{Favorite} Books for Baby!

It seems as though EVERYONE I know is preparing for their first {or second} baby, and I cannot WAIT to hold so many of them! While I'm not quite in baby-land yet, I love everything about babies and how much happiness they bring into the world.

One of my absolute favorite things to do with a beautiful baby is read to them while they're having tubby time and then rocking them to sleep with a book.

{How surprised are you? Oh, not at all? Because I'm obsessed with books? Okay.}

So often new parents are super well-prepared with diapers, clothes, toys, etc., but books should be just as high on the priority list! It is so important to start reading to your child as a baby to get them started on the path of loving reading! 

If you care to learn more about why babies need books and need to be read to, check out this article by Scholastic for more info.

Now, I understand that as a teacher {and soon-to-be literacy specialist} I am more apt to know what types of books are great for babies, and what they are interested in, so I have decided to compile a list of a few staple books that every baby should have in their little library. :) Keep in mind, as your baby and their interests grow, you can use this as a way to cater your book selection to topics they might like best. Find what your baby loves and it will help you with your selection of books.

Board books are just one type of book that are GREAT for babies! The pages are smaller for baby's little hands to help you turn the pages, and are made from a sturdier cardboard {in case baby is hungry for a little book snack}. These books are much more durable than traditional picture books, and are great for babies who are becoming more and more interested in helping with the read-along process. 

Here are some of my favorite {Books for Baby} that would be great additions to any nursery library:

We will start the list with a classic. You can't go wrong with Goodnight Moon. Baby will love to listen to this story before bedtime.
Available on Amazon here. {I recommend the Board Book version}

Next up, another classic. The Very Hungry Caterpillar will help baby learn different types of foods, the life cycle of a butterfly, and sequencing! All while being entertained by Eric Carle's AMAZING artwork.
Available on Amazon here. {I recommend the Board Book version} 

I LOVE Karma Wilson, the author of Bear Snores On. Most of her stories are filled with repetition, as well a beautiful artwork by Jane Chapman. These "Bear Books" are a series and are available in many different formats.
Available on Amazon here. {I recommend the Board Book version}

We're Going on a Bear Hunt is a favorite of children from baby on up through second grade. This book is full of fun and adventure, matched with fairly simple illustrations. As baby gets older, go on your own "bear hunt" together through the yard!
Available on Amazon here. {I recommend the Board Book version}

One of my absolute favorite books would have to be Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. Not only will baby have early exposure to the letters of the alphabet {and the sequence of the alphabet}, but they will love looking at the colorful illustrations filling each page. Other "Chicka" books in the series include: Chicka Chicka ABC and Chicka Chicka 123.
Available on Amazon here. {I recommend the Board Book version}

Another fun book filled with beautiful Eric Carle artwork is Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? This book is part of a series of books by Bill Martin Jr. This is a great book for introducing baby to animals, repetition, rhyming, and sequence. Other books in this series include: Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?, Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What Do You See? and Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See?
Available on Amazon here. {I recommend the Board Book version}

Alright, I'm slightly obsessed with Sandra Boynton's books. They all contain humor {most of which means Mommy + Daddy will be laughing, until baby is old enough to 'get it'}. I find her illustrations adorable and her writing simple enough for baby to be exposed to a few different animals/animal sounds, etc. Be sure to check out other books by Sandra Boynton, as well!
Available on Amazon here. {I recommend the Board Book version, $3.75? What a steal!}  

Well, this book is just about as ADORABLE as it gets. Guess How Much I Love You is a great book to read while snuggling your little babe in bed. The illustrations are just the icing on the cake with this one. I love it. Clearly.
Available on Amazon here. {I recommend the Board Book version} 

Where the Wild Things Are is another classic tale to share with your little one. As baby gets older, you can have a 'wild rumpus' of your own, just as Max does with the wild things!
Available on Amazon here. {No Board Book version available} 

The Napping House, I cannot truly say enough great things about this one. This is the PERFECT bedtime story. Plain and simple. "There is a house, a napping house, where everyone is sleeping" is the line repeated over and over throughout the story, as everyone tries to get comfortable heading to bed. Be sure to read this story in your quietest whisper voice, you don't want to wake anyone up!
Available on Amazon here. {I recommend the Board Book version} 

Next up on my list are these AH-DORABLE "Little Miss" books by Jennifer Adams. The great classics have been transformed into books for baby. How perfect would these be for a display shelf in baby girl's room?! *There are also a few that would be adorable in baby boy's room, as well! There are many other books in this Babylit series: Moby Dick, Sherlock Holmes, Wuthering Heights, Dracula, & Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, just to name a few.
Available on Amazon here. 

