Font-ter-vention... and NYE Giveaway!

My name is Christina Bainbridge.  And I am a font-a-holic.

And now it's even worse because I've been creating my own fonts.  And it's addicting!

I'd love to give you all 10 of my new fonts for personal and commercial use!

Check them out...

Find them on TpT

If you think you'd like them, leave me a blog comment!  Tomorrow I'll pick a few winners and send you all 10!

If you just can't wait, they are on sale for $4.00 at TpT!

Happy New Year's Eve!!!!!

Celebrating and Linking Up!

Do you get the TpT newsletter e-mailed to you each Sunday?  I do and always look forward to seeing which of my bloggy friends have been recognized inside.  Well, today I'm the featured author!

Hooray!  If you haven't checked out my shop, there are TONS of freebies there (27 of 'em, to be precise!)... as well as some pretty darn good, classroom tested resources... if I do say so myself!

I'm also linking up today with Jen from The Teachers' Cauldron to share my New Year's Resolutions.  You have to share two- one personal and one bloggy resolution.

First... personal.

Two years ago I had some GREAT success with Weight Watchers.  I got to purchase pretty much a whole new wardrobe and feel awesome about myself!  This year I had some stresses going on and just stopped tracking and was on some medication that, coupled with not making careful food choices, helped me gain back too much of what I lost!  If I was braver, I'd show you the picture of me comparing my 2010 birthday picture (gross!) to my 2011 birthday picture... 2011 was AH-MAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, that's my main resolution... obsess over points again and work out!

Bloggy resolution...

I also want to be able to spend more time on other people's blogs.  My new job has kicked my butt when it comes to having extra TIME!  I miss commenting and seeing what ya'll are up to!

That's really all I've got for resolutions.  I have some goals I want to work toward this year, which I hope to be able to keep you all posted about too!

So, that's it!  If you want to share your resolutions too, check out Jen's linky party!

You can still link up on my linky too if you want to share your 2012 successes on your blog!  The linky closes tomorrow night, so I hope you'll check it out and come celebrate with us!

Santa Came to My House!

Boo!  I do not like the day after Christmas!  It's so sad!!!!

Let me just say that Christmas at my house yesterday morning was AWESOME.  Hubby and I really spoiled each other!  It's just us, and our dog-sons, but I still wake up at 6:00am every year on Christmas... some weird internal Christmas clock or something... so, I headed downstairs and made as much little noise as possible so as not to disturb the hubs.  He slept for about 20 minutes of my quiet-ness... and then the opening began!

This was the sight of the living room before we started opening presents.  Note the stockings that were too heavy to hang up and are resting against the fireplace... and, of course, the two little stockings for our dog-sons hanging there!

We had a GREAT morning followed by the afternoon and evening with his family.  We got home late and crashed!

I'm sure you're all recuperating from your festivities... or hitting up some day after Christmas sales.

Let me display two little buttons for your viewing pleasure... If either intrigues you, just click on 'em to go right to the blog post about them!

1.) a great LINKY you can join to brag about your year

2.) a sale at my shops, which ends tomorrow!

Merry Christmas plus Linky and Sale Alert!

Merry Christmas Eve!  I know we're all busy and the bloggy world will be quiet for the next few days, so I'm getting this post scheduled early!

Today we'll go to my parents' house for dinner and presents... and then tomorrow it's Christmas morning with the hubby and dogs at our house and then the evening his family!  I hear Santa Paws is bringing some great things to my dog sons!

I just wanted to pop on and wish you and yours a wonderful Christmas!!!!

I also wanted to tell you about my "Best and Brightest" linky party.  I'd love for you to link up and share your best and brightest blog moments from the year!

Also wanted to share that everything in my TpT and Teacher's Notebook shops will be 20% off beginning today and ending on the 27th!

Visit me on TpT     or     Teacher's Notebook

 

2012 Bloggy Best and Brightest Linky

Welcome to my 2012's Blog Best and Brightest linky party!  Here you can link up to share some of your blog's best and brightest moments of the past year, as well as brag about other bloggers too!  I'm really leaving it up to you as to what you share, as long as it's something you have shared on your blog and are proud of from the past year.

