Back to School- Who?

Two posts in a row all about me. This one is just going to be mainly photos. 

I have been married for just over 3 years to Ryan, my wonderful husband. He is a teacher too, which kinda rocks most days! He is funny, sweet, and so dang hott!

Aside from my husband, our little family has 2 large personality fur babies. Even though they are both less than 6lbs they take up so much room in my heart! Quinn, my floppy eared bundle of love will be 4 this Christmas. He is sensitive, emotional, but such a lover. Liam, will be 2 in October. He could pick up a radio signal from miles away with his ears. He's curious, hyper, and such a happy boy. 

My family is my rock! My family is very small, and sadly a few weeks ago just got one member smaller. It's always just been my parents, two little sisters, and grandparents... just the 7 of us. My grandpa, my hero passed away on July 26th. He is the strongest man I know, and such a wonderful human being. The world is a little bit sadder now. My two little sisters are my best friends. They are beautiful inside and out and I don't know what I would do without them. 

In my free time I love to go on adventures. The hubs and I love to travel and be outdoors. Daily walks with the boys, kayaking and hiking, and working out. I also recently got into photography. I have done a few weddings and portrait sessions and love it! 

Remember to stop by Blog Hoppin' and share about you! 

Meet the Teacher

Hi everyone! I'm Heather....horrible blogger over here. As a new school year is approaching, my goal is to be much MUCH much better. I am 25 years young. I live in Ann Arbor, Michigan and love being home! I spent the last 3 years teaching 4th grade in Orlando, Florida. This year I will be teaching 1st grade down the road. I am so pumped to finally be in primary. 

Besides teaching, I am a full time masters students. I will be graduating next year with my Reading Endorsement and specialist degree. My free time is spent with my two little baby boys, Quinn and Liam and my loving husband. We met almost 8 years ago and fell in love quickly. We have been married for 3 years now! 

THESE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS...

My boys. My sisters. Working out and kicking butt. Hiking. Beaches. Photography. Starbucks Refreshers. Trying new restaurants with the hubby. Family time. Fall. Shopping. Dessert (of any kind). 

 IF YOU WEREN'T A TEACHER, WHAT WOULD YOU WANT TO BE?

If I wasn't a teacher. I would either be a full time photographer or a dietitian. I love taking photos and I think health and nutrition is fascinating.  

THREE LITTLE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE YOU.

Motivated. Social. Nurturing   

 

FINISH THE SENTENCE, "________,  SAID NO TEACHER EVER!!"

"I'd love to do car duty again today"...said no teacher EVER!!
 

Q: IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY AND YOU CAN INVITE ANYONE {DEAD OR ALIVE} TO THE PARTY. WHO ARE YOU INVITING?

Ed Westwick...for those of who don't know who he is.... you're missing out. Chuck Bass is one awesome guy. And by awesome I mean, hott and intense.

Q: IF SOMEONE WROTE A BOOK ABOUT YOUR LIFE, WHAT WOULD BE THE TITLE?

 Indecisive Motivation  

 Q:YOU GET TO PICK ONE SUPERPOWER. WHAT IS IT?

 I have to go with teleportation, that way I could see the world and be back after dinner. 

Q: WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE QUOTE OR SAYING?

"Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside of you that is greater than any obstacle." -Christian D. Larson 
 

Q: IF YOU HAD TO SING ONE SONG ON AMERICAN IDOL, WHAT WOULD IT BE? 

Probably something by Sugarland or Luke Bryan.

 Q: ARE YOU A MORNING PERSON OR A NIGHT OWL?

I'm a Morning person through and through. I will smile and chat your ear off first thing in the morning, but by 9pm I am ready for bed. 
 

