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Sunday Scoop, Meal Prep Update, & Lunches Preview

9/28/2014

After a weekend downtown, including a concert, trip to EATALY {aka-food Heaven}, and lots of other fun, I needed this Sunday Scoop just to get my mind back on track to start a new week!

See my 3-2-1 below, then check out an update on my future freezer meals post & a sneak peek at weekly lunch prep in the Petlak house!

// Freezer Meal-Prep Mania //

I received SUCH a surprising and overwhelming response to my sneak preview of our make-ahead freezer meals that I decided to do a post {or two} about it. HOPEFULLY I'll be able to have at least the first part up live this week!

// Lovin' My Lunches this Week //

I L-O-V-E food. Good food. Eating well is an important part of my life...but that can be tough with crazy schedules, teaching stress, and a toddler. This year one of my goals has been to prep lunches ahead of time. I think I'll craft some posts on that topic, too...as soon as I finish my freezer meal posts! For now....take a looksie at my jars of salad for this week and goodie bags (non-perishable items) to accompany hubby's sandwiches and pasta salads for this week. Y-U-M!

// My Lunches //

// Goodies for the Hubs //

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5 Things I LOVE about My New Teacher Bag: 5 For Friday

9/26/2014

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// That's my bag, baby! //
{Insert Austin Powers Here}

Oh, How I love my New Teacher Bag....
Let me count the Ways...5 Ways, to be specific!

I am a bonafide, undeniable, pack-horse bag lady! I have been since high school, and don't see that habit changing any time soon. This year I invested in a new teacher bag and sure am glad I did! This bag and utility storage accessories from Thirty-One Gifts is the answer to all of my pack-mule teacher prayers! Special thanks to my friend, former teacher, and Thirty-One rep, Vanessa, for helping me choose the perfect tote!!

1) Size & Durability

Now knowing what a pack-mule I am, it's no surprise that my teacher bag needs to be as big as possible and tough enough to pass for a Ford F150. Between my MacBook Pro, iPad, notebooks, teacher planner, life planner, folders, bags of pens/pencils/sticky notes, and a few personal items...I need a bag that holds a ton, but is still manageable to haul around back and forth to school.

This Thirty-One Zip Top Organizing Utility Tote is the PERFECT size. It holds everything I haul home from school, plus more and has storage options both inside the bag and around the base of the outside. I have yet to TOTALLY fill the space inside and out....but it's only September. I'm SURE that I'll find a way to fill it to the brim by May!

2) Design & Details

Function is foremost, but let's be honest....I want a cute bag. I'm luggin' this puppy around to and from school daily and want it to be bright, cheery, and full of pattern. A monogram is a HUGE bonus, and the brightly colored handles, make this bag my daily ray of sunshine! It's such a cute design that I {almost} don't mind how heavy it is or the RIDICULOUS amount of teacher stuffy I need to tote home to complete on a daily basis!

3) Strength & Durability

Now that you've had a glimpse at the junk I'm haulin' each day in this, you shouldn't be surprised that I bought this bag because it's super sturdy. The strong, wipe-off fabric, reinforced base, nylon double-stitched handles, and grommet reinforcements means this bag can "take a {teacher} licking" and come back for more!

4) Functional {& Cute} Accessories

Ever noticed how the larger your purse {or in this case, teacher bag} is, the more DISORGANIZED it becomes!?!?!?! That drives me nuts! Luckily, Thirty-One offers super functional, sturdy, portable, and let's not forget--CUTE--accessories.

I purchased the Fold -N- File tote to insert into my jumbo bag. It's the perfect size to hold file folders, my planners, and my zipper pouch of tech devices. Better yet...it also features two exterior mesh pockets and two cutout round handles so it’s easy to carry. PS--LOVE the cute coral gingham pattern!

I also picked up this Pocket-A-Tote, which feeds through the grommet holes and can hang on the inside or outside of your bag. It's the perfect place to store small necessities like chapstick, gum, or car keys.

5) Pockets Galore!

I've already raved about the overall storage this bag provides, but the external pockets on both the bag itself and the Fold -N- File tote insert are so incredibly useful! I wasn't sure how much I'd use these at first, but they are worth GOLD. Umbrellas, my glasses case, water bottle, quick storage for keys before putting them away, and about a million other items find their ways into these pockets for instant easy access.

// Want Your OWN Bag, Baby? //

If you're looking to replace your existing teacher bag, give my gal pal, Vanessa a shout! She's super fab to work with and has REAL TEACHER insight into needs for teacher totes and must-haves when ordering for school functionality.

Check out her personal Thirty-One site HERE.
Her Personal Customer October Special: Host an event in October that earns over $400 and the hostess receives a FREE surprise gift from me valued at over $60!
See her hostess incentives & rewards HERE.

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New Kids on the Block: Welcoming New students as they move into Your class

9/26/2014

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It happens all of the time. You’ve finally settled in with your new students, school year routine, classroom setup, and materials distribution when new students start moving in. As happy as you are to welcome new faces into your room, it can really throw a wrench into the groove you’ve gotten into thus far.

