Hurry! Win £200 Hobbycraft Giftcard and a Free Resource!

Is your classroom in need of a makeover but your craft cupboard looking bare? Help will soon be at hand for one lucky teacher who’ll win a £200 Hobbycraft gift card to spend on paints, pencils, paper, books, glue, storage boxes and more.

And what’s more, if you enter code CRAFTY at the checkout, we’ll give you 100% off the price of your resource, up to a maximum of £3.

For your chance to win, start your search for inspiring resources for your classroom displays and back-to-school lessons on Tes. You’ll return to school with a stack of fresh ideas, and get an entry into our prize draw with every resource you buy between Tuesday 15 and Friday 18 August.
So don’t get down thinking about dreary displays, download a quality resource with 100% off for your chance to create wonderful walls!

FREEBIE Book and Win a MASSIVE $100 Amazon Giftcard - Summer Book Blast - "What If...?" by Jessica Barondes

I am delighted to be joining Mother Daughter Book Reviews to bring you news of a fabulous new book suitable for children of 10 years upwards. Read on for more details of how to bag yourself a FREE copy of the book and win a MASSIVE $100 Amazon giftcard. Click to enter the Rafflecopter or scroll down for more details. It's very quick and easy (no sloppy hopping around). Give it a go - you've got to be in it to win it! You've got until August 16th to enter.

 

 

Title: What if...?
Author: Jessica Barondes
Publication Date: January 7, 2014
Publisher: Sense and Sensibility Press
Pages: 145
Recommended Ages: 10+
Reviewed by: Renee (Mother)
Summary: Life is complicated for the average tween, but try being the smallest girl in 7th grade and navigating the choppy waters of middle school without a mom. Such is the plight of Penelope “P” Ziegler, until she decides to take matters into her own hands and find a wife for her hopelessly quirky dad. Despite Dad’s objections, P is sure—with all her heart—that there’s a woman out there who will make them both very happy!  

* FREE BOOK *

You can grab your FREE COPY (electronic) of What if...? by Jessica Barondes from July 18 to 22, 2014 from Amazon. Just click on the book cover below.

What People Are Saying

"What if...? is a bittersweet and sometimes comical tale of a tween girl, P, who must come to terms with the loss of her mother as she navigates the world of dating, puberty, school, and friendships. P will absolutely warm your heart and the ending is guaranteed to leave you teary-eyed. While I sometimes felt that the themes were more appropriate for teens, I also came to realize that tween girls will also really enjoy reading about the world that they are just on the cusp of entering. *shudder* Ages 10+." ~ Renee @ Mother Daughter Book Reviews

 

"What a treat to fall in love with a character from the first second you begin to read her story. P has wit, charm, pluck, charisma--and a lot of things to learn. I totally loved her voice, world, friends and the many ways in which she drove her father Georgy insane. Full of laughs and love this charming book is a wonderful read--no matter what your age." ~ 5 Star Review, Blue, Amazon

 

"This is a charming and delightful read from start to finish, filled with characters you really care about, especially the unique girl "P" at the center. You don't have to be in this age group or life situation to relate to the sweet and heartfelt story about wanting the best for those you love. It's timeless and inspiring and may bring a tear to your eye!" ~ 5 Star Review, Susan A., Amazon

"Witty, intelligent and edgy coming-of-age book for girls (and parents!). This little book is a real gem. I bought it for my nieces too in hopes that they will appreciate their moms more! (and give their dads a chance to be a true hero, like the dad in this book!) I would bet that school libraries, teachers, parents and girls will rate this book a favorite for years to come." ~ 5 Star Review, Louann B., Amazon

 

"I was absolutely enchanted from the first page. This book made me cry! It was delightful. The story so sweet and the characters endearing and so real. By the time I got to the end, I just wanted to burst out in applause. This book is a joy to read at any age but perfect for the "tween" reader." ~ 5 Star Review, Jen W., Amazon

 

"Both my 11-year old daughter and I loved this wonderfully written book. Charming and exciting from beginning to end, this book is a real treasure." ~ 5 Star Review, Susan L., Amazon

 

About the Author

Jessica Barondes grew up in La Jolla, California and now makes her home in Los Angeles with her husband Ben and their teenagers Jonah and Ellie. Jessica is also a screenwriter whose credits include Little Secrets, Lucky Seven, and Wish Upon a Star, a Disney Channel classic, which was a winner at the Heartland Film Festival. Jessica is currently working on several new movie projects and is an associate producer of the new family film Cowgirls n' Angeles: Dakota's Summer.