For those of you who happen to be from Michigan as well....check out this meet up!

http://brankebunchblog.blogspot.com/

Stitch Fix- Teacher Fashion

A few weeks ago I heard about this "new" thing called Stitch Fix. Stitch Fix is an awesome personal shopping service, where your very own personal shopper hand picks items for you and mails them to you.
This was something I had to try. Why? Well 1st because I don't really ever try anything new. Most of my clothes come from the exact same store, most are the same style and the same color. I needed to get out of my comfort zone. 2nd I am at such an awkward age. I am only 25 and don't want to get older. I still shop in the junior section because I simply can't step into the Misses yet. However, as a teacher I also have to look professional. I am still not quite sure how to look both young and professional at the same time. Hence- personal shopper! If you want to know more about how to get your own stitch fix, I included info at the bottom!

I was SUPER excited when I received the email that my box was on it's way! Today, I came home to my first fix. The box was waiting on my step, and inside it was like a pretty wrapped present!

There were 5 items in my box, along with a letter from my personal shopper and cute idea cards to help me use my items. (And of course a price sheet!)

The first item was a pair of stud earrings. They were huge studs- which I love! However they weren't amazing. They didn't scream- BUY me. Status- Sent back

The second item was a gorgeous turquoise color block sundress. The dress was beautiful and super light. Sadly, it was a little too big for me. Status- Sent back 

The third item was a white 3/4 sleeve blouse. It was super light, flowy, and feminine. Great fit, and so me. The problem is it was too me. I have many just like it in my closet. Status- Sent back 

The fourth item was a cute gray crochet detail top. I am still deciding on this one. I love the color and feel, but not sure about the short sleeves, as it is something I would wear for fall or winter. Status- not sure

The last item was a bright red and blue chevron top. The fit was perfect! Colors are bold and out of my comfort zone and I LOVED it! Status- Kept

I love it and will definitely be getting another box next month. My stylist learned a little more about my preference and size this time and I know next month will be that much better!!!! 

If you want to check it out for yourself GO!

How does it work?

1. 1. Sign Up and Complete Your Style Profile

   After signing up you can start immediately on your Style Profile. We need to know your size, shape, style, budget, and lifestyle to get your Fix right. The Style Profile will take about 10 minutes to complete.

2. 2. Schedule a Stitch Fix

   Pick a shipment date, and we’ll send you a box of 5 clothing and accessory items we’ve hand-picked just for you. You can even opt to schedule a monthly delivery if you'd like.
   You pay a $20 styling fee when your stylist selects the items in your Stitch Fix. This $20 fee will be applied as a credit toward anything you keep from your shipment.

3. 3. Try On All Of Your Items

   Try on everything we send you—you never know what you’ll like until you see it on. Pair each piece with items already in your closet to try different outfit options. Each item includes style cards with ideas and inspiration on how to wear it.

4. 4. Decide

   Take 3 days to decide what you’ll keep. Return the items you don't want in our pre-paid mailing bag at any USPS mailbox.

5. 5. Check Out

   Login to your account and pay for those items you kept. If you buy all 5 items you save 25% off the entire shipment price. Leave feedback for next time! 
   
   

A Day in Room 214

Linking up with to share a day in room 214!
Where the Wild Things Learn

8:25-8:45 Morning Routine Students enter the room and get situated, 5 kids (lowest 5 in Reading and Math) get on the computer for extra intervention, everyone else works on morning work such as silent reading or math word problems. 

8:45-9:20 Whole Group Reading We meet together on the carpet and discuss our reading skill or strategy for the week. I model reading using a skill or strategy. We think-pair-share and model together. 

9:20-10:10 Small Group Reading The students work in small groups, with partners, or independently to complete reading tasks for the week. At this time I have two sessions on the computer (Reading Plus, Squla, Moby Max, and Lexia) and two sessions with me, each for 25 minutes. Reading tasks vary each week, but typically include independent reading and reflection depending on their skill, non-fiction reading and activities, and word work. 

10:10-11:00 Language Arts The only thing we have time for in 4th grade in Florida is FCAT Writes. Narrative, expository, narrative, expository. My whole 50 minutes revolves around these two concepts. I try to squeeze in a couple of minutes in a mini lesson for grammar and spelling concepts, but it's so hard! 

