Penguins Party Bulletin Board and Winter Sale

Just had to show you how cute the Penguins Party bulletin board turned out.   Thanks to my granddaughter's teacher we had a huge hallway bulletin board to work with. 

As we were thinking about putting the board up, I got the idea to add a little color by putting party hats on the penguins. The kids loved dressing up their penguins for a party. The hat pattern is not in the penguin's packet (it was a last minute idea) but it is nothing more than a triangle made from scrapbook paper and a fuzzy pom.

I also made icebergs so the penguins had a place to "hang out".  It gave some visual interest in terms providing different levels for the penguins to sit.  Enough said... here's the outcome.

Also just want to let you know that I am throwing a "Winter Sale".  All my winter/New Year's themed packets and games are on sale for 20%  off.  The sale runs from 12/19/2012- 12/23/2012.  Click here to go to my TpT store. 

Have a GREAT winter break!
Granny (Cindy) 

Words Can Not Express...

Words can not express the heartbreak and sorrow. 

New Year's Baby Craft/Prompts and Penguin Winners.

It has been a wonderful first half of the school year.  Now on to Winter break (YEA!) and then it's the start of the New Year!   It will be time to set goals and try to get back into a routine after a few weeks off.

In honor of the New Year I created this cute little New Year's Baby Craftivity and prompts.  The packet contains:

• What _____ Knows About the New Year
• A, B, C, Order (New Year's words)
• On New Year's Eve I...
• Fix the Sentences
• Move and Make Words
• This Coming Year I Will...
• My New Year's Goal is...
• New Year's Graph
• Patterns and Directions 

Click on picture to go to my TpT store.

Leave a comment on my New Year's Baby packet (along with your email address).  I'll be giving two of these packets away on Friday.


Thanks so much to everyone who commented on the "Penguins Party!"  pack.  The two winners are:

Emily

Suzy

Enjoy the rest of your week!

Granny (Cindy)

Beautiful, Easy, Ornament and Freebie

Looking for that last minute gift for a friend or relative, or perhaps something for the kiddos to make and take?  Look no further.  My daughter made these beautiful ornaments with my three grandchildren and they are beautiful, inexpensive, and easy.  What more could you want?

Materials: 
Mop n GLow
Glitter (the finer the better)
Completely clear glass bulbs.  Important that they do not have a rainbow or opaque coloring to them.
Paper bowl

Steps  1:

Pull cap off blub.
Add mop and glow and coat inside REALLY well by shaking bulb up and down. (no specific amount).  Make sure the mop n glow coats the neck of the bulb as well.  We placed a paper towel over the top to catch the cleaner as we were shaking.

Step 2:
Pour out the cleaner into a bowl.
Working quickly, (before cleaner dries) use a funnel to pour in the glitter.  Using a GOOD amount of glitter (don't be stingy on the glitter, needs a lot).  Shake it up and down.  We used our finger to cover the hole, or you can use a paper towel again.

 

Step 3:
We let them dry a bit and then replaced the cap.
Add a pretty ribbon at the top.

 

Aren't these darling. They did such a great job.   My daughter is SO creative! (Sorry, I just had to brag).

Here they are all dressed up and ready to give away. 

I am attaching a freebie "How To Make An Ornament Sheet" in the event you make them with your students.

Click here to download the PDF

 Have a great week.
Granny (Cindy)

Penguins Party!

Just wanted to take a minute to share this new craftivity with you all. It's my Penguins Party Pack and it's all about kindergarten-2nd grade math Common Core Standards.

I had a blast creating it and the craftivity is SO easy that it's perfect for independent work. The 32 page packet contains the following:

*Measuring (standard and non-standard)
*Placement words
*Shapes
*Telling time
*Fractions
*Graphing
*Read the Room Math Facts (1-5)
*Odds and Evens Game
*First to 50 Game
*First to 0 Game
*Read the Room Money Counting
*No bake peanut butter penguin snack
*Penguin Craftivity with pictured directions
*All activities are labeled with the Common Core Standards

Click here to view it in TpT

If this is a packet you think your students might enjoy, please leave a comment.  I'll give away two copies in a random selection of people who have left a comment.  Please be sure and leave your email address. I'll draw the two names on Wednesday.

Have a great Sunday-
Granny (Cindy)

Triple Treat Time!

I love to bake. I think it's fun, creative, and a pretty yummy pursuit. So I thought I'd like to share at least one of my quick, easy, and yummy recipes with you once a month.

Another treat I love is meeting new people, sharing ideas, accomplishments, and honoring what others so generously share.

Everyday there are more new bloggers emerging with their special twists on classrooms, lessons, activities, and inspirations about teaching.

Along with the recipe, I also want to introduce two new bloggers that I think are a real "treat" to follow. I am hoping this will encourage my followers to visit them, support them in their new blogging journey.  