Goodreads | Amazon Author Page

   

* $100 Book Blast Giveaway *

Prize: $100 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash (winner’s choice) Contest ends: August 16, 11:59 pm, 2014 Open: Internationally How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, Jessica Barondes and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send and email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

NEW!! Freebie for Fans - Summer Scavenger Hunt

A little later than promised, my latest Freebie for Fans - a cool scavenger hunt that you can do with your kids at the beach - is now available for download on my FB page. This is a great way to keep your kids occupied during the summer. Why not offer a small prize for the winner...?

 

I'll be producing this and a whole range of other hunts in black and white - much more printer-friendly! Keep your eyes open for more. Click on the picture to take you straight there. The freebie is available to fans of SOS-Supply but don't worry if you're not - you can easily sign up at the click of a button once you get there.

Book Tour, FREE Activities and a Rafflecopter Giveaway - "How Andrew Got His Spots"

I am so lucky to be taking part in the blog tour for Louise Lintvelt's book "How Andrew Got His Spots"

 

A whole host of bloggers from all across Blogland have come together to share their thoughts on this new book. If this is your first read you have already missed days 1-3, but don't worry, you can catch up with us by clicking on any of the links below.  Join us between June 17 and June 30th and share this gorgeous book with us. And remember to join in with the Rafflecopter giveaway to win an Amazon gift card or Paypal cash. You'll find the link below.

 

 

Title: How Andrew Got His Spots

Author: Louise Lintvelt

Illustrator: Julie Sneeden

Publication Date: April 16, 2014

Publisher: eBookPartnership.com

Number of pages: 15

Recommended age: 3 to 8

Summary: Poor Andrew is feeling very blue, all the other giraffes are very spotty but he is as white as can be. He does not have any spots, you see! He keeps seeing spots wherever he goes… One spot, two spots, three spots, Four! And many, many, many more. “Where did you get your spots?” he asks. Join Andrew as he discovers how the ladybug, the leopard and the owl came to have spots and discovers that spots often appear when you are least expecting them! This is a wonderful rhyming picture book for children of all ages.  

Narrated Video of How Andrew Got His Spots

My Review

I am an avid collector of children's books. My shelves are positively groaning!  Having recently reviewed another of Louise Lintvelt's books, "Goodnight, Sleep Tight - What a Wonderful Flight ", I jumped at the chance to do the same for this one. "Goodnight" was great, and I hoped that this one would fulfil my expectations. I was not disappointed.

I just love this little book, and so did my kids! It's a delightful story that explains how Andrew the giraffe finally got his spots, and cleverly delivering the message that all good things come to those who wait. It is written in simple, engaging language that the children love; they enjoyed spotting the rhymes and even substituted some of their own. Julie Sneedon's illustrations are delicious - wonderfully drawn and bursting with colour.

A perfect book to engage inquisitive minds, and a firm favourite on my book shelves. A must-have for any summer reading list.
 
If you want to use this book as a teaching resource in the classroom or home, or are just looking for some fun activities to accompany it, click the button below to check out these FREE resources

Purchase

Amazon

 