11:00-11:30 Reading Intervention Students meet with their literature circle groups to read books at their level and discuss literature! My ESOL and ESE students are working on Lexia for intervention, and I meet with another small group!  

LUNCH FINALLY!!!

12:00-12:35 Whole Group Math We start on the carpet with "math talk" where we work on mental math, multiplication facts, and patterns in numbers. This takes about 5 minutes. After that I introduce students to the problem of the day. This is our challenge! We talk about how we may solve the problem. Then I teach them (5-10 minute mini lesson), the I-do part of our lesson. We do a couple more practice problems together using manipulatives, math journals, or dry erase boards. Then it's formative assessment time, typically an exit slip but sometimes we have more fun and play Snowball fight or Moving On Up (I can explain later!) 

Specials- Art, Music, PE, STEM, Writing, Media, or Science Lab

1:20-1:40 RECESS

1:45-2:05 Small Group Math Students have 4 stations- Me, Independent Work, Games, and Computers- they see two stations a day, for about 10 minutes each. (We usually go over in this part of our day)

2:05-2:35 Math Intervention Students work on one standard every two weeks, reinforcing concepts that have already been taught (or supposed to have been taught). I typically meet with a large small group (about 10 kids) while other students work on games, worksheets, and assessments pertaining to that standard. 

A Day in the Life of a Teacher (on summer break)

I saw this fun linky party with Second Grade Nest and just knew I had to join! As teachers most of us count the months weeks days hours seconds until summer vacation. Our lives our wonderful but very busy and hectic for 10 plus months out of the year. We then cram everything we want to do, try, and visit into 2 wonderful months. Let's be honest now, none of the days we are posting look anything like this in September :) Anyways- here is a glimpse at my wonderful life until August 12th!!!

In the summer my alarm clock comes in the form of two little boys! My body almost never lets me sleep in past 8:30 am but they normally make sure I'm up long before then. Today wasn't too bad. I got the whining and licking at about 7:45. Definitely better then the alarm going off at 6:00 am!!!! I hop out of bed and take the babies potty and begin my day.

I begin my day with breakfast- today was a delicious and totally unhealthy bowl of Captain Crunch and iced coffee- and taking care of all my social media fixes... you know Facebook, Bloglovin, Twitter, email, etc.

I normally get about a half hour to an hour before the sad face totally tears me away from my "work". This is the "mommy it looks so nice outside, I wish I was out there" face. So I drag the husband outside for a mile to two mile walk so my little baby replaces his sad eyes with happy eyes! They love being outside and would be out there forever if they could. Can't wait till we have a backyard and I can make their wish come true.

Because it's Sunday, the husband and I then headed off to grab some more coffee and go to church.

After church we stopped at Whole Foods for some corn on the cob for dinner. When I walked in the door I thought I had died and gone to heaven---- I was surrounded by peonies. I {puffy heart} love peonies. They are hands down the most beautiful flower EVER! My wonderful husband picked me up a gorgeous arrangement which was on sale for $13!!!! Then a final stop at Joann Fabrics for some scrapbook paper and we headed home!

It was so beautiful outside today so I took a blanket and my book for grad school to the patio. The boys loved being out there.... but it was so hot. I decided to make them a little pool!!! They loved it. I finished reading my whole book! It was so good, but a lot to read in depth in just about a week.

I worked up quite an appetite after reading and studying, thank goodness the husband was already starting to cook. We had a delicious dinner that screams summer- Macaroni Salad, Corn on the Cob, Steak, and Green KOOLAID!!! After eating I wasn't ready to give up my time in the sun so the hubby and I headed down to the pool for a little while. The pool water is SOOO much water colder than the water in Florida, but I still can't resist.

I spent the remainder of the evening watching my favorite hangover movies! While watching and laughing hysterically I was working on my first few products for Teachers Pay Teachers and my project for Monday Made It.

After a very long day we are all so sleepy! Another quick little potty walk and then it is time to hit the sack! Big day in this house tomorrow- Husband has a teaching interview and I start my part time summer job (and somehow try to cram in more reading before Tuesday) Stop on by and link up
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