{40 Tips for Yearbook Class}

I attended JAU this week (that stands for Jostens Advisor University).  It was 4 days of learning and connecting with other advisors in the Journalism classroom.  Part of JAU was a hands on homeroom where we had the chance to work with others on something that we could put to use in our classroom.  My group decided to share our top 5 things that "work" in our classroom.  Below is the link to the word document and I hope you find it helpful.  There's lots of good ideas on here so be sure to read through and find ones that will work in your classroom.  Until next time...

40 Tips for Yearbook Class

{Change of Pace}

This has been an awesome week! I spent 4 days at JAU (Jostens Advisor University) held in Orlando, FL.  (I commuted each day since it was just a 45 min. drive).  Then Wed. through today was yearbook camp over at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort.  I learned so much and I can't wait to get things going for this year and work with my students.  I think I will have about 26 on my yearbook staff this year and I will have large classes for TV & Newspaper as well.  Something I am planning to try this year is doing away with our beat sheets we've been doing and switch to a beat system where students keep track of a team, club, department, or topic on campus like a newsroom.  I am also planning to have my students complete journalistic assignments each week to be graded.  I created a menu of choices for journalists to pick from in order to achieve the grade they want.  Below is a link to that document.  You are welcome to borrow it and make changes to fit your needs.  Until next time...

Grading Menu

Editor's Tracking Sheet

{Room Decorating, again}

I spent some time yesterday organizing and cleaning up a couple areas of my classroom.  My desk is cleared off (for once!).  I'm working on getting everything ready for school in just about 3.5 weeks (I'm crying!).  Anyways, below is a couple pictures of my desk--pay no attention to the fact that the back of my desk is still maroon--I need to order more contact paper.

Only my computer is missing :) 

(I can't wait to re-do that sign on my desk--I'm taking a hand lettering class Thursday evening so I can't wait to make all things pretty!)  

This is my turn-in station and graded work plus paperwork for my 3 classes.  It needs some more cleaning up, but hopefully you get the idea.  

Until next time...

Bookshelves & classroom mailboxes

I decided to make my classroom bookshelves even prettier by adding contact paper to them.  I ordered all the contact paper I've used on Amazon.  It isn't the easiest to put in straight, but it sure looks pretty when it's in place! (Don't zoom in to see that its actually very imperfect).  I love it though and I can't wait to update our staff mailboxes (these are the pictures of last year's staff, but you get the idea).  Until next time....

Chalkboard Placemats...SCORE!

Just had to share! I went to Hobby Lobby on Thursday & an entire section of home decor was 80% off!! 😆😆😆😆🎉🎉🎉🎉 Needless to say, I stocked up! One thing I want to share is these adorable chalkboard placemats I found!! There were 12 in the pack & they were not in the 80% off section 😭....However, I used the online HL coupon (it's always there & gives you 40% off 1 regular priced item...you're welcome!) So, I used the coupon on the placemats and instead of $10, they were just $6. I plan to use them in my classroom decor!! I'm taking a hand lettering class next week & I can't wait to learn and then create! Until next time....

Sparkle is my favorite color

I found a super fun idea on Pinterest for sharing and posting student journalist work in my classroom.  I'll use twine to hang across in 3 rows and then use clothespins to hang student work...the one I found online had 3 categories---Fabulous Photos, Wonderful Writing, & Delightful Design---works perfectly for my classroom....so I used some mod podge and gold glitter and made the clothespins more fabulous! It was so much fun that I found a couple other things to add glitter to...check it out! Until next time....

I'm moving....classrooms!

I'm so excited because I'm moving to the classroom across the hall from my old room and it's HUGE! I can't wait! I've been working on projects to get my new space ready and I love it because I can start from scratch.  I'm really loving everything rustic & farmhouse so that's my theme or decor ideas.  I'm pinnning like crazy on Pinterest and creating as I go.  I've been up there a few times now painting bookcases to match and getting things ready so I can move my stuff in.  It's coming along. Below are some pics of the room.  I have 20 computers and this room is so big that one side will be the computers and the other side will be my round tables.  My old room was much smaller and we filmed our TV show right in the room---I had 32 in TV last spring so we would say, "Ok, quiet everyone! We are on air!" It was madness...I've been doing that for 3 years though so I'm most excited about the new room because it has a giant double door closet that will now be turned into our studio!!!! Hooray! Anyways, check out the pics below....Until next time....

Update 2016

I really fell off the blogging bandwagon! I'm determined to get back up and share so much that has been going on.  The girls are now 7, 5, & 2...as of this past June! :) We did one big party in June and celebrated all 3 of our June babies....I just realized my last entery was April of 2014 so at that time we were awaiting the arrival of Kinley Austin who made her debut on June 26, 2014.  She just celebrated her 2nd birthday 2 weeks ago.   Now that we are a family of 5 things have been more exciting and fun all the time! Kinley was our last piece to the puzzle that is our family and now we are a perfect fit! :)   Below are our most recent pictures from July 4, 2016. Happy birthday, America!