Okay, I had never heard of this one before my sister-in-law's shower, but it is absolutely adorable. If you're looking for a cute book to bring to a baby shower or gift for a mommy-to-be, this is it. The illustrations are just one more thing that makes this book quite possibly the cutest ever.
Available in Board Book Version only on Amazon here.

Giraffes Can't Dance is a book with an amazing message for little ones - nothing is impossible! All Gerald the Giraffe wants to do is to be able to dance. You'll have to check it out to see what happens!
Available on Amazon here. {I recommend the Board Book version}

Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site is a perfect book for any baby boy {OR GIRL!} interested in different types of machines and things that go. This is a cute twist on a goodnight story, complete with adorable illustrations.
Available on Amazon here. {No Board Book Version available}

 Some of my favorite Alphabet books for baby include:

L,M,N,O Peas has got to be one of my favorite alphabet books. The illustrations are the cutest. Ever. And I really love the different aspects of the story: the peas are each have a different career or hobby, exposing baby to so many different things at once! There is another book by Keith Baker: 1,2,3 Peas introducing baby to numbers.
Available on Amazon here. {I recommend the Board Book version}

Alpha Oops is a cute and silly alphabet book where the Z goes first. My only word of advice with this book, is to overly emphasize just how 'silly' it is that the Z went first. Surround this alphabet book with other ones that have the letters in the 'correct' order so that baby learns to understand why this book is silly compared to the others.
Available on Amazon here. {No Board Book Version available} 

Alphabet Mystery is part of a three-book series, including: Alphabet Rescue and Alphabet Adventure. These books include fantastic illustrations coupled with the writing talents of Audrey Wood {also author of The Napping House}. Alphabet Rescue includes a visit to the fire station and Alphabet Adventure is pretty self-explanatory.
Available on Amazon here. {No Board Book Version available}

Saving one of the best for last, I absolutely adore The Sleepy Little Alphabet as the perfect bedtime ABC book. The little alphabet letters are getting ready for bed, but first they each need something from Mom or Dad before they can fall asleep. The illustrations are to die for.
Available on Amazon here. {I recommend the Board Book Version}

So, if you are a new mom or dad, mommy-to-be/daddy-to-be, grandma/grandpa {to-be}, aunt, uncle, cousin, friend, babysitter, ANYTHING, check these books out for the little one in your life! :)

Do you have any favorites for baby? Please share in the comments below!

Happy Reading!

- Kristen

Favorite {Read-Aloud} Novels: Part 1

If I was forced to pick my absolute favorite part of my day, I would say READ-ALOUD, hands down. I love everything about this time with my kiddos: relaxing, unwinding, quiet, all while enjoying a book together. I read aloud to my students every single day, at the same time each day, for about 20 minutes. More on a good day, never less. It is SO important to make time for reading aloud, but that's info for another post. ;)

It's nearly impossible for me to pick favorites when it comes to books {seeing as how I own approx. 11,657 of them}, but there are some novels that have really become tried & true favorites over the past 2 years. Last year, I taught third grade for part of the year and was able to try out a lot of fun novels with my class. This year, I was in fourth grade and chose to use a few of the same books, as well as trying out a few new ones.

This list contains {SOME} of my all time favorite read aloud novels. So, here we go!

1. The first book on my list of favorites has got to be "The BFG" by Roald Dahl. I mean, I even named my puppy Sophie after the little girl in the book. I love that this book is overflowing with humor that really gets the kids laughing, but also the fact that it is written with such vivid detail and imagination. Unfortunately, more and more kids are losing their sense of imagination and are unable to play unless they have concrete items. Sadness. This book really sparks the imagination with the description and outlandish characters. It's definitely my ultimate tried and true fav. I will even admit that I was not a Roald Dahl fan when I was younger. I didn't dislike him, I just never chose to read his books. 

{TIP: Make sure you have a lot of water/hot tea on hand when reading this book. You MUST perfect your giant voice and have a variety for the times the other giants speak. It's critical. My kids from last year still ask me to "say things in my BFG voice." All about the entertainment here.}

You can find "The BFG" here!