In years past, my class size has been maxed out, so I haven’t received move-in students. This year, I had a few kiddos move out right before school started, leaving my head count lower than usual. This means I’ll likely be the first to receive new students. I know I need to prepare some materials and plans for when bright new faces walk into my room (sometimes unannounced!). Use these tips and ideas I’ve gathered to help your new students feel welcome and make your life easier!

Search & Scour (.....any excuse to peruse Pinterest)

To prepare for what I believe is the inevitable, I’ve been scouring Google, blog-stalking, and pouring over Pinterest (any excuse to do so!) to gather what I think are the best ideas for welcoming move-in students. Click on the image of my Pinterest board below to see what I’ve collected so far. If you’d like to join the board and contribute pins to it, just email me as indicated in the board description.

Want to see my Fave Ideas that I plan to use??
CHECK OUT MY SCHOLASTIC TOP TEACHING BLOG POST
FOR DETAILS ON my top Newbie picks.

// FOllow my Scholastic Blog POsts! //

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Continuing Teamwork All Year Long

9/25/2014

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Even though we're now all firmly into the new school year, it is important to continue team building with our students in order to foster a community of connected collaborators. Usually I hit the ground running with getting-to-know-you games and team-building activities the first week of school to ease into routines and introduce new classmates and classroom management. That said, those activities seem to quickly fall off my radar once the second or third week of school hits. This year, one of my goals is to weave team-building activities into every week to continue to grow stronger as a community of learners.

This collection of both academic and social activities is quick, easy, effective, and FREE. They are tasks that can be fun interjections into your day during morning meeting, transitions, brain breaks, or end-of-day routines. Set a goal to do one or two each week, and see how easy it is to maintain team-building routines all year long!

WHY This is Important All Year:

Students can always learn more about each other and firm up peer relationships
Continued speaking/listening skills practice
Remedy (or prevent) peer/friend issues that may be starting to bubble up
Review/modeling of expectations and appropriate/inappropriate behaviors
Icebreakers for new, more difficult academic tasks to come
Improve patience, acceptance, problem solving, and creative thinking
Shake up any existing cliques that may tend to form as the year progresses.
Quick brain breaks for nice transitions during day/week

// Ready for the Quick-n-Easy Activities??? //
Check out my Scholastic Top Teaching blog post for Details on ALL of the team-building activities!

ACADEMIC Activities

SOCIAL Activities

// Follow my Scholastic Blog Posts! //

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What the Teacher Wore Wednesday: 9.24.14

9/24/2014

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Linking up each Wednesday with Chandra @ Teaching With Crayons & Curls is the ultimate hump day cure!

This week, I'm featuring #OOTD from Open House night, and some pieces that are working for this strange transition between summer heat & cool fall moving in!

Lots of bargains this week...including a Boden dress {my obsession} for 20% off clearance price, plus gift card = DRESS FOR FREE! WOO HOO!

To see more details about each outfit featured below, click on the image. You'll be taken to my Instagram photo for that outfit and can click on that pic for source links!!

// Preppy Nautical @ J. Crew Outlet //

// Abstract Animal Print & Mint Accessories //

// Safari Fun //

// Open HOuse: Boden Floral //

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<<Previous

Sunday Scoop, Meal Prep Update, & Lunches Preview

// Freezer Meal-Prep Mania //

// Lovin' My Lunches this Week //

// My Lunches //

// Goodies for the Hubs //

5 Things I LOVE about My New Teacher Bag: 5 For Friday

// That's my bag, baby! // {Insert Austin Powers Here}

Oh, How I love my New Teacher Bag.... Let me count the Ways...5 Ways, to be specific!

1) Size & Durability

2) Design & Details

3) Strength & Durability

4) Functional {& Cute} Accessories

5) Pockets Galore!

// Want Your OWN Bag, Baby? //

New Kids on the Block: Welcoming New students as they move into Your class

Search & Scour (.....any excuse to peruse Pinterest)

Want to see my Fave Ideas that I plan to use?? CHECK OUT MY SCHOLASTIC TOP TEACHING BLOG POST FOR DETAILS ON my top Newbie picks.

// FOllow my Scholastic Blog POsts! //

Continuing Teamwork All Year Long

// Ready for the Quick-n-Easy Activities??? // Check out my Scholastic Top Teaching blog post for Details on ALL of the team-building activities!

ACADEMIC Activities

SOCIAL Activities

// Follow my Scholastic Blog Posts! //

What the Teacher Wore Wednesday: 9.24.14

// Preppy Nautical @ J. Crew Outlet //

// Abstract Animal Print & Mint Accessories //

// Safari Fun //

// Open HOuse: Boden Floral //

// CONNECT //

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// Home // Blog // About // Shop // Connect //

// That's my bag, baby! //
{Insert Austin Powers Here}

Oh, How I love my New Teacher Bag....
Let me count the Ways...5 Ways, to be specific!

Want to see my Fave Ideas that I plan to use??
CHECK OUT MY SCHOLASTIC TOP TEACHING BLOG POST
FOR DETAILS ON my top Newbie picks.

// Ready for the Quick-n-Easy Activities??? //
Check out my Scholastic Top Teaching blog post for Details on ALL of the team-building activities!

Find Me On
// TPT //