The only rules are... it needs to be a new post that tells about your favorite posts, products, and fellow bloggers from the year!  You can certainly link up all of your favorite posts... but put them in a new blog post.  Please only link up once per blog!  I don't want the linky to be cluttered with many links from one blog!  And last... if you link up, please remember to grab the button above and also link back to this post.  Jen at Finally in First has some great Linky Party etiquette if you'd like to know more about what you should do!

Enough with the rules and regulations...

So... my blog's best and brightest...

One of the BEST things I did this year was learn about TpT!  I didn't know it existed until late in 2011 and, finally in March of this year, I took the plunge and opened up a shop!  It has been a huge blessing to me and my husband and is going to allow us to start perusing our goal of adopting a baby!  Hopefully I'll be able to add that to my list of "BESTS" for 2013!

The post that I love the BEST from this year is when I shared the "Back to Back" game video.  Not only do I love the two little boys in the video, T and C, but I LOVE "Back to Back"!  If you listen to it, never mind my gum chanking.  Gross and sorry!

My most popular post this year is my collaborative First Day Handbook that ya'll contributed to... it has over 20,000 views!  You can check it out by clicking the pic below.

The BEST news I shared on my blog this year was my new job.  I went from teaching a 1st/2nd grade split class to teaching 3rd grade English Language Arts.  Though I miss my friends and kiddos at my old school, I am so happy in my new position and love my new friends, kiddos, and administration so much!

The BEST product I created and blogged about this year is my Reading Comprehension Flippy Books.  I love them and they are one of my top sellers!

And the BEST freebie I shared this year... in my humble opinion... is the colorful "Show Me the Number" silent management system set.  All of the 3rd grades in my building use it and I LOVE it!

I've "met" a ton of new bloggy friends this year... secret FB teacher friends, you know who you are!  Some of the BRIGHTEST new bloggy friends I've made are...

Kelley at the Teacher Idea Factory
Tracy at Creekside Teacher Tales
and, of course, my best bloggy friend forever... Patty at 2nd in Line

So... there you go!  I hope you'll link up and share your BEST and BRIGHTEST bloggy moments from 2012!

Attention iPadders!

That's right, I made up a new word... iPadders!

I am typing this post from the Blogger app on an iPad!

Santa brought the teachers at my district iPads and I would love to know your favorite teaching related apps... Please leave me a comment to let me know what I should invest in for my classroom!

Thanks!!!!!!

Christmas Projects- Come Look and Pin For Next Year!

Ok... this is what we did this week...

On Monday we made gingerbread dough, cut it out, and baked it.

Then school got cancelled for two days because so many kids and teachers were sick.

So, today, we painted them in the morning.

Here are a few...

I am in *love* with this little girlie's!

 

We also made these on Monday.  I was inspired by something I saw in the "Easy Holiday Craft Guide" that Marygrove College posted last week.  So, we made these on ceramic tiles that I bought at Home Depot for less than $0.40 each!  SCORE!  And it really was quick and easy!  Each kid wrote "You light up my life!" and signed their name and dated their tile.  Then they squiggled out a strand of lights and used their fingers to press on lights.  We let them dry and I Modge Podged them.

Of course, I realized I didn't take a picture after we frantically wrapped these today... so this is mine that I made as a test!

 

And we made reindeer ornaments again this year.  I took this picture before this little guy put the nose on his reindeer!  Oops!  He did get noses on by the end of the day, if you're worried about it!

It was a fun and crafty week!  We also squeezed in Christmas Around the World, even though we missed so much school!  My kiddos enjoyed filling in their scrapbooks and learning about the different countries.

And, of course, I read them this book. 

Can you see how loved and worn it is?  And how my mom taped in every single page because I wore it out reading it so much?  I must have been 7 or so when I got it for Christmas... it's all about me, my sister (Michelle), and our dog Max as we travel around the world, collecting letters so that Santa can teach us the true meaning of Christmas.  Which is PEACE!

Anywho, I read it to my class every year... they're always impressed at how I barely look at the text to read it to them... someone always notices!

Ugly Sweater Inferencing!

I know it's late... but if you're looking for something fun to do to wrap up your week tomorrow, I've just posted an "Ugly Sweater Inference" activity!

It's $2.25 at TpT and TN!  And I'll send a free copy to the first two comments!

 Find it on TpT    or    Teacher's Notebook

I'll be posting pics from my week (however short it was!) tomorrow... so check back!

Not Teaching Related... But So Tasty!