After reading "The BFG", we make frobscottle and snozzcumbers. If you don't know what those two words mean, you are simply missing out. I've used this frobscottle recipe with my kids and they love it. I always send home the recipe too, so they can try recreating it again and again! There are many snozzcumber recipes online, all of which I knew my kids would not eat. I just bring in cucumbers and dip and we call it a day. We always have a "BFG Celebration" after reading and even watch "The BFG" movie {it's not good, at all. GREAT win for teachers to show the book is usually better than the movie ;)}

And, as if I haven't proven enough already that this is simply a fantastic read-aloud, I gave my kids a copy of "The BFG" as one of their Christmas presents this year {$1 on Scholastic + bonus points = for free!} and they absolutely went crazy. You would've thought I gave them a check for $1,000,000. Seriously. It was adorable. I also made a cute little bookmark with a Roald Dahl quote on it for them to use in their book. This was a really special gift and I plan on giving something similar each year.

2. Now, I'm not sure if anything can really top my opinion of "The BFG" {clearly} so we will stick with the Roald Dahl theme for a minute. My next read-aloud novel pick is "Matilda" by, you guessed it, Roald Dahl.

You can find "Matilda" here!

"Matilda" is a classic and well-loved by my young readers! This was a favorite book of mine as a kid and I love sharing the excitement of this book with my kids. 

{TIP: Make sure you channel your inner Jersey girl, Fran Drescher, nasally voice for the mom. It makes all the difference.}

As with "The BFG", I always show the movie version of "Matilda" and let the kids decide which they like better. I was actually surprised that a lot of the kids like the book better because the movie cut a lot of parts from the book. 

{Teacher win, yay!}

3. My next favorite read-aloud novel would have to be "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" by C.S. Lewis. Although this is technically the second book in the "Chronicles of Narnia" series, I like to jump right into this book because it is one of my favorites. 

You can find "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" here!

This is an EXCELLENT book and crowd favorite because of the action, humor, and plot twists & turns. Although this book requires multiple voices {all of which should be somewhat British} it is a really fun book to read aloud and the kids always enjoy it. This is the third, and final, book in my list that has a movie accompaniment that I show following our book. 

Keep in mind, this movie is fairly long, we split this up over a couple of "Fun Friday" lunches in the classroom. 

4. My next choice for {Part 1} of my fav read-aloud novels is "Wonder" by R.J. Palacio.
I don't even truly know where to begin praising this novel.
Every once in awhile you read a book that is life changing. This is that book.
This is one of those books that you read, cannot put down, and cannot stop thinking about once you've finished reading. The message sticks with you.

I have not read "Wonder" as a read aloud yet, it's another one I recently read to check out what the rage was about, but I definitely plan on reading it next year. It's an excellent book to get kids talking about empathy, sympathy, compassion, and acceptance. The book is extremely well-written and has received a full 5 stars on Amazon, from over 3,000 readers. 

You can find "Wonder" here!

5. My final choice is another that I haven't actually used in my classroom yet, but definitely look forward to using next year. I recently read this book myself {as it has gotten a TON of praise from various teachers/teaching blogs} and fell head over heels in love.

The book is "The One and Only Ivan" by Katherine Applegate. It is the story of a captive gorilla in a shopping mall zoo, told from his point of view. It will warm your heart and break it all at the same time. Promise. It's beautiful. I love it. I want to go read it again right now.

You can find "The One and Only Ivan" here!

I think this book will be an excellent choice as a read-aloud and look forward to choosing it as one of my first books for next year!

Although I cannot possibly choose all of my favorites {it would seriously take me until three Sundays from now}, these are a few that have a special place in my heart, for one reason or another.
I hope you check them out and find that you love them as much as I do!
I find that when I read a book I'm truly passionate about, my kiddos soak it up and look forward to hearing me read aloud each day.

Have any favorite read-aloud novels you think I should know about?
Comment below and let me know! :)
I'm constantly searching for books to fall in love with.

Happy Reading!

~Kristen

Must-Make Dish: Summer Chicken Salad

As the weather starts to {FINALLY} warm up here in Western New York, I have started craving summer foods!