Great Expectations :)

Well, a lot has changed since I last posted.  We are now expecting our 3rd baby girl in June so we are busy working on getting a room set up for Kinley.  Baleigh and Rylie Kate are now sharing a room and Kinley will be in Rylie's old room.  I had it in my head that I wanted to use aqua (with navy for a boy or pink for a girl) well, once we found out it was another girl we got busy! Austin's Mom painted the room and I love the colors! We did 2 walls a darker aqua and 2 walls the lighter color on the same swatch.  It looks great.  My Mom and Austin's Mom went in together and got her bedding on Amazon.  I LOVE it! Below is a picture of the bed and the wall behind.  I wanted to do something like curtains on the wall to frame her bed and I think it turned out really cute :)  We are still working on it and soon I'll get more pictures of other parts of the room.  I haven't decided if I will leave the K or come up with something with her full name yet--that's the K from RK that used to hang there above Rylie Kate's crib :) Until next time....

Fabric Tutu :)

I made these for my girls...I just picked abut 10 fabrics that I liked...I did purple & aqua for my older daughter and then orange and aqua for my younger daughter...so I used the same aquas for both and then chose about 5 of their coordinating color to go along with the aqua.  Here are some pics of how I did it....first I had to cut the material into strips and I used shearing scissors to give it that zig zag look.  I made the strips about an inch to 2 in. across--I varied the sizes.....once I had my strips you can see in the pictures what I did.  I bought one strip of elastic waist band and I used it for both girls...I measured them by wrapping the band around them and giving myself an extra 3 in. and then cutting.  Once I was done I tied the waist band and cut it.

I used the paper towel rolls to hold the elastic after I measured the girls...I didn't tie the material...I just slip knotted it over the band.  Worked great! :)

   

 

Guest Room Remake!

I bought a used headboard through a facebook group for $15...it was black so Austin painted it with Killz (sp?) and then I painted it yellow to match the colors I have in the guest room....here is what the finished product looks like! I love it!! :)

The girls were helping model it after the paint job! They insisted to be in the picture :) 

Finished guest room :) 

"Under the Sea" Birthday Splash

This year my girls were turning 2 & 4 in the month of June so I decided to do a combined birthday celebration.  Last year at Baleigh's princess party she asked me if her next birthday could be a mermaid party...so as sad as it sounds, I've been planning this for 1 year!! :) Below are the pictures of the party and I do have to say it was a grand success! :) the girls loved it and I was so happy with the way everything went.  Thank you Pinterest!! :)

Entry way decorations...the blue streamers are just hanging around the light in the entry way.

Favors for friends :) Instead of goodie bags I bought each guest a pair of flip flops (Old Navy) but I added bows to the girls' flip flops and I created a hair bow for each girl.  Below is the left side of table so you can see the boy shoes in the middle and the pairs for Baleigh's friends on the left...her hair bows had an Ariel in the middle of them.   

Here is the right side of the table with Rylie's friends flip flops...her friends each got a hair bow with Nemo in the middle of them :)  

This is the squid chandelier I made over our dining room table.  Plus you can see the seaweed streamers I created on the walls and the cut out fish I got to make the scene complete. 

Here is an up close picture of the wall decorations. 

I also hung blue streamers in the connecting doorway to look like water.  :) 

Here is an overall look at the food table.  We did Octo-dogs, peanut butter & jelly starfish, a goldfish bar, rice krispy treats, seaweed (grape) skewers...plus more that you can't see! 

Here is the drink table.  We made mermaid punch on the left...sad thing is that it was so cute when it was full & blue...in this pic we refilled the mermaid punch with water...but on the right we called it sea water, but it was just water with fresh cut strawberries & limes. Both were yummy! The mermaid punch was lemonade and blue kool-aid. 

Up close of the sea water. 

Up close of mermaid punch...or water! :) 

Goldfish bar :)  

Octodogs :) We cut them and then boiled them. The kids loved them :)  

Rice cake sea scenes....I just mixed blue food coloring with the cream cheese and spread it on then used a mixed bag of carrots & broccoli to put on each and added 2 goldfish to complete the scenes. 

Seaweed skewers....they were so good that they all got eaten! :) These were just a mix of grapes on each skewer. 

Rice krispy treats with swedish fish.  :)  

Cake!

Another view of cake! 

I got these cupcakes at Publix and asked for 6 choc. & 6 vanilla and I added the dowel and tied fishing wire to it and stuck a Swedish fish on the end :) 

Birthday printable....created by Pinkadot Shop....find her on Etsy for all your celebration needs! 

One of the birthday girls! I made her tutu :)  

We had a photo booth so here was a pic of Baleigh with all the big kid friends :) 

 Pinata fun! My mother-in-law found this Ariel pinata at Party City! :) 

Another pic of the squid chandelier! :) 

Vanilla fishing cupcakes :) 

Birthday girls :) Rylie Kate & Baleigh 

My sweet Baleigh girl is now 4! 

 Photobooth fun with grandparents...I didn't get a single pic where everyone was looking at the camera!!