Win It Wednesday! Plus a few random thoughts :)

Hi everyone! We wanted try and start a Win It Wednesday, where you can enter to win a product from our Teachers Pay Teachers store each week. We wanted to be able to share with our awesome followers.

This week you have the chance to win these Fourth Grade Back To School Word Problems! They are for beginning fourth graders, and a review of third grade standards. A cute way to start of the year with a review!

As usual, just leave a comment below along with your email address, and we will pick a winner on Sunday August 4. (I can't believe it is August already! Where has the time gone??)

Yesterday, I went to some stores to start getting stuff for my classroom after realizing it is going to be August already this week. Michael's Craft Store now has a whole teacher section! They have borders, letters, posters, etc.  What I went to find though is some washi tape, or crafting tape. I had never heard of this until I saw it on Lisa's blog Grade 4 Buzz. So I immediately needed to buy some. I want to try and put it on some of my clothespins like she did. If you search washi tape on Pinterest there are also so many fun ideas! Why I have not heard of this until now, I don't know. Once I use it for some fun crafts I will post them. But here are the designs I got. (Love the pink zebra print!)

Finally, I want to post about a giveaway we have donated to over at Jungle Learners Blog! You can head over to her blog to enter for a chance to win great prizes. Our Ways To Show Multiplication Pack is included! Good luck! Click HERE to head over to the giveaway.

Made It Monday!

Time for another Made It Monday link up with Fourth Grade Frolics! Now that it's almost August and summer is slowly dwindling down I feel like I could have a "Made It" every day of the week. I have so much on my to-do list that I want to make before the new school year arrives!

This week I made these little iPods. I actually made them at 3 in the morning on Saturday night because I just could not sleep. I was wide awake like it was 3 in the afternoon. After laying down and trying to sleep for a while, I just decided to get up and do something, and maybe that would make me tired.

The result... I made these iPods! It's bright colored cardstock and I used some various bowls and soup cans to make circles for the dials. Then copied the designs off my iPod.

 I am going to put them by my library. Each week I am going to choose a few students who have finished books, take their picture with that book, and they will write a book recommendation it. I am going to put the picture in that box above the dial, it's hard to see drawn in pencil. I am going to call it the iRead Book Corner, so the kids can see what their classmates think are good books to read! I'm hoping that this will make them actually work on reading and finishing the whole book in order to be chosen and write something!

Now what to do next on my list of stuff to make?!? Have a great week everyone! 

Back to School Link Up!

We linked up with Lauren over at Mrs. Thompson's Treasures for her Back to School Link Up Party!!! As Kristen featured on Monday, we created a Back to School Word Problems resource for third graders.  And some more good news for our 4th grade teachers......we've now created a Back to School Word Problems resource for......................FOURTH GRADE!!!!!!!!  The even more exciting news is that it is all aligned to the Common Core standards, come with student recording sheets, AND teacher answer keys! Check out Fourth Grade: Back to School Word Problems at our TPT store now!!

~July

Made It Monday, and A Chance to Win A New Product!

Hi everyone! I have been seeing a lot of blog posts about people getting ready to go back to school shortly, and it has inspired me to start working on things for this next school year. I still have over a month left of summer break! We start late this year... not until September 9th! So I want to use this time to do make a lot of new things.

So for this post, I am linking up to Fourth Grade Frolics Made It Monday! to show you something I have been working on. I have been looking for new things for behavior management and I saw this cute mini clip chart on Pinterest! 

I like this little clip chart. Last year I used little colored cards with numbers on them in pockets on their desk. Well by halfway through the year, the cards were torn, lost, etc. They had to be replaced all the time. This looks much more durable. I like using things where the students can move down for not making good choices, but also up for making good choices. I want to make poster for the room with a cute little saying for each color, then come up with rewards/consequences. 

I also like this because the students can bring them when they go to other pull out classes to remember that their behavior there should still follow our classroom rules. I always have lots of students out for basic skills, ESL, Resource Room.. and they can take these with them, since our pull out teachers always like to work closely with us and what we are doing in the classroom. Here is the link to the pin. You can check out my Pinterest board while you are at it! 

Ok so anyway, here are my sticks I made!! I made 5 colors. They will start in the middle.. then have two ways to move either up or down. (The colors don't look as bright in this picture!)

Now my dilemma is how to decorate the clips! The cute glitter clips I see all over Pinterest? Just paint them another color?? That will be my next project. 