I had been scouring Pinterest for new summer recipes and came across a recipe for Summer Chicken Salad. I really like chicken salad, but don't always love the number of calories that can sometimes come with this delicious dish.

That is when I came across The Pioneer Woman's Summer Chicken Salad. I have actually just recently become a fan of The Pioneer Woman. I really like some of the meals she makes, but find that I need to adapt most of them to be a little lower in calories/fat/sugar.

I thought this would be the PERFECT recipe for a girls' night with my mom and sister to accompany our wedding planning. {My baby sis is getting married next summer, YAY!}

Please excuse the lack of step-by-step photos {FAIL}. I had been up for 6.5 hours the night before with Sophie, as she cried all. night. long. after her spay surgery. Poor baby. Therefore, due to pure exhaustion, I threw this thing together {sans} photos. My bad.

Summer Chicken Salad

*The following ingredient list/step-by-step directions are how I chose to adapt The Pioneer Woman's recipe. For her exact instructions/ingredients, please follow the link to her recipe.

Ingredients:

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts {grilled} *Season with salt & pepper.
• 3 ears fresh corn on the cob {grilled}
• 3 tablespoons minced, fresh dill
• 2 stalks celery, finely diced
• 1 medium red onion, finely diced *I recommend using a little less, if you aren't a huge onion fan.
• 1 cup blueberries
• Romaine lettuce leaves

For the dressing:

• 3/4 cup feta cheese *I used reduced-fat.
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup half-and-half
• 1/4 cup light mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup light sour cream
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper on both sides. Grill chicken until cooked through.
2. Grill corn on the cob, with husks on. My husband followed Bobby Flay's Perfectly Grilled Corn on the Cob Recipe, as it was our first time trying this.
3. Once corn is cool enough to handle, slice kernels off of the cob and place into a large bowl.
4. Dice up red onion, celery, and dill, then add to your bowl. 
5. Once chicken has cooled, slice into bite-size pieces. I sliced my chicken first, then shredded it slightly using two forks.
6. In a separate bowl, combine all of your dressing ingredients together.
7. Pour dressing over ingredients and combine well, folding everything in. 
8. Toss in blueberries and lightly coat with dressing and other ingredients.
9. Serve on romaine lettuce leaves. *Can also be served as a sandwich, or on crackers.

*Next time, I plan on using Greek yogurt as a substitute for some of the ingredients in the dressing {sour cream, mayo, & half-and-half}.

Everyone really enjoyed this {lighter} Summer Chicken Salad. 

It would be perfect for a baby or bridal shower, picnic, or even as a side dish at a cook-out.

Happy Cooking!

- Kristen

RIP Overused Words!

As the end of the school year quickly approaches {so crazy!}, I find myself reflecting back on some of my favorite activities and lessons I tried out with my fourth graders this year.

In my classroom, I use a combination of Daily 5, CAFE {adapted to CRAFT}, and 6+1 for guided reading and writing instruction. I love using all of these different 'methods' and 'techniques' in my classroom, but every once in awhile I add-in a couple of random CRAFTIVITIES, as I like to call them, to get my kiddos practicing a skill that they seem to be lacking, as a whole.

One of the things my kids all REALLY needed to work on was spicing up their writing! I do a couple of mini-lessons with my kids on Word Choice called: Spaghetti & Meatball Words.

They. Love. This. 

Basically, I tell my kids that every piece of writing they do will be full of spaghetti words, the words that really hold everything together and give the reader the information they are looking for. BUT, every piece of writing should also have a few 'Spicy Meatball Words' {side note: you MUST say 'Spicy Meatball Words' in your best Italian chef accent, every single time you say it, or this just will not be effective. Seriously. Do it. They eat it up... see what I did there?! ;)} Anyways, THEY LOVE THIS!

As much as they LOVE adding in their meatball words, some of them still struggle with SUCH boring spaghetti words. It can be painful to read some of their writing because it is so mundane. One thing I really stressed this year was the use of the thesaurus. I taught my kids how to use an 'old-fashioned' thesaurus, as well as the tool on Microsoft Word, and online. Once my kiddos were equipped with the tools needed to find more interesting words, things were improving.

One 'craftivity' we completed together was RIP Overused Words! I split my kiddos into groups and had them come up with a list of words {based on their own writing in their writer's notebooks} that they thought they all really overused. Once everyone had a list, we gathered back together whole-group and decided on our top 5 words we were NEVER TO USE AGAIN in our writing!