About the Author: Louise Lintvelt

I am from South Africa and I live in a city called Pretoria. I am a Chemical Engineer by day and a children’s book writer by night. I am married to a wonderful man and we have a beautiful two year old daughter called Allegra. I love writing stories for my daughter, who is a constant inspiration. I have always loved reading. My childhood was filled with books and you would often find me crouched the corner of my room devouring the pages of my favourite book. I lived for Tuesday mornings as this would bring with it the excitement of a trip to the local library for story hour and the opportunity to take home a new book. I was the local librarian’s worst nightmare. I would arrive a few minutes early to check that she had not mistakenly chosen a book that had already been read in story hour. I was a very bossy three year old with an insatiable appetite for books! This has not really changed much in the last twenty seven years. Dr. Seuss was my absolute favourite and to say that my copy of One, Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish Blue Fish was well read would be an understatement. When it comes to writing, my daughter is my biggest inspiration. I love seeing her face light up with excitement when we sit down to read a book before bedtime. My daughter was fascinated by giraffes after we went on a safari trip in late 2012. This planted the seed for my picture book called How Andrew Got His Spots which is a rhyming adaptation of a story I originally wrote in the third grade. My daughter has since grown into a healthy two year old with a passion for aircraft which was the inspiration for writing Goodnight, Sleep tight, What a Wonderful Flight. I am sure that there are many parents in the world (myself included), who are quite decidedly sick and tired of reading the same favourite picture book night after night. I believe that the words of Oscar Wilde best describe how children should feel about picture books when he said, If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all. Happy Reading!

Newsletter Sign-Up | Goodreads | Author Blog | Google+

 

How Andrew Got His Spots Blog Tour Schedule (2014)

June 17

Mother Daughter Book Reviews (Launch)

Book Reviews and Giveaways (Review)

Cherry Mischievous (Review)

June 18

Mommynificent (Review)

Misadventures of a First Time Mom (Review)

June 19

Amanda's Books and More (Review)

June 20

SOS Supply (Review)

We are the DinoFamily (Review)

The Reading Room (Review)

June 21

Lobo's Follies (Review)

Victoria Simcox's Blog (Book Spotlight)

June 22

Adalinc to Life (Review)

When I Grow Up I Wanna Write a Kids Book (Review)

June 23

Where Connor and JT Go (Review)

Enter Here Canada (Review)

June 24

Three Boy Circus (Review)

Spark and Pook (Review)

Stitch Says (Review)

June 25

A Leisure Moment (Review)

Sweet Southern Home (Review)

June 26

Heart of a Philanthropist (Review)

Sunshine, Bubbles & Books (Review)

June 27

My Brother is My Best Friend (Review)

Brooke Blogs (Review)

June 28

Books Direct (Review)

Mixed Bag Mama (Review)

June 29

Christy's Cozy Corners (Review)

Nanna Three and Counting (Review)

June 30

Library of the Seen (Review)

My Devotional Thoughts (Review)

 

* Blog Tour Giveaway *

Prize: $25 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash (winner’s choice)
Contest ends: July 15, 11:59 pm, 2014
Open: Internationally
How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.
Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, Louise Lintvelt and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send and email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congratulations and Changes

Happy Sunday to you all! Unfortunately it's the last day of my Easter break, so it's back to school tomorrow for me. Only for four weeks though, as we have a week off for Whitsun at the end of May. I guess I can live with that...

So first up, it's huge congratulations to Lori C, Lori R, Laurie, Karyn and Kim who all won prizes in my Welcome Back giveway! Well done ladies! Lori C wins the Valentine scrap kit, Lori R gets the mini scrapbook kit and embellishments, Kim wins the UK theme scraps and other bits and bobs, Karyn gets the back to school kit, and Laurie wins two items of her choice from my shop.Look out for an email from me to claim your prizes, girls.

Next up, I hope you've all had a chance to check out my new-look blog. Well, my OCD kicked in and I just couldn't rest until I remodelled my FB page and Twitter page too.

Some of you will have joined up my SOS-Supply Fans Freebies page. I'm pleased to tell you that, thanks to Ashley over at The School Supplies Addict, I've finally managed to install a new tab on my FB page - phew!

The new tab is called "Freebies for Fans", and does exactly what it says on the tin - packed full (or will be...) of freebies especially for my fans. The old freebies page will still be around for you to download the stuff that's already on there, but from now on all my freebies will be posted to the new tab on my FB page. All you have to do to grab the freebies is "like" SOS-Supply. Simples! Here's a quick link that will get you there at the speed of a click

Have a great day!

Great Outdoors FREEBIE #4 - Fancy Getting Them All For Free?

