Posts with the label Linky
Showing posts with label Linky. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Linky. Show all posts
July 10, 2017
Monday Motivation - Daily Schedules
It’s been a hot second since I’ve been able to get back on here. I feel as though my life is filled to the brim with other responsibilities...first, of course, is raising my toddler of which is going through a fun phase of independence mixed with stubbornness. Isn’t that cute? Actually, no...no it’s not. Then there’s maintaining content for my lifestyle blog and going through the throes of my first few months opening my Etsy shop. Talk about spinning plates here...
But nonetheless I am excited to get back into blogging here with my fellow teacher friends!
Today I am linking up with Teacher by the Beach who is hosting an awesome weekly linkup where we share and give advice/tips & tricks/or resources about all kinds of things in order to prepare our brains for the upcoming school year! I wish I had this online teaching community back when I first started teaching - so many great things!
Anyways, today’s topic is DAILY SCHEDULES.
Using a daily schedule in my classroom has always been a staple and an imperative part of my instruction. From my time in kindergarten to when I was in second grade, having a schedule and making it a part of my daily routine with my kiddos was really important to me - and for a number of reasons.
Daily Routines.
Each and every morning during our Morning Meeting/Calendar Math time, I would go over the schedule with my kids and let them know about what they would expect throughout the day. This was especially helpful for a few of my students who preferred to know when we were doing what and what we were going to learn in each subject. It also helped me stay on top of my own timing/scheduling of my lessons each day.
Keeping It Simple.
I have always kept my schedule cards fairly simple. Just the subject or activity in a bold print and some cute clipart to go with it. I always printed, laminated, and displayed them on my whiteboard closest to where we would gather for circle time. Over the years my cards have changed in the sense of color or clipart but their essence has stayed the same. Why fix it if it ain’t broke?Multi-use & Intentional.
In my last year before moving to California I began incorporating my CCS Objective Cards next to the subject for that day, per the suggestion of a colleague. This allowed me to free up a bulletin board (our district at the time wanted our objectives posted at all times) and integrate our objectives in a more meaningful way.
Our Class Schedule
Now onto the beef of this post. My daily class schedule.
This example schedule was based on my last year teaching in second grade prior to my move to California. At my school at the beginning of the year, and on a first-come-first-served basis, teachers gather by grade level to pick the times of their specials and coordinate recess and lunch. To accommodate everyone’s schedules, teachers had a good bit of control when they had what subject throughout the day.
This is an example of the first day of school in my classroom!
7:30am - 8am | Students begin to file in at 7:30am, which means they will unpack and get their materials ready for the day at their seats. I always have a welcome message on the board that has the date and instructions for their Morning Work and a few options of what they could do if they finish before the school’s announcements. I use a PowerPoint slide for this because it’s relatively the same every day and makes prepping it each morning a breeze.
One thing I would love to incorporate into my instruction once I head back into the classroom is Reagan’s Rise & Shine binders! It’ll take some prep time up front, but I love how she’s able to give her students authentic and meaningful practice work to do in the morning!
7:50 - 8am | The school hosts their own school-wide announcements and it lasts about 5-10 minutes. This is also a signal to students to finish up their work and to be ready for the day by the time it ends. This is also a time for them to use the bathroom so that there aren’t any interruptions.
8:00am - 8:15am | Morning Meeting/ Calendar Work
This is an important part of our day each morning (and I outlined a bit of this above). Our class gathers each morning to go over the schedule cards and what to expect and do a little Calendar Math. At the beginning of the year I usually begin with Ice Breakers or introduce our All About Me Bags.
8:15am - 8:45am | Shared Reading
Shared Reading is another name for just that, a teacher-guided mini-lesson on a specific reading skill. This skill will also be practiced during the guided reading block of the day and in my kiddo’s centers.
At the start of the year I begin this time with establishing our classroom rules and to do that I use my First Week lesson plans.