Sometimes, blogging and TpT have a very competitive feel to them. I'm pretty sure that's not in anyone's best interest. I've been in the field of teaching for 40 years now and I do know this... when one of us succeeds - we all succeed.  There is nothing more important that we can do than support each other. 

I hope you take a little time to visit Ms. Cranfill's Class.  She is a first year teacher and a new blogger.  I think that's amazing!  I could hardly remember my own name during my first year of teaching.  She always shows samples of her students' work so we get a nice feel for what a great job she is doing.

Ms. Cranfill has a great attitude!  She writes in a motivational Monday post:

"I am a firm believer that happiness is a choice. If I wake and decide to be happy, I will be. So I will choose to be happy because it is good for my health, especially my mental health"

I'm sure that great attitude carries over to her classroom too.   She currently has 12 followers, so please hop over, enjoy her blog, and show a little love by following.  Ms Cranfill is a "mover and shaker" that we are going to want to watch through the coming years.  Click below to be transported to her place. 

 

Ms. Thigpen is another new blogger that is pretty darn special.  She is incredibly generous.  She posts a freebie almost every time she blogs.   She has been teaching for 9 years and is a National Board Certified Teacher (as of '09).  pretty impressive.  Her blog is great fun to visit as is her TpT store with 55 products and 22 freebies... well worth a look see!  She even fits knitting into her busy schedule.   She is currently at 77 followers and I just bet if we all head over to her "place" and follow, we can help her hit her first 100 followers in the next week or so.  

My favorite freebies are  her: 
Monster  ABC and number cards
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Monster-ABC-and-Number-Cards
Thanksgiving number match
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Thanksgiving-Number-Match 
 

Click here to visit

And last but not least, here is my sweet treat recipe.  It's so quick, easy, and deeeeeelicious, that I should be embarrassed to call it baking (but I'm not).  This fabulous Red Velvet Cake is just in time  for the holidays.  As I recall, if you stand at the kitchen sink, eat bites without serving yourself a regular piece, and wash it down with skim milk, it has no calories.

Click on the picture to download the recipe.

Have a great week.
Granny (Cindy)

Free Bear Craftivity and Adorable Christmas Book

Happy December 1st!  Are you ready for the" busy season"?   If you are already running wild, take a minute, put your feet up, have a cup of hot chocolate, and enjoy a good book.  You deserve it! 

I just love the book Bear Stays Up for Christmas by Karma Wilson.  It's such a sweet story about friends sharing with friends.  If this isn't a part of your December reading list, you may want to consider adding it. 

By now you know me and know how much I love creating craftivity packets!  So I just had to created a cute little craftivity and some fun follow up activities to go with this sweet book.  This little packet has a writing prompt, label it activity, match rhyming word activity, A B C order activity, a really fun no-bake bear paws food activity, and of course the pattern and directions for making the bear.  I would love for all my friends and followers to have this for free.  Just click on the packet cover below and download it. If you are not a follower (but like my blog or my freebie) I'd love to have you join my blog but of course there is no obligation or strings attached to the freebie.  If you like it, enjoy it!

Click here

Granny (Cindy)

  

Mrs. Claus Takes a Vacation, Sale, and Give Away

Now that we are full on into the holiday season I just have to share this darling book with all of you.  Are you familiar with Mrs. Claus Takes A Vacation written by Linas Alsenas?

Mrs. Claus is tired of staying home all winter long.  She heads off on vacation leaving Santa home to do the Christmas chores.  Delightful pictures show her lounging at the beach, dancing at holiday festivals, lunching on sushi, and in general having a great time.  Meanwhile, (back at the ranch... or should I say North Pole) Santa is home baking cookies, decorating the house, and trimming the tree.  This darling story has a lovely and heartwarming ending.  This is a great book to add to your holiday collection.

Here is a little freebie with some gingerbread graphing and practice with ordinal numbers.  I just figured if Santa could have some fun with gingerbread cookies, so can our kiddos!

Click here to download

Don't forget to hop over to Learning with Mrs. Leeby.  She is celebrating her 100 followers with a great give away.  If you haven't had a chance to visit her darling new blog... now is the time.  Just click on the button and head over for your chance to win some great prizes. 

One last "don't forget"... TpT is hosting a Cyber Monday and Tuesday sale.  Almost all my products (including some really fun new winter craftivities) are on sale for up to 28% off.  Just click below.  

 Thanks to Ashley Hughes for this really cute button!

Have a great week,

Granny (Cindy)

Give Away Winner and Free Reindeer Craftivity Pack

Thank you, thank you, to all those that entered our Thanksgiving Thank You - Gift Card Give Away.  We really appreciate all our followers.  We are humbled, we are grateful, and we are thrilled to be connected to you and your dedication to teaching.

The winner of the Gift Card Give Away is: Jennifer K from Herding Kats in Kindergarten.  Congratulations, Jennifer! 

I personally love it when everyone wins something, so....  I am giving all my followers a free Reindeer Craftivity.  This little guy is really fun to make and will be free to all my blog and TpT followers from Monday 11/18 - Tuesday 11/19, so be sure to hop right over and grab this cute little freebie. 

