Early Birthday Gift - Botanical Lace Thermal Tote

My birthday is this weekend...whoop whoop!  


I'm just getting older at this point, but I love birthdays!  It is the one time of year where it is about you!  And I might even add that for a tiny moment the world might actually revolve around you for a change.  It was a typical Friday at work except when I got to another elementary school my co-worker and friend Amber had a little birthday surprise for me.  She got me a new lunch tote!  Which is awesome since my other lunch tote is about 4+ years old, and recently had a run in with some pizza sauce :(   I'm not sure what I love more the fact that it is black, white and hot pink (all of my favorite colors) or that it's actually bigger than my old one!  Sounds simple enough a lunch tote, however, I pack my lunch almost everyday so at this point it's a necessity.  Not only does Amber carry this awesome lunch tote (and many different styles also) but they have tons of fun products to order and personalize.  Since I'm a soon-to-be auntie (for the second time) instead of a basket this year I might have to browse some more of the Thirty-One items!

Mazel Tov (with shopping)!

Bug Activity

Bugs, Bugs and More Bugs!

This activity is pretty simple for utilizing with students to practice new words and/or targeted articulation.  One SLP used it as a matching goes for synonyms so the ideas are endless!  It gives you the opportunity to practice but make their activity into a game.

Materials Needed:

            Bug template

            White copy paper

            Construction paper or Card stock

            Laminate paper

            Whiteboard Marker

            Mason jar, paper bag or some kind of bug holder

Prepping for the activity:

1.     Print the bugs out onto white copy paper.

2.    Make copies of the bugs onto 5 or 6 different pieces of construction paper or card stock.  (Tip: If you are using a copy machine load the construction paper on the side tray to print)

3.    Cut out the construction (or card stock) paper bugs.

4.   Laminate the bugs.

5.    Cut the bugs out again.

6.    Create a little bug hold either out of a mason jar, paper bag or a bug holder. 

Activity:

You will be able to write on the back (with a whiteboard marker) of the bugs new words and/or targeted articulation that you want your students to work on. The students will have fun picking bugs!

Mother's Day Adjective Flower

I was inspired to create this adjective flower from The Teacher's Lounge website.  I was trying to find a flower template that would be easy for teachers and/or students to cut out and still look like a cute flower.  I found the flower template here.  This flower idea can be utilized for any Spring/Summer activity since the center of the flower is a noun and the petals are adjectives.  Great way for students to practice and have a take home for their Mom!

Materials:

Flower template

Various colors of construction paper (or scrapbook paper) for petals

Green construction paper for the stems and leaves

Blue construction paper for background

Prepping for activity:

1.   Print out flower template.

2.  Copy template onto different colors of construction paper (Tip: If you’re using a copier put the construction paper in the side default tray).

3.  Cut out the flower construction paper pieces (petals, stems and leaves).

It would make more sense for students to write on the petals before gluing them on the blue construction paper.  But this also allows for errors, you can just flip the petal over!

Happy Early Mothers Day!

Sunday Funday - Easter Cupcakes and Cake

Since I was seven years old I remember Glynis (my other mom) making an Easter bunny cake.  She would let me help make the ears but for the post part Glynis did it all.  I LOVED waking up on Easter and seeing her making the bunny cake.  He always had this droopy sad face because she was cooking for us and baking at the same time.  So needless to say the cake didn't have time to cool all the way before she started icing the cake.  Even as an adult on Easter morning Glynis was making her infamous Easter bunny cake.  So this year as an engaged woman I decided to make the Easter bunny cake for Mark!  And then I was got a little carried away because I thought cupcakes would be a great idea as well.  The basic idea for the bunny cake can be found here.  The Easter basket cupcakes I got the idea from here and the Hatching Baby Chick Cupcakes I got from here.  I saw the pictures and just kind of made up how they should look.  I made over 20 cupcakes so I did 10 that had coconut and 10 without.  So Mark can take them to work and his coworkers could enjoy. 

On the Hatching cupcakes next time I make them instead of using warheads for the egg I would probably use a cookie or fondant.  To color the coconut I used a concentrated gel to mix with butter cream icing.  And I used sour patch jelly beans instead of regular jelly beans for flavor!

Enjoy!

Wedding Wednesday – Father of the Bride Cuff Links

I can’t think of a better way to make your dad feel special on your wedding day than with a unique wedding gift.  Father of the bride cuff links!  Here’s a quote to sum this gift up “Find a gift for everyone in the wedding party especially the man who loved and raised you and is now loosing his little girl in the happiest and saddest day of his life show him how much you appreciate him with these cuff links he will wear them proudly because they are from his little girl.”  Love it!

You can find the cuff links on amazon, esty, here and here.  Also try searching google and there are a variety of styles available!

Sunday Funday - Easter Egg Sound Blending Activity

 

Easter Egg Sound Blending Activity:

I created this Easter egg with the help Microsoft Word AutoShape.  This by the way was a total challenge to make the lines match up!  If you have ever tried to use this function in Word you can feel my pain. 

Materials:

White copy paper

3 different colored pieces of construction paper

Easter egg template

Laminate paper

Whiteboard Marker

Prepping for activity:

1.   Print out Easter egg template.

2.  Copy template onto 3 different pieces (colors) of construction paper. (Tip: If you’re using a copier put the construction paper in the side default tray)

3.  Cut out the egg template pieces.

4.  Laminate your egg piece.

5.  Cut out your laminate egg pieces.

6.  Write on the egg pieces with a whiteboard marker.

With the letters on the different sections of the Easter egg it allows students to play around with their sounds at the beginning and ending of words with different vowels in the middle.

  

I was inspired to create this egg activity because of a candy corn sound blending activity I found.