I incorporate fun read-alouds throughout the week that focuses on a specific rule each day. By the end of the week we’ve discussed and practiced what each of the rules are and students create a Classroom Contract to which they sign. It’s always been a fun way to get the kids involved in establishing that classroom culture together.
8:45am - 10:00am | Reading Workshop/ Guided Reading
As anyone knows, it takes weeks to get your guided reading centers up and running effectively and in a way that gets the ball rolling. Practically everyone at this point uses the Daily 5 approach and so do I.
Building stamina and setting goals typically is how we start. Each day we practice the behaviors of each center and spend time extending our reading time so that by the time we’re officially ready to begin reading groups my kids have had an opportunity to read for 15-20 minutes. All of this is a lot of work - conditioning these little guys - but it is so worth it’s weight in gold for the rest of the year.
*Depending on the day we may have a specialist come in.
10:30 - 11:00am | Writing Workshop
There are a number of fun activities I love to do during this block at the beginning of the year that are inspired by Lucy Calkins. Here are a couple of examples that I have done throughout the week:
A fun writing activity to do during these initial first days in school is a Time Capsule. This is a chance for the class to learn a little more about each other and practice some initial handwriting and writing skills. Using a template, students write a little about themselves and record various things about themselves. Then, at the end of the year they complete a similar project and have a chance to see how much they’ve grown and learned over the course of second grade. It also makes for a fun keepsake for parents!
OR
It’s so important that our students see themselves as authors. So, one of the fun first things we do is discuss our interests and what we could use to inspire our stories. This gives my students a chance tor reflect on the things they most enjoy, decorate their writing notebooks with these things, and use it in times of ‘writers block’. I love decorating mine, sharing it with them, and using it throughout the year, modeling that we are all authors!
11:00-11:15 | Recess
11:15am - 11:25am | Bathroom Break
11:25am - 11:55am | Lunch
12:00pm - 12:35pm | Math
In my previous district the first objective we teach is all about graphs. One way my team and I did that for the first day of school is graph the different ways each child goes home (i.e. bus riders, daycare, walking, carpool, etc.). This is an easy way to connect our kiddos to their thinking and sets up a skill they’ll be working on throughout the year.
12:45pm - 1:15 pm | P.E.
1:15pm - 1:30pm | Continued Math Lesson
Sometimes our lessons are cut short because of specials, so I use this remaining time to conclude the math lesson with share time and lead into the next lesson. This time could also be used for Math Facts or quick assessments.
1:30pm - 2:20pm | Social Studies/ Science
My favorite block! Typically Social Studies begins our year and I love teaching my students about citizenship. This subject is the basis of everything we do in the classroom when setting up rules and routines, so it makes the most sense to start here.
One fun lesson I also love to introduce to my kids is the Pledge of Allegiance mini-unit. You can read more about this amazing lesson here!
2:20pm - 2:35pm | Pack-Up/Dismissal
That concludes my day! I can’t wait to see how other teacher’s plan their days - so be sure to link up!
April 15, 2016
Five For Friday {April 15th}
It’s been quite some time since I’ve been able to link up or even just blog, but I’m excited to return and share some of my favorite things from this week! It’s been a bit of a whirlwind these last few weeks over at the our household (you know, that whole had a baby thing...) and I couldn’t be more tired or thankful. I’ve been busy transitioning into becoming a new mom, doing the whole stay-at-home gig caring for our one month old (see below), preparing back to school products, and managing to somehow shower and get a bite to eat in between it all.
Thanks to Doodle Bugs Teaching for hosting and I can’t wait to see what everyone else was up to this week!
ONE //
I am in the process of getting Back To School ready and this means going through all of my favorite products and resources for the classroom and giving them a much needed facelift! I’ve been quite busy and am very excited to share the newest products I’ve made - and even a bundle & GIVEAWAY! Be sure to read all the way to the bottom to enter to win this BTS bundle!
BACK TO SCHOOL STUDENT POSTCARDS {FREEBIE}
I love sending postcards to my kids at the beginning of the year telling them how excited I am to meet them and what’s better is that they love receiving mail! I always get comments from parents as to how their kids loved getting a handwritten note from me, which made them that more excited (and less nervous) about the first day of school.
