Happy New Year!

Snow Day!

... well, *several* actually:



The kids and I certainly enjoyed a white Christmas, burnt off extra cookie-calories by shoveling, shoveling and shoveling, and of course the Pre-Schooler made snow angels, climbed "mountains" and made a snowman.

I'll be back tomorrow to show you what else we've been doing and to share links to some nummy recipes!

Merry Christmas

I'll Have a Lu's Christmas...

... not a blue Christmas mind you, a Lu's Christmas!


I first encountered Artistic Works by Lu when D. and I visited Farmstead, where this charm not only caught my eye, but ended up coming home with me:




Sparkles and a reversible windowpane charm- the perfect combination!

Several weeks later I located Lu's shop in Leavenworth, Kansas and had fun running my fingers through the jars, trays, silver, ceramic and crystal dishes full of charms, dangles, Swarovski beads and neckwear (laces, chains, pearl strands, ribbons).  Not able to settle for just one charm, Lu suggested a heavy link bracelet onto which I could add charms to my heart's content:

A jewelry lover, I don't often discriminate between wantful things and needful things... Bless their hearts, Lu and her staff do a great job of making seasonal and colorful selections available year 'round.  My Christmas treat to myself, a sparkly snowflake charm with a double-sided windowpane charm, "Cozy and Warm" was a favorite of my students this month (and yes, her jewelry stands up to the rigors of exploring hands and long hours of wearing!):

Sigh... Lu's is BLISS!  If you can't make it to her shop in Leavenworth, track down one of her representatives (or become one yourself!) and attend a Lu's Party... you deserve it!

(Psst, Artistic Works by Lu can also be found on Facebook!)

Birthday Bliss

Finding my 40th Birthday Bliss has been surprisingly easy this month.  "Surprisingly" because

1)  I wasn't searching for it to begin with...
2)  My already-busy work and family schedules actually contributed to some of my milestone revelations instead of causing me to miss or skip right past them...

and

3)  so many family members, friends, colleagues, students (and their families), new acquaintances and even strangers have shared sweet sentiments, thoughtfulness and kindness during their own hectic-yet-happy holiday preparations.  Bright smiles and extended courtesies that seem most prevalent each December always contribute to making my birthday feel special~ those who know me will also add that all the extra *~twinkle lights~* and sparkle on display don't hurt either!



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I'm on "winter break" for the next two weeks and have finished mailing out my Christmas cards and holiday packages.  Catching up on blog-reading and magazine-perusing is on my agenda, but I've decided that the fun projects and ideas that I've been stumbling across since yesterday afternoon will not be shared with a deadline... recipes can be tried any time of the year, and crafty ideas can certainly be modified and used during other quite suitable months in the classroom or home crafting area.

Creativity abounds, and it's time to stop obliterating the joy of it by forcing it into a must-do-or-die timeline.  Does this mean I'm mellowing with age?

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~ Make and Takes shares handheld jingle bells (also perfect for classrooms that don't have a set of musical instruments!)...

~ Cut and folded paper garlands appeal to me over at d.Sharp Journal...

~  NotMartha shares a tutorial on how to make *the most adorable gingerbread houses* that rest on the lid of your hot chocolate/coffee/eggnog mug:



~ ... and Bubbly Scrumptious offers a tussie mussie tutorial that has me inspired for not only Christmas but Valentine's Day as well...

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Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Happy Kwanzaa, and Happy Solstice to you Dear Readers~

The Truth About Elves (a Cautionary Tale)

... sure, they're cute.

They help Santa.

Occasionally they sit on shelves.

The paper variety are wonderful for cutting practice:




**~However~**, as my Super Stars and I found out today, ~if you add sparkley glitter to their hats~ and leave the room for **any length of time** (certainly long enough for the students to visit the music room and for the teacher to get a Diet Coke from the staff lounge machine), the elves may get a little...

...mischievous.

Oh.... my...

They climb into the window sills:

They frolic above the bulletin boards:

They climb the walls and hang from the ceiling:

They perch themselves above the door, just waiting to sneak out into the hallway:

And they hover above our books and stories at circle:

You've been **warned!**

Jingle Bells: Bocelli and the Muppets

How cool is it that Sesame Street turns 40 the same year I do?


Kermit and the Muppet Crew joined Andrea Bocelli for his PBS special, "My Christmas," and I admit, it's one of my new holiday favorites.

My 40th Birthday... Yep, I'm Officially Part of a Demographic

For a few years now, I've been aware that I belong to a spending demographic.  When Ritz ran their holiday cracker commercial with Modern English's "I Melt With You" as the theme song, I knew *my* wallet was officially their target.

I was a grown up.  An adult.  Someone whose opinion mattered.  Someone who earned more than weekly babysitting money.  Or allowance.

It worked.  I'm still hooked on Ritz, especially the snowflake shaped crackers they release each winter.

But I digress.