Today's FREEBIE is.....

a welcome poster for your class. Click on the picture to take you to my freebies page where you can download the resource. I hope you enjoy!

Don't forget you can get a full set of my Great Outdoors Classroom Decor pack absolutely free! There are no Rafflecopters to complete - all you have to do is share on Pinterest (just hover over the picture and click on the Pinterest icon), Twitter, Facebook, your blog, or any other social media, and leave a comment with the URL of your post. I'm really looking forward to reading each and every one. Winners will be drawn on Friday. Click here for more details.

Great Outdoors Freebie #3

Here's today's freebie -

a cute set of desk/cubby labels and name plates. They are fully editable, so you can add children's names or any other text you like. I hope you enjoy!

Don't forget you can get a full set of my Great Outdoors Classroom Decor pack absolutely free! There are no Rafflecopters to complete - all you have to do is share on Pinterest (just hover over the picture and click on the Pinterest icon), Twitter, Facebook, your blog, or any other social media, and leave a comment with the URL of your post. I'm really looking forward to reading each and every one. Winners will be drawn on Friday. Click here for more details.

Great Outdoors Freebie #2

Second freebie from my Great Outdoors classroom decor set posted today. I love these desk mates! They're a great reminder of what each group is doing, and are a fantastic visual prompt for the children. You just laminate, fold down the middle and place on tables. There's one for every eventuality - working with my teacher, working with a helper, working independently, working as a group, working on our own, and they come in a variety of designs, all matching the other items in my Great Outdoor series.

I've got a sneak preview file just for you. Beaver on down to my freebies page to download it. Freebie #1 is still available there too.

The whole bundle is available in my TPT and TN shops and I'm currently offering a discount of almost 25% on the individual prices. Or you can get the whole lot for free! Click here for more details.

The Great Outdoors, a FREEBIE and a Giveaway

Hi all!

Today I want to show you something that I've been working on for the last three days...

Some of you will have seen my open house/orientation slideshows (my pirate and owl ones have gone down a storm). Well, I love classroom decor - I like everything to match... So my latest project is a complete set.

This one has the cutest camping graphics - I adore the skunk and the beaver, but the boot has simply got to be my favourite.

The set comprises:

fully editable open house/orientation slideshow

editable desk plates/name labels/cubby labels

    

welcome banner

 welcome posters

     

group/table name plates

    

camping cash reward tokens

    

All of the items are available individually at very reasonable prices. Just click on each picture for more info (the pictures on the left are for TPT and the right for TN). 

Or for a limited time, you can snag the lot as a huge bundle at a discount of almost 25% (the picture below shows just a selection of the pages - there were too many to include them all!)

All this weekend I'll be releasing freebies from the bundle for members of my SOS-Supply Freebies Group, so if you haven't already, just pop along and sign up - the button on the right will also take you there. It doesn't cost a thing! It would be great if you could pass the message to as many of your friends as possible so that they can also share the freebies. The first one is there right now!

One more piece of exciting news! I'll be giving away a complete set to each of three lucky winners!

All you have to do is spread the news by sharing the link to this post with your friends on Twitter, Facebook, G+ and your blog. Then leave me a comment here on this post with the URLs of your posts - I'll have great fun reading each and every one. Winners will be announced in a week.

You're Invited to a Birthday Bash!

It's Teaching Blog Addict's 2nd birthday and you're all invited to join in with the celebrations! It's probably going to be the biggest and best freebie link-up the teacher-blogger world has ever seen, with over 1000 freebies up for grabs. You won't want to miss it. I've chipped in a few little gems too, so watch out for them (wink wink).

Click on the button to take you to the party - and be sure to enjoy!

TBA's Big Birthday Bash

TBA is going to be turning two years old very soon. Can you believe it? They are planning to have a bash like no other!  TBA will be hosting grade level linky parties filled with freebies, and you will be able to link up as many freebies as you'd like. They expect the numbers of freebies to exceed a thousand in this huge event! {Who knows... even make linky history?}

From April 5th you can download as many freebies as you like. You can also share your freebies by linking up. Click the picture to read more on TBA.