STAR STUDENT OF THE WEEK RESOURCE PACKET
Every classroom celebrates a Star Student throughout the school year and get prepared for your year ahead with this cumulative packet! This download also comes with blank editable templates just for you to customize for your classroom needs. I also love the Star Student pendants that are hung in the classroom after each week - by the end of the year you have such a lovely classroom display. This download is meant to accompany those Scholastic Star Student Posters, which can be sent home for your students to fill out.
BACK TO SCHOOL PARENT PACKET
How tedious is preparing all of those BTS forms for parents? Not necessarily my favorite part about the return of the school year, but I love making the necessary parts of teaching easy and less stressful. I’ve created a Parent Packet that includes everything you’ll need for Back To School and collecting all of that important info about your students, their families, volunteers, permission slips, etc.
THE WRITING PROCESS POSTERS (V2)
The best decision I made was turning my writing process posters into a useable part of my classroom by making into a clip chart! This year I’ve spruced up my posters and made them more grade appropriate for my second graders, but yet perfect for any upper grade.
YEAR-ROUND CALENDAR CARDS
Another favorite new product I’ve just included in my TpT shop are these calendar cards! I’ve always opted for the store-bought cards that came with the generic looking calendar and have found myself needing specific holidays - so I decided to create my own calendar cards! I love how bright they are and the clip art just pops. Read more about how I use this product here.
BACK TO SCHOOL DAILY SCHEDULE CARDS
Every year I love to update the look of my classroom and that also comes down to the little details such as these daily schedule cards. I’ve included many different subjects to accommodate every classroom and grade. Of course, if I’ve missed something I’d be happy to make a card for you - just shoot me an email and I’d be happy to get in contact.
TWO //
I can’t believe it’s been a month since welcoming our little guy and oh, how our lives have been changed. I no longer have any kind of routine, sleep is a foreign concept, and I feel as though I could be compared to a cow given that I feel like I’m a milking machine. However, all of that is worth it when I get to stay at home and stare at the beautiful miracle that is our son.
THREE //
Our downtown district has a new ramen place and this new mama couldn’t be more happy! When my husband and I lived back in DC we had the luxury of having all kinds of restaurants at our fingertips, which had spoiled me in a way. Living in Ventura we don’t have a lot of food diversity aside from your typical Mexican, sushi, fish tacos, or Thai joints. But, ramen has been an answered prayer and I couldn’t be more excited!
FOUR //
As new parents my husband and I love spending time with our new little nugget, but that also means we don’t get to leave the house very often as a couple and do our favorite pastimes like happy hour or brunch. However, now that our baby Greyson is a bit older we ventured out to one of our favorite places, Cafe Nouveau, and enjoyed a brunch on their patio. This mama enjoyed her first non-virgin Bloody Mary while munching on beignets and pancakes and taking in that we are beginning to enjoy and remember that our pre-baby outings are not a distant memory.
FIVE //
Looking for a bundled option for all of the products I showed above? Be sure to check out my NEW Back To School Teacher Bundle download where all of these products are in one .zip download! Did I also mention it’s on sale? And there’s a giveaway?! Be sure to enter below for your chance to win a copy for yourself and get BTS ready!
Thanks so much for stopping by! Be sure to link up with Doodle Bugs Teaching and have a wonderful weekend!
November 2, 2015
November Currently
Happy Monday and the beginning of November! I say this all the time about how quickly time seems to fly, but seriously...it’s November already. In celebration of the harvest, everything Thanksgiving, and the approaching holiday season, I’m linking up with Farley and her Currently linkup and sharing what’s going on with me on this brisk November morning!