Ok, now for reading through all that post.. in the spirit of Back to School... I will give one person the chance to win these Back To School word problems I just created. They are meant for beginning of the year 3rd graders, and are a review of 2nd grade common core standards. I want to use them to get them started with how we think about word problems right away. Just leave a comment and your email in the comments below and I will choose one winner on Friday, July 26! Good luck!! 

Click here to see this product on TPT!

Have a great week everyone! 

Liebster-nominated!!!!!!!

WOW!!! What an honor to have been nominated for this award!!! 

A HUGE SHOUT OUT to Cathy at Downeast Teach for this nomination!!  This award is given to "up and coming" blogs with under 200 followers.  I love it because it is given TO bloggers FROM bloggers - who knows a good blog better than another blogger, right!? Once you have been awarded the Liebster you have a few steps to follow: 

1. Link back to the blog that nominated you. 

2. Answer the questions the nominator asked you.

3. Share 11 random facts about yourself.

4. Create 11 questions for your own nominees.

5. Nominate 5-11 blogs with less than 200 followers.

6. Contact the nominees to let them know that you nominated them.

The first one is done!  Here are the answers to Cathy's questions:

1. How long have you been teaching and what grade levels have you taught?
   I have been teaching for 6 years.  I taught Spanish to grades 1-5 for three years, 5th grade for two years, and I'm going on my second year teaching 4th grade!
2. What is something on your bucket list?
   I have always wanted to visit many different countries.  I have about 10 checked off....maybe when I retire?!
3. What is your favorite subject(s) to teach and why?
   I LOVE LOVE LOVE teaching math!! I always enjoyed math class and even - GASP - voluntarily took an extra math class in HS.  My students call me a "Mathemagician" (okei, so I say it once and then they call me that...but i love it!!!)
4. What is something new you would like to try in your classroom this year?
   My wonderful 4th grade partner, Natalie (that would be the "N" of KNJ!), and would like to try to incorporate Daily 5/CAFE.  We bought the books that the sisters wrote and we are going to "inservice" ourselves since we aren't getting the instruction through school PD.  Hopefully we'll be able to figure it out together and incorporate it this year!!!
5. What is a talent you are known for?
   I am known for no talents :-(  people find it "weird" that when I give a PEACE sign, my fingers form a sideways L versus a V.
6. Do you have a store at either Teachers Pay Teachers or Teacher's Notebook? If so, give the link!
   YESSSSSS!!!! We are SO PROUD of our TPT store and work really hard to create lessons and products to help our students.  We have found that many of these lessons helped our own students and worked so well that we are truly proud to share them on TPT!!!
   KNJ Kreations
7. If you use Pinterest, what is your user name?
   We all use Pinterest here at KNJ!!! My personal one (which of course has tonssss of classroom boards) is TeamTinkB
8. How long have you been blogging, and why did you start?
   KNJ Kreations only started blogging in February.  We wanted to share our teaching thoughts and experiences with the teacher-blogging community.  It was also a way to share/explain how we use our products in our own classroom.  
9. What do you like to do to relax?
   I LOVE reading good books!! The ones that make you laugh....cry....think... I also love spending time with K and N. oh, and time with my husband, too! haha
10. Other than being a teacher, what would your dream job be?
    My dream job would include traveling around the world.  I would also enjoy a job that would allow me to occasionally work from home. something with a little more freedom than teaching.
11. What is a book you would recommend to other teachers?

It is not a "resource" or "teaching" book.  But a book I recently read and absolutely loved is The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. IT. IS. THE. MOST. BEAUTIFUL. BOOK. I fell in love!  I actually want someone else to read it so we can have a book club! (So let me know if you read it!!!)

Wow, the 3rd part is to share 11 random facts about myself.  I already think i've shared a few!!!

1) The peace sign thing 

2) I secretly want a dog as bad as my husband wants. (it's a secret because he doesn't do the blog thing! so he'll never know!) But I'm afraid of being so sad when the dog dies.

3) Our first pet was a goldfish we got as a "goody bag" at a birthday party.  His name was Boñoño and he is buried in our driveway since he died the night before we paved it.  I cried. A lot. (so imagine how i'd cry for a dog)

4) Growing up, my family got a puppy.  He still lives with my sister and parents. His name is Felitos and i LOVE him!!! That's me napping with him yesterday!

5) I have a little sister in college going to school for physical therapy - so proud!

6) K and N of KNJ are not just "business partners" but the best teaching partners and the best friends.