See you there!

Easter Freebie

Day 2 of my Easter break and I've thrown this little cutie together for you.

It's a version on the usual color by numbers theme, but with HF words instead of numbers. Your kids are sure to love it! Also thrown in is a set of printable HF words bookmarks.

Click the picture to download from TPT. Click here if you prefer TN.

 A larger pack is available in my TPT and TN shops at a very low price. Do let me know if you prefer UK/Australian/Canadian English versions.

Zippin Down The Freebie Trail

Yee Haw! Join us for some rootin' tootin' blog-hoppin' Easter egg huntin' freebie fun! 

Between Saturday 23rd March and Saturday 30th March, 26 blogger friends will lead you down a trail of freebies. Don't worry if you've missed some - clicking the button below will take you to the start:

I'll be there for the last day on Saturday 30th but in the meantime be sure to hop around and collect all your goodies.

See ya!

Where's Wally?

Yes, I suppose you could call me a wally. I've not posted properly for a while and I couldn't blame anyone for wondering if I was playing a very convincing game of hide and seek with our stripey-hatted, bespectacled friend. Believe me, although it may have seemed otherwise, I was never far away. For those of you who missed it, I dangled a little freebie on Saturday, so be sure to hop on over and munch it up.

So what's news?

OK, here goes. I think I'd better do it in list form as it may go on a bit.

Mia - the best "meerkat" in the world

It's been a busy few weeks for Mia. Here she is all in pink at her prom:

Following that, she had her A Level Drama practical - a scripted piece and a devised piece. They were all fantastic!

And last night? Well what a night! Mia has been going to performing arts school since she was 3 and a half (I don't even want to think about adding up the cost of 14 years of fees...!). The performing arts school has branches all over the UK and wider, and over 1000 performers came together last night to put on a performance of Cats to mark their 25th birthday. Now, that must have taken some organisation...! Here's the view from our seats in the arena (it's a bit blurry as I'm frightened of heights and we were close enough to the ceiling to almost touch it!):

Band

So meet your secret Rock Chick! It's no secret that I do a bit of singing on the side. My friends here will know that I've really only touched on the choral stuff (of which I must post a little snippet sometime). Some astute reader from way back when I first started this blog may remember that I also front a rock band. Yes, I know - you couldn't get further removed from choral singing!

The band started twenty years ago, and shortly after I found out I was expecting Mia. I cannot begin to describe the fun we had with the band - or how bizarre it looked with a lead singer who was a very large 8 months pregnant... We were called "The Touch". We decided to go our separate ways (bit difficult as the lead guitarist was my brother!), but 17 years later we reformed with the original line-up. We are still having fun but we're doing our sort of music now. We're now called "Cellar Dwellers". Here we are in action:

Since the name  change I've been busy redesigning our "look". This is us now:

I'm really pleased with the way our blog and Facebook page turned out. Here they are if you fancy a peep:

https://www.facebook.com/CellarDwellersMerthyr

and 

http://www.cellar-dwellers.blogspot.co.uk/

Snow, Easter break and lots of Freebies

It's been so cold here that I just haven't felt like moving about much. It's PJs and furry slippers for me as soon as I get through the door. It's British Summer Time on Sunday, but we're still having snow! It was like a scene from Narnia in Birmingham yesterday. The daffodils started to poke their heads above ground - and promptly pulled them back down again! So cruel... I started my Easter break on Friday and I'm hoping the weather will warm up - just a few degrees will do. It also doesn't help that I'm on a diet, so no comfort eating here. I crave chocolate soooo much!

With Easter break here, I now have some tie to settle down and get my head around my to-do list of products. I have a load of stuff planned for Easter that I want to offer as freebies. Teaching Blog Addict will soon be 2 years old and we are planning a huge celebration - loads of freebies. Pop on over and check it out.

And finally, a quick reminder that the Educents website launches on April 2nd - just 1 week left to sign up and bag your free $10 gift card. You can register by clicking on the Educents button at the top of the right hand column here.