Listening // My husband just recently discovered Lisa Ling’s new CNN docu-series and currently watching an episode about motorcycle gangs. Not quite the best thing to listen to first thing in the morning, but I suppose neither is my Real Housewives to him ;)
Loving // With a show of hands, how many of us are excited that Starbucks has officially rolled out their red holiday cups?! I know, many people I know (and many more across the internet) believe that the holiday/Christmas season doesn’t/shouldn’t officially start until AFTER Thanksgiving, but consider me one of the few who gets excited nonetheless.
Thinking // It’s been over a year since I’ve been able to visit Virginia to see my family since moving to California with my husband and I am so excited to get the opportunity to visit during Thanksgiving. We are trying to visit both my family and his family in Texas this holiday season before our baby is born in the spring. It’ll be a lot, both financially and in stress, to travel while pregnant and with a dog, but it’ll be worth it!
Wanting // This is the first week that we’ve had temperatures below 80 degrees and I am welcoming it with open arms! It’s only about 70 degrees outside, so not quite scarf and sweater weather, but I’ll take it! Celebrating fall has been an interesting thing, especially since it’s been unseasonably hot here in CA. More cold weather!
Needing // How many of you have seen and fell absolutely in love with Chip and Joanna Gaines from Fixer Upper?! I mean, seriously. I love their work and wish I lived in Waco just to have them makeover a house for me. They seem like an awesome couple and I love the example they set as Christians, spouses, and parents. Love them!
Yummy // I’ve been craving Thanksgiving Dinner, like the whole spread, for a few weeks now. This also adds to just how excited I am to visit my family since my dad goes all out for dinner and hosting our family. My heart skips a beat every time we walk into Trader Joe’s and I see the stuffing, gravy, turkey broth, etc. lining the walls. Just a few more weeks!
June 26, 2015
Five For Friday Linkup 6.26
It’s Friday and finally I am linking up for the first time in forever with Doodle Bugs Teaching for her weekly linkup! This week was the home stretch for our preschool summer experience and today marks the very last day of camp! It’s been such a great time working with my fellow teachers and assistants, meeting the newest kiddos to come into preschool next year, and get to do some pretty fun stuff each week.
ONE //
This week has been our American week and we’re celebrating with all things America! We did this fun little flag craft, made an Uncle Sam hat, and yesterday we decorated boxes for today’s parade!
TWO //
Yesterday was my little man’s birthday and he turned one years old. You can read my letter to him here. I can’t believe how fast a year went but I’m so blessed to have such a loving dog in my life.
And of course he had a birthday bone ;)
THREE //
FOUR //
FIVE //
If you’re a Daily 5ver like me then this is will help you with those resources you need to set it up and be prepared on the first day of school. See my original post to find the download here!
June 22, 2015
TPT Seller Challenge: Dream Big
It’s so funny how there are so many ways to discover new blogs and be inspired by teachers all over this country. Today was such a moment when I discovered Emily over at Third in Hollywood! She, along with a few other fabulous teacher bloggers, have created a fun weekly linkup that aims to challenge you as a TpT seller, grow your small TpT store business, and discover and support new blogs and bloggers. This linkup is called the TPT Seller Challenge and I’m happy to be joining in even though I missed the first week!
Curious like I was about this challenge? Here’s some details...
Curious like I was about this challenge? Here’s some details...
This week marks the beginning of week 2 and the prompt is DARE TO DREAM. I love this because as a seller, TpT has provided me with a convenient and easy way to earn some pocket money and provide for my family.
So, what are my dreams that TpT could help me turn into a reality? Here are just a few that come to mind:
Support fellow teachers with helpful resources // This one is the whole purpose of my TpT business and reason I began selling my own resources. When you’re a first year teacher you have no idea what to do and for those 180 school days you’re just surviving. This can also be said for veteran teachers who are changing grades or moving and starting fresh in a new school. I love having TpT as a resource for myself because there are so many great ideas out there on how to tackle those objectives, regardless of what state you live in!