Well, this is the 2nd day of my school being closed due to illness.  But it's back to school tomorrow for our Christmas party and trying to squeeze in all of the crafts and projects we missed over the last two days!

I've gotten all of my wrapping done, cleaned *some* of my house, and had a generally successful little mini-vaca.

My favorite thing though...

Oh my GOSH.

Saltine toffee.

My good friend, T, has a recipe that is SO delicous!  Last year her son gave me a bag that they made and, I shouldn't tell you this, but I ate the whole thing.  In about 10 minutes.

But, when I went to the store to get the ingredients for T's amazing recipe, I forgot the condensed milk!

So I had to find a different recipe.

I found this one at the Six Sisters' Stuff blog.  I'll let you check out their blog to get the recipe, but it's SO easy and SO tasty!  You just need butter, brown sugar, saltines, and chocolate chips.

Here's what it looks like in the oven...

Waiting for the chocolate chips to melt...

The recipe I used suggests putting nuts on top, but I put on crushed Heath bar, because that's in T's recipe and SO delicious!

All I have left to do is put it in the fridge for a few so it can set and then EAT IT!  I'm going to take it to my Christmas party tomorrow for my kiddos!

**Update!**
Here's the picture of it all ready to go!  Now if I could just stay out of it, everything would be perfect!

I Forgot My Camera!

BUT... we had SUCH a fun day!

We made butter since we just finished Little House in the Big Woods.

Then we did Christmas in America.

Then we made ornaments, super cute thumb print tiles, and more ornaments!

Then we found out that so many kids in the district are sick that school is cancelled tomorrow and Wednesday.  I've already plotted out how I'll be spending my hours... wrapping, shopping, and cleaning!

I'll post pics of our projects on Thursday when school is back in session.

Hope you all had a good Monday back after a tough weekend!

Silence for Sandy Hook Elementary

10 Quick and Easy Holiday Crafts

My friends at Marygrove College are at it again!

They've just put together a GREAT guide that has 10 quick and easy holiday crafts that your kiddos can make next week!

And, I'm honored that they featured my gingerbread ornament activity!

Click the picture to download the book and get some great craft ideas for your classroom- I LOVE LOVE LOVE the string of lights craft!

Getting Ready for Next Week!

Tomorrow is FRIDAY!!!!

I'm so excited about next week- we switch our students but we're keeping our own kids for the WHOLE WEEK!

This gal has some fun things on the agenda...

First things first... reading a Christmas picture book every day!

Here are my favorites...




Yeah, I know they're in 3rd grade, but I LOVE this one!


We're also reading The Best Christmas Pagent Ever to the whole 3rd grade next week so we can watch the movie on Friday.


Monday- making ornaments!

We're making these reindeer that I posed about last year and the gingerbread ornaments from last year too.

Tuesday- making one more gift... more info to come!

Wednesday- wrapping, cards

Thursday- PARTY!

Friday- Read in during the AM and a movie with a hot cocoa bar in the PM.

I'll also be doing Christmas Around the World next week too!  And some math (hoping to have them play Suit Up Santa! for multiplication) and reading!

What fun things are you doing with your kiddos?  And who else goes through Friday next week?

Will Share a Freebie for Comments!

This blog feels like a barren wasteland!  If your classroom/life is anything like mine at this time of the year, I *SO* understand!

Today I'm just popping on to share a little freebie... I'd love to know if you like it!  :)

We're working on present tense verbs this week so it's just a short and quick hallway or classroom hunt (I LOVE doing these!!!) for students to write down correct subject/verb agreement for present tense verbs... and it's Christmas themed!

Just click the picture to check it out!

Do You Have This? It's Been Updated!

Happy Sunday!  My Lions play tonight, so I'm enjoying a leisurely afternoon before the stress begins around 8pm!

If you have either of my Reading Comprehension Flippy Book sets, they've both gotten a new cover {well, a cover... since there wasn't one before} and the 2nd set got an extra flippy added for compare/contrast... be sure to log in to your dashboard at TpT or TN and re-download!

I've also posted a bundle pack that has both sets in it for $2 less!

I am currently working on an update to my CCSS Graphic Organizers for Big Kids pack and hope to have that up later today it's up!  There are two new organizers and a table with CCSS connections for each graphic organizer.   So if you have that, keep your eyes peeled for the blinking "REVISED" notification in your TpT purchases!

Ok- heading into my happy creative place before kickoff!