*Some of the groups had words like "and", "but", etc. We talked about how these words are kind of the glue throughout our writing, but we acknowledged the fact they are used often. 

Once every group was assigned one of our 5 overused words, they set off to find a new list of words that we could replace their 'chosen word' with! They were able to use the 'old-fashioned' thesaurus, as well as any online options. We then added our new word lists below our "NEVER TO BE USED AGAIN" words onto our tombstones. 

The kiddos are able to use these as a tool for their writing, to make sure they are getting rid of some of those boring, overused words, and replacing them with some SPICY MEATBALL WORDS! {said in Italian chef accent, I'm telling you, it's a must.}

Our Overused Words Cemetery! 

This is an activity I will definitely use year after year in combination with my other Word Choice mini-lessons. Anything that gets the kids crafting is always fun, in my opinion! 

Who says crafting is only for art class anyways?! 

This could definitely be adapted for other grade levels as well! :)

Happy Crafting!

~Kristen

Getting Organized: Martha Stewart Discbound Planner & Other Ramblings About Lesson Plan Books

One of the biggest compliments I am constantly receiving, both in my personal life and professional life {as a teacher}, is how organized I am. I believe that organization is something you're either born with, or NOT. For example, my husband is a clean person in the sense that he understands his dirty clothes go in the laundry basket and he needs to hang up his towel after a shower, but if it were up to him to clean the house he would go around making piles and stacks everywhere and call it a day. Ummm, that's not cleaning?!

One way that I am able to stay on top of: teaching, grad school, home projects, my puppy, my husband's travel/appts., personal tasks/appts, ... MY LIFE is through the use of a planner. I have been using a planner since I can remember {didn't we get them in like 3rd grade?!} and cannot imagine not having one. That being said, I am extremely particular when it comes to picking out a planner. Like, stand in the aisle of Staples, Target, Walmart, Office Max, & Office Depot for 30-45 mins each before deciding to just go back to Staples for the original planner I had in my hand.

For me, a planner is more than a place to jot down things to accomplish for the day or homework assignments, it's a way for me to visualize where I need to be, when I need to be there, and everything I need to get done in between.

I really have a set 'criteria' of what a planner must include for me to be able to love it:

1. Plenty of room to write - I have larger-than-normal 'teacher' handwriting, girlfriend needs some space.
2. Sections - I need to be able to separate out the different parts of my life, instead of making one big clustered mess in one section. Not okay.
3. CUTENESS - If I'm actually going to use this thing each and every day, it's gotta be something I'm going to want to look at.
4. Size - I like to be able to toss my planner in and out of my teaching bag, grad school backpack, home desk, etc. without it taking up a lot of space.
5. Functionality - Basically, will it work for my needs? 

If a planner meets all of these requirements {wow, I think I have SERIOUS issues after writing these requirements out} then it is ALL MINE! 

The problem is, there are very few planners that actually meet all of these requirements. Therefore, I started looking into creating my own. I first came up with the idea of creating my own planner when I was prepping for my fourth grade classroom this past summer. I couldn't find a single lesson plan book I actually liked, or that fit our somewhat unique schedule, so, I made my own. {Side note: Did you know Staples will spiral-bind something for you for about $6?! SCORE!} I simply created the template for my lesson plans, printed my school schedule/class schedule, a cute cover/back {laminated}, and printed everything off double-sided. I walked into Staples and was able to pick up my plan book spiral-bound {of course, I had to get the binding to match my cover ;)} in about 15 minutes while I shopped for other supplies! WIN!

I used this inspiration for my "everything else planner". The only things that do not get written into this planner are my teaching plans/grades for my students. Those belong in separate plan books/grade books. After browsing YouTube, Pinterest, and other blogs, I decided to go ahead and purchase a Discbound planner. People really LOVE these on the web, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to give it a try! 

Staples has their own line of Discbound Planners: ARC Brand. I originally purchased an ARC planner, but ended up exchanging it for one from the Martha Stewart Line at Staples in 'blue' size: 6 1/2 x 9". I am a HUGE fan of mint, and loved the classy look of this planner. The ARC System has some brighter colors available, for those of you who prefer those.