The ever lasting travel fund // Isn’t this the truth! One thing my husband and I absolutely love to do is travel. It’s so easy during the school year to get caught up with life and years have a way of just flying by. So, my TpT store is helping me save a couple hundred dollars a month to go towards something I love to do with my husband. Eventually this travel fund will evolve into a baby fund :)
A stay at home mommy // I’ve seen this one pop up on a few dream boards in this linkup and I’m right there with ya! Something that’s very important to me is being a stay at home mommy once Philip and I begin having kids. I want to be the one to raise my children and be there for those important moments. I can always teach but missing out on special occasions or moments is something I can’t get back. TpT is allowing me to save (see above) and put away for the next chapter in my family.
Prove to myself that I can start something new and be successful // This one is huge for me! I would never have thought that I would have started a blog and be successful with it. The same can be said for my TpT store too. I don’t have a business degree and I certainly don’t find business interesting, however, there’s something to be said about venturing into the unknown and be blessed by the success I have seen from these two projects. Am I able to live off my TpT earnings? Nope! But, I am proud of the milestones I’ve hit and the growth I continue to see everyday!
Thanks so much for stopping by and don’t forget to join in! A huge thanks to Emily and all of the other hosts of this wonderful linkup!
Monday Made It: Back to School Organization
I know...it’s summer and I’m sure the last thing any teacher wants to do is begin thinking about the upcoming year. However, the saying is true: the early bird gets the worm. Getting organized is always a goal for me as I enter each new school year. Thinking of new ways to manage reading groups, organizing homework, my grading book, and all of those forms at the beginning of the year is just the tip of the organizing iceberg.
Today I am linking up with Tara over at Fourth Grade Frolics and sharing a few resources that have helped me stay on top of all of those pesky, but necessary, beginning of the year organizational tasks!
Back To School Parent Packet
I have updated this download to include forms that are not only perfect for second grade, but are all geared towards any grade level! Having changed grade levels a bit it occurred to me that this resource should be beneficial no mater what grade I may teach, so with that experience I made sure to include a little something for everyone.
I tend to give out quite a bit of information at Back To School Night because I am able to be right there to explain to the parents exactly the important info I need for my class as well as those important documents the school gives us to hand out. This updated packet has welcome letters, student information forms, permission slips for various activities, and extensive parent volunteer forms.I have also included optional parent surveys so I can get the skinny on the little details about my new kiddos that way on the first day of school I have an idea about each one of my little people. Then, I also have included a student survey that I love giving as morning work on the first day of school for the kids to fill out about themselves. Parents can give us teachers good insight into their child, but anytime I can get feedback from the students themselves it has proven to be well worth it! Plus my kids love to share about themselves so it’s a win, win!
I simply printed all of my materials and in order to keep it looking professional and neat, I decided to create Welcome Parent folders in which I put all of my classroom forms AND forms from the school in one convenient place. This way if families or students don’t attend back to school night, all of their important information is in one place and it made it easy for the parents who did attend to hold all the important stuff we send home.
Classroom Library Labels V2!
Labeling the classroom library is one of my most hated tasks ever when heading back into the classroom. My first year teaching I remember getting into the classroom and having NO CLUE as to how to even begin organizing the books that were left to me. I know that depending on your grade level there are different ways to label and group them, but that was the only thing I knew going in.
Then I thought, oh Pinterest will help me...wrong! I was so overwhelmed by the billions of different ways people label and organize their books even though they were all useful. So, I just decided to go with what worked for me and the reading material I had to work with. In doing so I have only just added to the billionth-and-one way to label your classroom library with these fun classroom library labels.
These labels have been updated to include even more genres, topics, and authors to compete any library in any grade. I am also happy to announce that this download also includes labels for organizing by Lexile, DRA, F&P, and AR! Seeing as teachers use various ways to organize their libraries I was happy to introduce these to the bunch! See all the different labels included here.
How have you tackled labeling your library in the classroom? What tips make it easy for fellow teachers heading back to the classroom?
VistaPrint for the classroom!
