Five for Friday

I think I may officially be the worst blogger in the world.  It has been a crazy two weeks and between creating three new packets, starting a diet, end of the year stuff, blah, blah, blah.  You get the point.  If you are a teacher, not seeing me blog probably didn't surprise you.  You know what the last two weeks are like.  It is almost like you take two months and squash them into two weeks.  If you are like me, it means you crash when you get home if you aren't staying up until midnight making cute, little labels and adding polka dotted bows to everything.  You also have no idea at this point what may be happening on Survivor or any other popular television show because television doesn't exist during the last month of school.  Thank goodness Netflix, Hulu, and Tivo exist, right?

Anyway, here is my 5 for Friday... yes, I know... I am never ready on Friday, huh?  I guess better late than never.

#1 - I Heart Target
Target had some incredible stuff in their dollar area last week.  I found some cute new note pads and these books.  I thought these books would fit in perfect with some of the units I'm planning for next year, so I grabbed four of each.  That way I can use them with some of my small groups next year.

#2 - Dollar Store Craziness
Okay, so I don't know if you've ever heard about the Candy Bar Awards.  Well, I found something I like even better - The Dollar Store Superlatives.  Michelle Oakes came up with them and they are fantabulous!  I am in love!  I spent an hour grabbing up the stuff for the awards and they went off great!  Oh, and to top it off, she includes five editable awards, so if you see something and think of a new one you would like to do, you can use those.  They were a HUGE hit with my parents and my kiddos.

#3 - Summer Buckets
I wasn't going to do buckets this year, but I couldn't resist.  One trip to Michael's and I was hooked.  Here's a link to a list of all the things I found or that I know most people add to buckets.

Oh, and everything I got for the buckets was $1 or less.  I also sent specific requests to parents with where to find items this year.  In the past, I sent the whole list home, but this worked out great and I had several parents comment that it made it easier for them because they didn't have to spend lots of time searching or guessing.  I also included my 1st Grade Summer Packet with the bucket.  I went over it with my students' parents, so they would know how to use it.  If you are needing a summer packet, click one of the pictures below.  In each packet, I made the first week free in the preview, so feel free to download and check it out if you want.

#4 - Fake Toilet Paper
Okay, I know I probably shouldn't post this, but I saw this at The Dollar Store and I found it hilarious.  Since it was only $1, I grabbed it and switched it out with a normal roll of TP at school.  I made sure to leave a real roll close by and I did it in the teacher's restroom.  It was good for a lot of giggles in the middle of a crazy week.

#5 - Breakfast
Every year since I first started teaching I've done a breakfast for my kiddos.  I used to do it as part of my Awards Day, but the last two years, I've done it the day after.  This year, it was the best yet.  We had sausage, eggs, and pancakes.  I love doing this because I feel like I am giving my kids an extra memory.  When I was growing up, I remember my grandparents making us these amazing breakfasts for us when we spent the night.  They would make us eggs, grits, biscuits, bacon, sausage, and anything else we wanted.  We would spend the morning sitting in bean bag chairs with lap trays full of food watching our favorite cartoons and movies.  My Tanny would tape anything she thought we would like.  So, every time I do this, it reminds me of my memory and it makes me feel like I'm passing a little piece of that tradition to the students in my classroom.

#6 - Gifts, Gifts, and More Gifts
Yes, I know it's supposed to be Five for Friday, but since it is Saturday, I decided I could do Six for Saturday.  Gifts are always so tricky, especially when you have lots of volunteers.  This year, I decided to keep it simple.  I grabbed some candy, magazines, and popcorn and threw it into popcorn containers.  I figured sometimes the best gift is a gift that gives you a few minutes to just sit and relax.  I did three of them and as far as I know, they were a hit.

Alright everyone!  Go have a fun Saturday!