Martha Stewart Discbound Planner, Blue, 6-1/2x9"

The reason I decided on the Discbound Planner was mainly due to the flexibility this type of planner offers. I liked having the option to add/remove pages and sections as I felt necessary.

 The next item I purchased to help with my "Ultimate Planner" creation was the Arc System Desktop Punch. I read a ton of reviews about personalizing the discbound planner, and everyone concluded that it was vital to have this punch to be able to truly make your planner your own. The punch has special "mushroom shape" punches that are required to make the pages fit in your discbound. This is not like a typical binder where you can unclip and clip pages inside. So far, I have LOVED this purchase and do not think you should bother with a Discbound planner unless you are going to get the punch. This is the only way to truly customize the planner to fit your needs.

A few other accessories I picked up from Staples were some Martha Stewart Discbound Dividers. I only picked up 1 pack {for now}, but always have the option of adding additional dividers as I need them. I also purchased Post-It Tabs to use as labels for my dividers. I simply sliced off the top portion of the Tab {where the color is}, lined up the write-able portion of the tab with the length of the divider tab & cut, labeled the divider, & voila! Technically, you can write on the Martha Stewart dividers, but I didn't like how that looked. I suppose if you had a handy label maker, you could use that as well!  

Ta-Da!

*The tape you see near my pen is the rest of the Post-it Tab that I left on to ensure 'stickiness' of the tabs. This is hidden once the pages are flipped over onto the divider.

Here she is! You will also notice that my discs are now PINK! The ARC System sells a variety of discs in different colors and sizes. I grabbed the 1" discs, which hold 150 sheets, so that I could expand the inside of my planner.

The sections I created in my planner are: 

"Planning" - Basic calendars & weekly schedules used for appointments, meetings, date nights, plans with friends or family, etc.

"Projects" - This is an ongoing list section of my planner where I can jot down project ideas I come across that I want to create for home decor or for home updates. For example, we are currently in the process of fencing in our backyard. I am using this section to jot down contractors, phone numbers, estimates, etc.

"Meals" - One way I stay organized in my home {as I am often NOT home}, is by planning ahead. I have been meal planning for a couple of years now {since my husband and I started living together} and have found it to be an efficient way to somewhat keep me on track at Wegmans as I know exactly what I need to purchase. I also post our weekly menu on a calendar on our fridge so I don't have to listen to my husband constantly asking me, "what's for dinner?!" 

"Blogging" - As a NEW blogger, {yay!}, I use this section to keep track of post ideas, dates I want to post on, different social media forms I've posted on, etc.

"Notes" - This is just a section in the back of my planner with blank lined paper to jot down any miscellaneous notes.

In the front of my planner, I have an apple-shaped Post-It pad {teacherprobs}, as well as Arc System Page Flags that come on a semi-transparent plastic piece that clips onto the discs. 

I LOVE THIS THING! 

It is so much easier than shoving a bunch of random Post-it pads {that magically disappear} all over the bottom of my teaching bag. I also have a couple of Poly-Zip Pockets to store other odds & ends such as pens/pencils etc. I'm not sure if I love these or not, as I feel like they make the planner a bit difficult to close and sort of cumbersome, but I held onto them just incase. 

These are the pages that come with the Discbound Planner. They are just simple lined pages that I kept in the "Projects" & "Notes" section of my planner.

 The rest of the pages, as well as the standard discs, are tucked away in my "Planner Bin" with all of my additional accessories. I will use this to add more paper as I start to need it refilled in my planner.

Here is a glimpse at my "Planning" section. I have a calendar for each month, 

purchased on Etsy from Kate & Trudy: Monthly & Weekly Calendar, followed by the weekly pages for that month.

*Note: Super cute Scotch Expressions Washi Tape, on sale at Staples for $2 a roll! 

I used my floral print to mark off Spring Break next week, yahoo! :)

I also included a colorful calendar for the front of my planner, just to be able to see different dates at a glance throughout the whole year. Again, my planner is not standard paper-size, so everything needed to be scaled down when I printed. I basically just created text boxes on Microsoft Word to the size of my planner pages and inserted what I wanted to print. I'm sure there are much easier ways, but my printer is not the most user-friendly & this was the best way for me so that I did not throw it out the window. :)

I {am in the process of} adding little tabs to each monthly calendar I have in my planner, downloaded from Miss Tiina. My calendars start with April, since I just purchased my planner system. Next year, I will include all of the months and will add the other tabs onto those calendars. 