VistaPrint is my BFF during the summer because I am able to create resources that add a specific touch to my room and class each year. Here are a few of my favorite things to make that help keep my classroom organized.#1 Return Labels: I used return labels to create ‘This Book Belongs To’ stickers for the backs of my classroom library books or read alouds. This helps me differentiate between books I’ve purchased and those provided by the school or school library throughout the year. It’s funny to see this photo with my maiden name on it!
#2 Car Magnet: Saw this original idea from Pinterest (couldn't find original owner so if you recognize it please message me!) and thought it was genius to use magnets for all kinds of things. For me, I am using it as a No Name poster for all those pesky papers with no owner. It helped make the kids accountable by putting no name work where they could see it. I had them check the board before leaving each day to make sure they wrote their names.
Another tip I use to reduce no name papers is getting my kids in the habit of highlighting their names before turning in their work. I keep a bowl of highlighters right near the turn-in bin and it’s amazing to see that little step helped cut down the number of no-named work being turn in.
#3 Business Cards/ Loyalty Cards:
This fantastic idea of birthday reward cards came from Emily over at I Love My Classroom and using loyalty cards to incentivize doing homework/tests/behavior, etc. came from Tiffany at The Learning Effect. These cards were so wonderful to add to my classroom because the kids got so excited when they filled up their reward cards. It was also a great incentive for students to try their best on the two areas I’ve found difficulty with and that was with our Word Study words and behavior.
This fantastic idea of birthday reward cards came from Emily over at I Love My Classroom and using loyalty cards to incentivize doing homework/tests/behavior, etc. came from Tiffany at The Learning Effect. These cards were so wonderful to add to my classroom because the kids got so excited when they filled up their reward cards. It was also a great incentive for students to try their best on the two areas I’ve found difficulty with and that was with our Word Study words and behavior.
What do you like best about VistaPrint in the classroom?
January 9, 2015
Five for Friday {Jan 9th}
This marks the first week since I’ve returned to school and by Tuesday I was already exhausted, haha! Here’s my five randoms from this week!
#1: Revamped my Ancient China resource packet!
I was so happy to get this done! Last year I had made this student workbook and my kids loved it! Not to mention it was a snap to get prepared and the best part is that it cuts down on papers lost and becomes a nice review packet once completed. Be sure to read my post (here) that gives you a little more detail about this download :)
#2: Trivia is back for 2015!
One of our favorite date nights is the weekly trivia hosted at a local brewery down the street from our house. We’ve been going since we moved in September and this past Wednesday we got 3rd place! We earned the pint glasses you see here...but this is the third time we’ve won the glasses so at this point we just give them away to our friends :)
#3: My Pinterest WIN
I was so happy to have completed this project and very satisfied with the results. For years I’d wanted to paint this in my living room and I got it done!
#4 Missing 'Snow Days’
As we get back into the swing of things at school here on the west coast, I can’t help but be jealous of all my friends who got snow days and delays due to the cold back in VA. Oh the days of snow are gone for me but as much as I love having those days off I can’t help but love the 75 degree weather and sunshine here in CA. It’s also weird for me to say that and know it’s January.
#stilladapting #whereswinter #howdoyouteachsnowtokidsinca
#5 New Years Craftivity & Think Sheet BUNDLE!
Another download I was excited about finishing was my NYE Craftivity packet! See my post here to check it out and see how you can get your kids back into writing with this fun craft. It’s also fun to talk about resolutions and how we can set goals for ourselves.
And the other download I was able to blog about was my Think Sheet Bundle pack! See my original post here and get yourself a copy that now includes think sheets for grades K-6!
Also...
I will be having a storewide sale on my entire TpT store this weekend!
Kick off 2015 with 20% off each of my products!
Be sure to visit my shop here!
Happy Friday everyone and I hope you have a great weekend!
January 4, 2015
Slim Down Saturdays {2015 edition}
One of my favorite linkups from last year was Gina’s Slim Down Saturdays from Teaching With a Touch of Pixie Dust. This time last year I was beginning my journey through Weight Watchers and training for a half-marathon all in preparations for my wedding that summer. See my original posts here. 2015 is a bit different seeing as though I have no major life event to prepare for, however, overall health and fitness is my goal.
