5 for Friday: July 15

Happy Friday!

I'm linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching's Five for Friday linky party.

Have you heard of Hollar? It's similar to Dollar Tree. Most of their items are $2 or more, but I have seen a few things for a dollar. You know how you get to searching for one particular thing and end up on a tangent that is opposite of the original search? That's how I discovered Hollar. (I'm not affiliated with it.) I looked over their website and found a few things, so, I ordered. My order came today! Here is what I got:

Those cute butterfly notepads are going to be a part of introducing simple note-taking to my students. We begin the year studying life cycles. We observe caterpillars progress through their life cycle, so as the children observe the changes, they will write brief notes and draw a simple pencil sketch. From their "rough" notes, they will write more detailed sentences in their science notebook. We'll also use them for 'ticket out the door' in math or quick-checks for spelling patterns. These were in 4-packs for $2. 

The dotted and heart designed items are iPhone cases. These were $3! They aren't Kate Spade quality, like the one I have now, but they are a silicone-like material that will cushion a bit if when I drop my phone. I like them because I have a thing for polka dots and hearts. The selfie stick was a whim. I am not of the era to take a lot of selfies -- too self conscious -- but I can see my students using it. I might even get up the nerve to take a selfie or two. :-) The last item -- the lime green thingy with the propeller -- is a mini USB fan! How fun is that? I am a sucker for gadgets! This little baby will stir up some wind during our hot recess days. It plugs into the power opening on the phone and stirs up a decent breeze. I am wishing I had ordered more for fun gifts for my coworkers. 

I have loved my summer mainly because I didn't have to hold to any set schedule. That pressure that is always present, even on weekends during the school year, just fades away. It's pure bliss! However, when July 4th rolls around, my summer vacation begins its downward slope. It makes a bit sad, but I am starting to get antsy. I mean, there are only so many seasons (not episodes -- seasons) of Criminal Minds one can watch before complete paranoia sets in. WHY do they always get up to investigate that noise in the night??? For what it's worth,  I think it was a mistake for them to get rid of JJ, but I am only on season 6, so she might return! The real question is whether I will finish all eleven seasons before I go back to school! Talk about lofty goals! 

One other thing, or I should say two things, Walter Bishop  and SkippyJack, manage to keep me company. It's usually when I am trying to work. I love these guys. They are great friends and a couple of nutty playmates. Their favorite time to wrestle is first thing in the morning, when they realize I am awake, and at night when I go to bed. As you can see in the second picture, they sometimes decide they're BOTH going to hop into my lap. If you're a cat owner, you know that when a cat wants something, it is going to bug you until it gets it. 

Are you a cat person? Does your kitty insist on sitting in your lap when you're trying to work? Isn't it frustrating, but oh, so sweet? As the saying goes, "Dogs have masters. Cats have staff."  FYI -- Walter Bishop is the orange tabby. SkippyJack is the mixed-breed Ragdoll and Siamese.

You may be asking, "HOW can she binge watch all those episodes?" I ask myself that, too, sometimes.  I need background noise while I work. I've been creating new products for my Teachers Pay Teachers shop. So far, Drop Dead Diva and Criminal Minds have kept me company while I created an informational product on the life cycle of apples, salmon, butterflies, chickens and pumpkins. It has some super-cute craftivities in it. I'm really pleased with it, because it requires students to apply what they have read and experienced with apples. I have finished the one on apples. The others are coming very soon!

I have also created an August-September Narrative Journal Writing product. It has writing prompts and extension activities for monthly celebrations. I love the way it turned out. I created assessment tools, graphic organizers and informational texts explaining what a paragraph is and what a personal narrative is. Everything gets copied and stapled into a monthly journal. Yep, I included the journal covers, writer's checklist and a writing survey for each month. 

It's fitting that I put this next thing with two in my Five for Friday. This year, my teammates and I are getting two new teammates. One of our original teammates moved to a different grade and the other retired. Our administrators asked us to be involved in the interview process, which is an awesome thing! We interviewed four candidates (out of over 200 resumes my principal received). They were all awesome, but we narrowed it down to the two we thought would bring the best talents and fit well with our personalities. Great news! They accepted the jobs! I'm looking forward to working with these two ladies. I think our team is going to rock it this year! 

Finally, I'll leave you with a bit of happiness. These beauties were grown in my parents' garden. Wherever you are in your summer journey, I hope you are happy, rested, and spending time with people and fur babies who love you.