In my "Blogging" section I have a blogging printable I created to help keep track of my ideas, date posted, and different social media outlets I want to post on. I printed these DB-sided in my planner, and can always remove them as they are posted, or keep them in there to look back on.

In my "Meals" section, I created a meal planning printable to keep track of the meals we are having each week. This is a quick way for me to glance at what we are having and create a grocery list based off of that. 

Have you come across a planner you just absolutely love?! I'd love to hear about it! For now, I really enjoy this new planner system! I will post another update as I add further sections to my planner. :) 

Also, THANK YOU to all of my readers! It has been such an exciting start to begin this journey blogging, and I cannot believe I've had almost 800 views on just 7 posts! :) I've really loved sharing the different project ideas, teaching thoughts, and organizational tips that I come across and "CRAFT" every day! :)

Happy Crafting!

- Kristen

Favorite Fonts: Part 1

Comic Sans, Kristen ITC, and Lucida Handwriting are enough to put me RIGHT OVER THE EDGE. I have had a {slight} obsession with fonts since I started student teaching many moons ago. I love how something so simple can instantly be made cute & fun to look at, just by changing the font.

During student teaching, I actually had to help multiple teachers download fonts onto their computers because they loved how everything looked with the different fonts I used! To this day, I am still constantly helping people at school upload different fonts to their computer. I guess it just seems so simple and easy to me, but I forget not everyone knows about the many ways you can access FREE fonts!

The two places I collect fonts from most often are Da Font and Teachers Pay Teachers. I have never paid for a font & have HUNDREDS on my computer. There are so many to choose from! My personal computer is a Mac so there are slightly different instructions on how to install fonts {I personally find it easier than PC}, but I have also downloaded a ton of fonts onto my PC work laptop, as well. Da Font provides instructions on their FAQ page on how to download and install fonts.

Since I have SO many fonts on my computer, it can sometimes be extremely time-consuming for me to create ANYTHING because I have so many fonts to test out and look at. Because of this, I created a 'font cheat sheet' for myself with some basic "everyday" fonts that I use the most. My favorite "categories" or "creators" of fonts are the 'Hello collection' found on TPT, any fonts by Kimberly Geswein on Da Font, and CK fonts, along with many more.

Below is my "Font Cheat Sheet" for my most basic fonts that I use on forms, worksheets, notes home, newsletters, projects, etc. I generally use some of my 'funkier fonts' for headings, bulletin boards, etc. I will try to link up as many of the fonts as I can at the bottom of this post, but feel free to just Google the name of the font if you do not see a link below. Stay tuned for more of my "Favorite Fonts" in future posts! :)
Remember, even a few font downloads can make ALL the difference in the appearance of your creations!

Font cheat sheet! 

This is smiley monster.
This is ABC Teacher.
This is Amber’s Cuteness.
This is DJ Doodlers.
This is FGS Cherry on Top.
This is FGS French Vanilla.
This is FGS Frozen Yogurt.
This is Hello Ali.
This is Hello Doodle Print.
This is Hello Dot Stick.
This is Janda Manatee Bubble.
This is KG Lego House.
This is KG Part of Me.
This is KG Primary Penmanship.

This is KG Primary Penmanship Lined.

This is KG Second Chances Sketch.
This is KG The Fighter.
This is KG What the Teacher Wants.
This is LL Elementary Dots.
This is Love Ya Like a Sister.
This is LPs Princess Print.
This is Primer Print.
This is Rowdy Writing.
This is the Basic Apple.
This is Tinker Toy.
This is LD Elementary.
This is LD Delightful.
This is CK Jot.
This is CK Handprint. 

**Mobile users may not be able to see the Font Cheat Sheet as shown above. Check out the screenshots below for a better idea of what each font looks like!

Font Resources:
Smiley Monster Font
ABC Teacher Font
Amber's Cuteness Font
DJ Doodlers Font
FGS Fonts
Hello Fonts
Janda Manatee Font
KG Fonts {My favorite!}
LL Fonts
Love Ya Like a Sister Font
Primer Print Font {One of my favs for worksheets/notes home}
Rowdy Fonts
Tinker Toy Font
CK Fonts