So here’s my first checkin for Slim Down Saturdays!
Ultimate goal: Although I don’t have a specific weight loss goal in terms of pounds, I do have a goal of getting down to a size 10 in jeans. With my athletic and curvy body type I know I’ll never get below a double digit so a reasonable goal for me is a size 10 and I’ll be proud of that.
Gain/loss this week: I have none to speak of this week because I’m just starting ;)
Total since starting: N/A
Positives from the week: One of the biggest struggles I have in regards to sticking with a diet or fitness plan is the food/drink choices when we eat out or socialize with friends. It’s the true test! So, one of my positives from this week (and if you count my entire holiday break) I’ve been good about making healthy food choices. For example, this morning we went to Cajun Kitchen Cafe and instead of going with the full on breakfast platter I opted for my veggie egg-white omelet with a side of fruit. Look at me ;)
Something to do better: A goal I have for myself going into this next week is cutting back on sugars. From coffee to sweet treats I’d like to cut back and intake more water. The holidays have been fun with all the cookies but it’s time to get back into the groove of healthy eating and treating myself every once in a while.
Goal for next week: Gym. Gym. Gym...that’s the goal as I head back to work. I tell myself 3x a week to give me some wiggle room because I know after a long day the last thing I want to do is go run or lift weights. I just need to get back into my routine.
One word, song, or quote: This quote came from my husband this morning when we woke up and gave me a hug. He always calls me beautiful and that’s one of the best qualities about him. But, when he acknowledged the work I’ve been putting into the gym lately by muttering those simple words...it made my day and has given me the motivation I needed to keep up the good work :)
Be sure to link up too and share your 2015 health goals!! I love reading about everyones progress and it’s become a fun little community to share our ups and downs. Thanks Gina for hosting this wonderful linkup again! See you next week!
December 18, 2014
Christmas Questionnaire 2014
Linking up with Fabulous in First for her annual linky!
In a normal holiday season the husband is very adamant about not decorating for Christmas until after Thanksgiving. However, if it were up to me, decorations would be going up in early November. This year, though, I got lucky and was able to decorate because we were going out of town and celebrating Thanksgiving with friends. I explained that, “wouldn’t it be nice to return home and it already feels like Christmas?” *wink*
Elf or no Elf?
Elf on the Shelf seems creepy to me (am I the only one?!) and since we don’t have kids yet we don’t put up the Elf. However, I do look forward to one day taking the time to come up with different mischievous things for him to do. The kids seem to really enjoy this tradition.
Christmas cookies or no baking for you?
Of COURSE Christmas cookies! It’s one of our favorite traditions and usually we go to TX and do cookies with his mom and sister. But, now that we’re staying home we are doing as much holiday stuff together as possible.
Favorite holiday tradition?
We are beginning to develop our own traditions now that we’re newlyweds. See my post here with all my holiday date nights/ traditions. A couple in particular that were really fun was decorating a gingerbread house and going ice skating :)
Favorite Christmas movie?
If it were up to my husband the answer would be Jingle All the Way...but mine is A Christmas Vacation. It’s not Christmas without the Griswolds. Also Home Alone is a definite go-to!
Snow or no snow?
I’ve never had the chance to see snow on or around Christmas but I love the snow. Of course, not so much being in it but I love the ambiance it gives. Just makes you want to cozy up and relax by the tree.
Favorite Christmas song?
Anything Michael Buble! I love his Christmas album and his deep voice...so Sinatra....can never get enough.
Favorite gifts to give and get?
I will always be a fan of gift cards, even if they seem impersonal. It gives me the chance to really get what I want versus the hassle of trying to return or exchange things on the chance I wanted something different. Plus there’s super cute ways to gift, gift cards to others via Pinterest, so there’s a little more thought in it than you’d expect.
A few gift cards I’d love to give and get are:
Stitch Fix
Birchbox
Teachers Pay Teachers
Etsy
VISA gift cards
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