FREEBIE For You

Hi all! It's been over a week again, but things have been so busy. Not school stuff - that's always busy - but that weird thing called "life". I have an early start tomorrow - off to Birmingham to watch Mia perform Cats in the NIA... I'll fill you in with everything that's been happening in my next post, but for now I wanted to give you a little something I've been working on this evening. I'm hoping to put it all together in a big pack, but we'll see...

So here it is...

Click the picture for TPT

Click for TN

Free Stuff for Teachers on TPT

What are your thoughts on freebies?

Freebies are great, aren't they? They are a fab way of seeing what a seller has to offer, and giving a taste of your own material for others to see. But there's more to it. . .

There was a really insightful conversation on the TPT sellers' forum recently that I got hooked into. It seems that many people (334 people contributed their views) are concerned that lots of visitors to the site only do so for the freebies. Not only that, but there seem to be more and more large free items on TPT that could (and should) easily be priced at $5 or more. To quote one contributor, "If the teacher can get it for free, why would he/she pay money? I just saw a whole Mitten Unit {53 pages} for free and that same person has a free Christmas Unit {over 50 pages} as well."hy buy milk when you can have the cow?

For some time now I too have been concerned about the length of freebies being offered through TPT. Regular followers of my blog will know that I am a fan of freebies - they are a great way of attracting traffic (new and existing), generating new business and rewarding loyalty. Freebies are short, crisp adverts for the full product - a taster to whet the appetite. But many freebies I have seen are huge (some as large as 40 or 50 pages!) and should really sell with a price tag of at least $5 and upwards.

LBH...

Yes, let's be honest. Wouldn't you think twice about spending money when you could get it for free...?!

In the approach to Christmas and New Year I had so many ideas for units, packets and lesson plans. I had all the graphics lined up at some cost, and I set aside some time. But I thought twice about it, partly because I knew that there were so many free resources floating around out there at that time of year. Yes, I managed to get my Polar Express unit out (because I love Polar Express and because I needed it anyway for my own children), and a few smaller resources, but my grand ideas were shelved.

As a result I have become quite selective about what I produce - units and study guides based on picture books that contain lots of supporting activities and centres, literacy and maths activities that target a specific area, stuff designed for my own kids etc. I loved making my unit based on the book "Jesus' Party" - it took a lot of time and effort (a full script for a Christmas pageant with a difference, plus a full pack of activities to accompany the book) but I was very pleased with the result and I knew that there was nothing similar being offered as a freebie. I am also at this moment mind mapping units on some fantastic picture books and some phonics resources, all of which I know I will be able to use with my own kids.

How Do You Solve a Problem like Freebies?

Reading the posts on the sellers' forum, it's pretty obvious that feeling on this subject runs high. I was so pleased when Paul, TPT founder, joined the conversation in his usual level-headed way. As a result, he issued new guidelines to TPT sellers in his January 2013 update message. It is good news that sellers are being encouraged to keep freebies short and sweet - under 10 pages if you include accreditations, cover sheets etc, with 2-5 for the meat of the resource. As he says, "10's of thousands of short and sweet freebies is really fantastic for our users. We don't need to give away the whole kit and caboodle, and we don't want to begin undercutting each other or starting price wars or anything. TpT is already famous for being good value and we have to remember that we are businesspeople now (who work hard on our stores), and that this new approach to freebies is better suited for long term success for everyone, and that's good for our buyers."

You can read Paul's message here.

My Freebies?

I do have a few freebies on my site but they all tend to be a short taster for the larger units or stand-alone items like reward tags or bookmarks. From now on, all of my freebies will be available either as a short preview attached to the full items, or here on my blog as downloadable Google docs. I have also recently started a new group on my FB page (separate to my SOS-Supply page) where my followers can pick up my freebies, keeping TPT for the bulk of my stuff - the stuff that has a price tag. Click here to join the SOS-Supply Facebook Freebies Group and receive alerts about new freebies.

The Future is Rosy

With the new guidelines and with people being more mindful of how they price their work (I have already noticed a change in the size of freebies), hopefully things will move forward. After all, we're all on TPT to make a little extra through our hard work and imaginations, and not to sell ourselves short!