This is a 32 page packet that contains:

• book suggestions
• 5 writing prompts
• 2 Read the Room math games
• 10 squares pages (2 pages)
• 2 mystery picture math activities
• patterns and directions for the craftivity.  

Just click on the image below and you will be directed to my TpT store where you can down load it for free for the next 24 hours. If you download it, I would LOVE it if you would also take a minute to review it.  

Have a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving.
Granny (Cindy)

Shout Out to New Bloggers

It seems that there are new blogs popping up everyday, and aren't we lucky!  More enthusiastic teachers, more new ideas, more collaboration across the internet.  Here are some blogs you may want to check out:

1st:  Lisa at The Lower Elementary Cottage is sponsoring her 100 Followers Give Away.  You don't want to miss it.  She has some great prizes.

2nd:  You really do want to check out Learning With Mrs. Leeby.  She is sponsoring a fun little "the weather is frightful" learning packs give away.  Her blog is darling- as is she.

3rd:  Nikki at Love, Laughter, and Lesson Plans has a cute new blog and a darling turkey 10's freebie.

4th Sarah at Learning is for Super Stars has great blog (and gives away wonderful freebies) and don't you just love the name of her blog!

 

Have a great (short) week and do try to hop over to these new blogs and show a little love!

Granny (Cindy) 

P.S.  Don't forget to enter our Thanksgiving Gift Card Give Away!  You don't want to miss the chance to win $100.00 in gift cards to really fun places. 

Thanksgiving Gift Cards Give-Away- $100.00 in Gift Cards

Thanksgiving is a great time to show appreciation to everyone in our lives that support us. Sooooo... four of my blogger friends and I decided to sponsor a "Thanksgiving Thank You- Gift Card Give Away"  

We will each be sending the winner a $20.00 gift card.  After all, who couldn't use an extra $100.00 in gift cards for the holidays?

All you need to do is follow our blogs (2 entries per blog following), follow us in TpT (2 entries per TpT following,) and if you can blog about our give-away- 10 entries!  It's possible to earn  a total of 30 entries. Here is what the winner will receive:

Teresa at Fun in K-1 will be giving away a $20.00 Gift Card to Target. 

Cindy at Granny Goes to School will be giving away a $20.00 Gift Card to Old Navy.




Rikki at  The Hive will be giving away a $20.00 Gift Card to MAC Cosmetics.

Megan at Mrs. Wheeler's First Grade is giving away a $20.00 Gift Card to The Limited.
 

Ash at Pixy Stix and Teacher Tricks is giving away a $20.00 Gift Card to Target

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway Thanks!

Granny (Cindy)

Six Free Thanksgiving "Roll and Cover" Games

Just want to send you all a quick note to let you know that I'm offering Six Free Thanksgiving "Roll and Cover" games.  They turned out so dang cute that I just had to share them with all my friends and followers.  Head on over to my TpT store (just click on the image below) to get your copy.

Sure hope your kiddos enjoy the games.  I would love to have you follow me on TpT.  I upload freebies frequently.   

Don't forget, head back here on Saturday for the Thanksgiving Thank You ($100.00 in gift cards give away).

Granny (Cindy)

Eight "Read the Room" Math Games and a Big Raffle!

Don't you just love all the cute turkey craftivities, activities, lessons, math and reading stations, etc.? Everyone's blogs are looking so November-ish.

Well, I love "read the room" activities. I think the kids need that kind of movement and the activity seems to really add spark to math and reading center time.

I have created a 65 page packet with 8 "Read the Room" math games. Enough to keep your kiddos busy for the next month- easily!

The packet covers the following Common Core Standards: K.MD.3; K.OA.3; K.OA.4; K.OA.5; K.CC.5 1.NBT.1; 1.NBT.2; 1.NBT.5; 1.MD.4; 1.OA.2; 1OA.6

This fun math packet is designed for busy K-1s'. The packet contains 8 games that address 10 Common Core Standards:  Tally-A; Tally-B; Addition-A; Addition-B; Ten Squares; Count to 120;

Mental Math; and How Many?

Available at my TpT store.  Click on the image.

I'm just itching to give a few away. Leave a comment and I'll select 2 people (random drawing) on Friday and send the winners the packet.  Please remember to leave your email address.  
And the winners are Kate and Christine:

KWintuska November 7, 2012 6:58 PM

christine November 7, 2012 4:18 PM

 

 Also- you all JUST HAVE TO COME BACK ON Saturday.  Why, you are asking... 4 of my blogger friends and I are having a Thanksgiving Thank You Raffle for our followers.  The five of us are each giving away a fun $20.00 gift certificate.  That's $100.00 in gift certificates, just in time for the holidays.

So leave a comment for the Turkey Tally Packet and come back on Saturday and enter to win $100.00 in gift certificates.

Have a great rest of the week.
Granny (Cindy)