D. and I attended an art show promoted by Odd Folies (you remember Sheila and Craig, the talented cabinetry/collectible/ephemera folks?) last weekend and encountered artist Joseph Blake, a guy who didn't try to bait us as 80's kids, but caught us, hook, line, and sinker with his flowers.  This one came home with me:




The petals are metal, cut from collected tins and containers...

... and why yes, those are Army guys, legos, scrabble tiles, game pieces, and corn cob picks surrounding the rooster!

The red is sooooo *me*.  The Army guy, Dear Husband.  The Pre-Schooler loves dinosaurs and Dear Daughter is a Dr. Pepper drinker (see the bottle cap?):

D. and I couldn't stop squealing, smiling, pointing, and laughing with delight as we looked through all of the flower wall art Joseph had on display.  Folks, he even had a Holly Hobby flower in all of her brown and yellow glory, a la the 70's!  Smurfs, religious icons, political displays, sassy flair buttons and even King Kong were well represented in Joseph's booth.

He soooooo needs a web site.  Hint.  

Until then, if you'd like to contact him to ask for photos of more of his work, he can be reached here.

My red rooster with poinsettia/plaid/Monticello/saltine cracker leaves is now hanging in my crafting nook, right where it can continue to inspire me, elicit smiles, and make me feel good about turning 40.

Wednesday's Odds and Ends, Links and Love

A bloggy collage.... compilation...mish-mash.... odds and ends- call it what you like-

I've got a little bit of this, a little bit of that (but alas not a pot, a pan, a broom, a hat)...

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Like many teachers, not only do I purchase toys for my own children, I also buy toys, puzzles, games, and other learning manipulatives (yes, yes, yes, books too!) for my students.  When they begin teaching, many new-to-the-profession primary grade educators will ask their own friends and family for much needed supplies to outfit their classrooms, and on occasion, parents of students will ask if there are any games or toys that they can buy to donate to the classroom too.

Teacher and parent tip:  make sure to check out the Toy and Product Recall Finder at Parents.com when considering a purchase.

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Kindergarten's 3 R's has been added to the list of the 100 Best Education Blogs over at CertificationMap.com.  Their handy site is "a simple guide to receiving teacher certification and clarifies the steps needed to become a teacher in your state." Helpful, helpful, H-E-L-P-F-U-L!

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Music is my mood-setter in the classroom and at home.

Okay, in my Jeep too.

Year 'round.

Now that it's December, I'll admit to going a bit overboard on jingles, chimes, bells, and "like-a-lightbulb..."

Along with Jason Mraz's "Winter Wonderland," my students love to sing and dance to Raffi's Must Be Santa, and the The Twelve Days of Christmas (John Denver and the Muppets) is on constant rotation on the classroom's c.d. player (aren't headphones the greatest invention ever?):




What holiday songs are your students' favorites?

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Celebrate One, Celebrate Them All...

...might be the holiday policy at your school when it comes to decorating your classroom each December, which means not only will you have colorful and diverse displays in your room over the winter, your students will be exposed to wonderful multi-cultural elements and experiences:



Learning about various winter holidays is a wonderful way to integrate reading, social studies, math, art, dramatic play, and music.  While the majority of my Super Stars celebrate Christmas, they're thrilled to learn about Hannukah, Kwanzaa, Las Posadas, New Year's, and other family festivities.  Here are some crafty links I'm searching through for new project ideas:

Popsicle stick menorahs shared by Creative Jewish Mom...

Ornaments made from recycled cards, scrap cardstock or other found materials at Martha Stewart...

African/Kwanzaa crafts (I love the drum!) at MakingFriends.com...

...and ribbon wreath plates (Make and Takes) which will join our Chris-Moose (how to's shared from last year's post here).


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How about this version of Winter Wonderland by Jason Mraz for your December clean-up song?




I love it.

Confession and an Edublog Award 2009 Nomination

Oh yes, Sharpies are **IT** in my book:

** Silver Sharpies

** Holiday how-to's at Sharpie Blog where they've shared twenty five tips on how to use their markers to add a creative touch to gift giving, decorating and organizational needs!


** And something so totally ME,  Coleurs Cafe Sharpies.

Heaven help me if they figure out how to make pink sparkley Sharpies!

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Tomorrow is the deadline for nominating your favorite education blogs for Edublogs' Awards 2009!  Visit the Edublogs Nomination Site for more details.  

While I've been a fan of many of the blogs nominated in previous years, there's been a noticeable shortage of early childhood/kindergarten energy in the lists.

Time to remedy the situation!

I'd like to nominate Look at My Happy Rainbow! for Best Individual Blog because by gum, I **love** nodding along as I read each of Halpey's posts.  Though I've suggested that he hop on the teacher-fashion-bandwagon (c'mon, certainly some colleague has gifted him with the most obnoxious candy cane tie or suspenders by now), I have nothing but praise and appreciation for how he captures the truth of kindergarten in each of his posts.  

....wonder what markers he prefers?

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Oh yes, it's time...