list, it's left little time to blog! [ I hope to get better!]

July/August summer highlights

+ finally enjoyed our May date (better late than never right?) at MetroRock for a 2 hour ropes challenge course

+ celebrated Leah's birthday at KO Pies

+ attended a send-off barbeque in Northborough

 + saw trailer races and monster trucks at the Seekonk Motor Speedway

 + tried some new cupcakes ideas in Cupcake Club at camp

 

+ celebrated our second wedding anniversary with a Pinterest-inspired picture-in-a-picture-in-a-picture  (Isn't he a hunk!?)

 + took advantage of Massachusetts's tax-free weekend and bought bikes! We LOVE them.

+ celebrated the engagement of one of our favorite couples

 + officially opened my TeachersPayTeachers store for business--four purchases! Hey, you have to start somewhere right?

With only five days left of summer camp I am eager to finally enjoy vacation (a mini getaway perhaps???) and pump out more teacher goodies using the $25 I won in the Teachers Notebook sweepstakes!

Check out my newest product-- Currency in the Classroom--Bakery Bucks ($1, $5, $10, and $20 denominations) to use as a class incentive program. In my class of third graders, students earn money for homework completed on time, when they are "caught being kind," as secret walkers in the hallway (I secretly choose two students before we leave to go to the cafeteria, computer lab etc.. If they remain quiet and respectful in line while we walk to our destination, their names are revealed upon reaching our destination. If they were disruptive, their name is never revealed.) Classroom currency also serves as a great incentive for times you may be out of the room and a substitute is present. Pencil cases found at the dollar store serve as individual banks. At the end of the month, students have the opportunity to spend their earnings at a class auction where they may bid on items such as school supplies, homework passes, a day at the teacher's desk passes, etc. Click on the first picture to purchase! Interested in a different theme? Let me know, and I would love to customize a set for you!

Dirty 30, Puppy Party, and Color Run

I think the hubby's "dirty 30" surprise bbq was a success. (A grill fire only adds to the excitement, right?) I kid... 

Sunday was another barbeque--hosted by a few friends of ours. This summer barbeque also served as a birthday party for their sweet pup Shayna. 

puppy cakes

  

the birthday pup

  
Thursday, the hubby and I ventured downtown to Lolita's Cocina Tequila Bar for what was deemed "dinner for 2." Between the complementary palette cleanser (tequila-soaked) grapefruit, chips and choices of salsa, two primeros, one taco, one side, one entree, a decadent dessert, and pop rocks cotton candy, we could have had dinner for 3 or 4! Mmmm...

 love the ambiance

 palette-cleansing tequila-soaked grapefruit

 

complimentary pop rocks candy

 

Hoping this bout of poison ivy ends soon. Yuck!

Hard to believe Monday starts Week 6 (!) of camp. August is near!

'Twas the night before Color Run, when all through the house, a pink tutu was hung, ready to run. 

"Dirty 30" party pictures and TPT item update coming next!

The Freebies Keep Coming!

I'm pleased with the response I've had at my new TeachersPayTeachers shop.

As things start to die down later this month, I hope to explore more fonts and clip art to jazz up a few activities I have created.

For now, check out 8 days worth of freebies at my shop. 

We ran our first 10k Tuesday night and while it was a scorcher and awfully tough running after work, the fact that we got to finish at the 50 yard line of Gillette Stadium was pretty neat.

We spent the fourth on a Boston Harbor Cruise checking out the Tall Ships and bbqing. Thursday, as part of CWW's Cupcake Club, we made Cookie Monster cupcakes--one of my all-time favorites now. That night I met a great friend from BC in Plymouth for dinner and we had great dinner and great conversation catching up.  

Friday night I baked for a friend's luau-themed housewarming party.

Saturday we hosted a post-July 4th bbq. The pups had a ball--all five of them! 

Today we ran a few errands in the morning and Leah and I ventured to Houghton's Pond in the afternoon. Sun and sand...What a weekend! :)

Week 3 of camp starts tomorrow and with it comes a week consisting of a beach walk/puppy date, $5 movie with some teacher friends, girls dinner, qt with the hubs, dinner/drinks downtown, and the Food Truck Festival on Saturday. Yayy!

A Freebie a Day in July!

Opening ThirdGradeCupcakes with a bang!

Visit my TPT store for a freebie a day in July! (By putting it in print, encourages me to hit the ground running!)

Next up work with fonts, clip art, badges, and buttons!

Today's freebie--a back-to-school time capsule for third, fourth, and fifth graders. Just click on any picture to download the freebie!

Happy July!

Bucket List Complete and a Grammar Freebie!

I just finished my Summer Bucket List, a Pinterest DIY idea found here. One of my goals has been to finally get in gear and start sharing and selling on Teachers Pay Teachers. I have been a TPT fanatic since the fall and have a gazillion centers, posters, and games to print, cut, mat, laminate, and organize that I have recently found and fell in love with.

 

 

 

So....with that being said... Third Grade Cupcakes at Teachers Pay Teachers is now open for business! Patience is requested as I get a feel for it..downloads, screenshots, thumbnails, linking, and badges are things I must learn...and soon!

Enjoy my first, of many, freebies! May I Have a Word With You was a fun activity and review for the four types of sentences. Students got to choose which statement, command, question, or exclamation applied to which celebrity. Click on the image to go to the download.

A favorite of mine was a command spoken to Justin Bieber--"You must get a haircut."

18 days...

I've significantly caught up on my Google Reader from 500+ down to 200+ so much that I feel that I can breathe, update, and return to my teacher blog-hopping again soon. It's addicting and so fabulous. I've found so many amazing freebies, units, printables, it's hard to keep the excitement to myself. (Promise I'll share some of my favorites in the next post!)

The last few weeks have consisted of a whole lot of tweeting, crafting, and baking! (That about sums it up!)

 chocolate decadence Take 1

 

 chocolate decadence Take2

 Marathon Monday cupcakes

 lemon cupcakes with cream cheese frosting

 purple cow cupcakes

s'more cupcakes

We've done more housework in the past two weeks than we have in quite some time, and it's a good feeling. We re-painted the two bedrooms upstairs and I came home from work today to new light fixtures in our bedroom and a new ceiling! Big things!

We have another jam-packed weekend that kicks off in a few hours...

Tonight we have a double date at a hibachi grill in Marshfield. Tomorrow morning we're running the Abington Police Department's 5K. Heather comes over post-race to experiment with a few cocktail recipes and some baking...before Paint Bar with the ladies at work at night.

Sunday is my Stella and Dot party and then Leah and I are baking 150 mini cupcakes for Cupcake Camp!

Phew!

Picture overload in the next post!