Sleigh Full of Goodies Blog Hop

Oops, I think I got it wrong... I thought my freebie day was 4th December, but it's 8th and 12th. No problem, I'm so pleased to be joining in with Beth's blog hop, and here it is...

"On the 8th Day of Christmas your Welsh friend gave to you... "

              

Clicking either picture will take you to the resource. I hope you and your kiddos enjoy!

Beth's blog hop is running over the 12 Days of Christmas, so be sure to join in for some great freebies. You can see her post by clicking the picture.

Each day there will be a different freebie or craft highlighted on a blog for you to visit and enjoy. Beth is also hosting a linky party for the entire 12 days so you can link up with your own Christmas freebies and crafts.

Pop on over and see who's joining in with the fun.



get the InLinkz code

December Currently

I love reading all the Currentlys on Farley's blog. I love the fact that Farley does this for us every month (perhaps that should be her RAK...?). I'm just a bit naughty because I have every good intention of doing mine and then something else comes along to stop me. Today I sat down and did it... Here it is...

Listening - I sing in a ladies' choir. We sang at school and reformed around 11 years ago. We are at varying stages of age and size... but the sound is the same. I'll try to post a sound clip for you to have a listen. Thing is, whenever we do a concert that is a bit short in the programme area, our MD ropes me in to sing solos. Our next concert on 16th December is with a male choir who - wait for it - only have 5 pieces of Christmas music! So guess what - I've been roped in... I'm singing Judy Garland's version of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and a piece I've never sung before - "The Little Road to Bethlehem". Not a problem, except that I've gone and lost my voice this week and can't rehearse. It's so bad I'm off work.

Loving - now don't get me wrong, I'm not a fan of the cold. In fact, I don't thrive at all. But I have to admit to having a liking for dark afternoons - there's something about shopping in the dark with the Christmas lights ablaze. As for satsumas, I can't get enough of them at this time of year. I ate 7 yesterday!

Thinking - oh, how I long for Christmases past, when things seemed to be much easier and simpler. I don't like all the hype that goes with Christmas - give me the look of excitement on a child's face any day to all the jingle jangle of cash tills. So, as you can guess, I have managed so far to steer away from shopping. I can't out it off for too much longer though - people expect...

Wanting - follows on from my "thinking". Someone to do it all for me would be grand.

Needing - I've bought the dress, but could really do with losing a few pounds (maybe 2 stone is going a bit far...). Seriously, I'm looking forward to the wedding. It'll certainly be different...!

As for my RAK, well I've often thought about stopping for people but never actually done it. I'm not sure what the reaction would be...

I'm just off to link up. See you soon.

Naughty, naughty... And a Little Freebie

Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!

It's been almost two weeks since I paid any TLC to my blog... In my defence, it has been hectic. My half termly planning dried up at the end of October, and with the London trip and all, I had no time to look at it during the break. Then it was in at the deep end and all hands on deck. In short, I've been frantically trying to whip up plans for all of my kiddos - all 120+ of them! I'm happy to say that it's coming to and end now - just in time for the Christmas break when I'll have to start all over again! Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by paperwork, and although I am a planning junkie, it does take me away from what I should be doing - teaching.... Anyone else out there feel the same..?

 We don't have Thanksgiving over here, but when I have my own class I try to do lots of fun things with them all in the name of cultural development. Truth is, I LOVE customs and traditions from all over the world, and try to weave it into my teaching wherever possible - it makes for a much more interesting time. The next biggie for us is Christmas - of course. So I've started to turn my mind to keeping my kiddos interested and occupied. I thought I'd start by sharing a little freebie with you - a set of Snow Bear number cards. I just love these little guys! And it follows that my class will love them too. So it made sense to use them in the classroom.

You can use these little cards in your teaching - number centres, number walls, displays, bulletin boards, number work, calendars - you name it! Remember to post your pics of how you used them - I'd love to see.





Click the image for Teachers Notebook, or here for TPT



I have a matching set of letter cards available in my TN and TPT shops at a very reasonable $1.50 (that's around £1....)



Click the image for Teachers Notebook or here for TPT