7) I can eat pizza for breakfast, lunch, and dinner

8) I was born in Colombia, South America :-)

9) 5th grade is my favorite teaching grade

10) I make an awesome Shrimp Ceviche

11) I never know what to buy to make delicious meals when i go supermarketing so I'm always unprepared to make dinner :-( 

I'd like to nominate the following blogs: 

Thoughts from Mrs. Susan

Tales of a 4th Grade Teacher

The Ramblings of a Fifth Grade Teacher

Coffee Cups & Lesson Plans

The Wild RUMPUS

Here are the 11 questions I have for my nominees!!

1.  What is your favorite learning memory?

2.  Where do you teach?  

3.  Are you incorporating Common Core?

4.  What is your favorite teaching memory?

5.  What is the craziest, most exciting thing you have ever done?!

6.  What's your favorite KNJ product on TPT? (Well, which would you be interested in using for your classroom?)

7.  If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go and why

8.  What is your favorite book/novel (for YOU, not the classroom)

9.  What's the most fun you have had this summer?

10.  Name (and detail) your favorite/most delicious recipe! :-)

11.  Who do YOU nominate for a Liebster?

Boy, that was quite the blog!!! A big thanks to Cathy for nominating KNJ Kreations! Now, off to tell my nominees the exciting news!!!!

July (the month!) Linky Party!!

I am "currently" obsessed with Linky Parties!!!  and since my name is spelled J-U-L-Y i figured i'd give you all a little background and do the July Currently linky :)

Name spelled J-U-L-Y but it is "julie".  (hey, if "judy" can be j-u-d-y why can't "july" be "julie"?!)

fast forward to the Currently!!!! I was reading blogs and found my way over to Crazy About Second and found her currently linky:

Listening: ESPN on the back tv and King of Queens on my tv

Loving: working until 1 pm this summer!! For many years I worked 8 - 6 monday thru friday in the summer.  It was so exhausting and after years of doing it, it just wasn't fun anymore.  So now I work half the time (half the paycheck...) but I have twice the patience with the little ones.  Plus I get to come home and i do a little cleaning each day so that my house always looks and smells super clean :-)

Thinking: I have a ton of Spanish workbooks from when I taught World Language.  They aren't written in and are "like-new" but I'm not sure what to do with them.  I'm wondering if there would be any interest in them if I sold them on TPT?  any thoughts??

Wanting: to find the perfect way (besides wine every day!!!) to De-Stress.  I'll take any suggestions!!!! I"m also wanting my Daily 5 and CAFE books to arrive hopefully tomorrow!!!!!

Needing: patience for others, support and love (because I just feel like i need hugs today) and wine :-)

Tips, etc: I found that doing just a little bit each day feels a lot better than trying to get it all done in one day!! On Saturday, we will be celebrating my Graduate School graduation (finally) and today i vacuumed and mopped downstairs, Wednesday I'll do the same upstairs, and Friday i'll "touch up" to make sure everything is perfectly clean for Saturday!!!

Have a great week, everyone!!!!

Linky Party!

Today, I'm linking up with Fabulous Fourth Grade Froggies with a To Do (before the first day of school) linky!!
Our last day of school was Friday, June 22 and i was lucky enough to hop on a plane to Cancun, Mexico with my hubby and family the very next day!!! Very sad to be away from the swim-up bar refreshing and relaxing pool, I am already stressing about what needs to be done prior to the FULL FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL!!!! Usually, we have a half day first day on a Wednesday...this year, we are starting ON.A.MONDAY. for a FULL.SESSION.DAY..... and so begins the list....

1. plans for a FULL DAY and FULL WEEK
2. read the two books i ordered today: Daily 5 and CAFE
3. figure out exactly how to implement both 
4. make my Teacher's Binder (for this, i am super excited!!!!)
5. how am i going to arrange my classroom this year to make it most effective?
6. what management am i going to use this year as we've been warned told by 3rd grade teachers that no tickets, no prizes, no parties, no nothing, works for these friends
7. read as many "Vacation" books as i can this summer!!!!!!!!
8. not quite before september but RIGHT now, i need to get up and make an Oreo Bomb Cake
9. figure out how i want to do math this year. am i ready for guided math????
10. make a bunch of new TPT products for our store (go check out it out!!! TPT: KNJ Kreations)

I know my list can only get longer and longer but right now, I'm going to try out this oreo bomb recipe since Oreos are the hubs favorite and I feel just a little bit super bad that he is working and I am enjoying a day off from summer work :-( 

Hope everyone is enjoying their summer!!!!!