Do you GoNoodle?

I love the power of Google. I remember looking at a bunch of summer posts about the Vegas teacher conferences/meet-ups and almost everyone mentioned GoNoodle. Had never heard of it...and no, I don't live under a rock. Honestly, I'm so out of touch with current music, celebs, and news that I might as well. That's all besides the point. My point is...I Googled GoNoodle and I'm so glad that I did. 

GoNoodle is a website that hosts a variety of brain breaks. Some energizing, some relaxing. All of them super fun. The great part is you get a little class avatar person (I think they have a real name, but I can't think of it at the moment...grr, hate when that happens!) that morphs the more breaks you do. 

Here is one:

Okay, while I was inserting this picture I remembered the little creatures are called Champs. 

Another plus is that if you're watching a brain break from YouTube, you don't get any of the ads. Those ads can always be tricky in class...you never know what might pop up!

Here we are doing the Surfer Dude yoga pose. 

I love it. Kids love it. It's a win-win situation. Click here or on the GoNoodle image above to check it out. 

Check for Understanding

Last week we started our CAFE lessons. We read Full Moon by Kevin Henkes. Gosh, I love that guy's books!!

Anyways, we had a blast finishing off the lesson by making our Check for Understanding hats. My kiddos can wear those as a reminder while they read. 

Such fun in first grade!

I made a YouTube video of me introducing Check for Understanding. It's currently private, but I'll share it as soon as I figure out how to hide a few tiny faces. Hey, 17 out of 19 kiddos who follow my "DO NOT turn around to look at the camera" directions isn't all that bad! 

Fun with Five Senses

The following must be read to the tune of "Everybody Talks" by Neon Trees. If you don't know the song then go here first. 

I don't know why this song popped in my head, but it's pretty hilarious how close I got to the chorus. Some parts are a stretch, but give me a break...songwriting is tough work folks, haha. 

Enjoy. 

It started with a quick search

And that was when I Pinned her...

I can try, it sure can't hurt

Don't have a label for that

Followed that Pin back 

Mama's always gotta backtrack

When everybody Pins back...

Everybody cuts

Everybody glues

Everybody glues...too much

Translation: 

I found that darling Pin from Cara at The First Grade Parade, but realized she found the labels from another blog: Pencils, Glue, and Tying Shoes. Don't you just love the little rabbit trail (or is it a rabbit hole) that Pins take you on sometimes. Anyways, for some weird reason I couldn't get the Scribd thingy to work so I had to make my own labels. The picture above is our spin on this cutesie labeling activity. 

Ipsy: August

I cannot believe it's September 1st and I'm just now posting about my August Ipsy glam bag...so sad :(

My first Ipsy glam bag arrived in July and you can read about that and what Ipsy is here.

Each month I'll give a quick review after having used the products and then I'll share my new goodies.

Okay, so looking back on July...

1. Tints & Sass- SO bright red in the bottle (scary!), but actually very pretty when put on and topped with a gloss. Use a light hand because it can get bright. It smells yummy too! Oh, and don't use it with chapped lips...looks gross. Didn't use on my cheeks. 

2. Pur-lisse Moisturizer- I really, really liked this. Is was very light on the skin and didn't feel greasy at all. At $55 a bottle, I'm not sure that I'd buy it though. I guess I shouldn't be such a cheapie when it comes to skincare. 

3. Clear Clinic Spot Treatment- I don't really get a lot of blemishes, so I haven't used this but maybe twice. I didn't notice a huge benefit, but again I'm probably not the best person for opinion on it. 

4. bareMinerals 5 in 1 BB Advanced Performance Cream Eyeshadow- Wowzers! That's a mouthful! I love, love, love this eyeshadow. It is SO creamy, goes on smoothly, and I didn't notice any creasing throughout the day. LOVE.

5. Pop Beauty Bronzer- This is a nice bronzer. Nothing to be WOW about, but nice. I like that it doesn't have any orangy tones to it. It's just a nice brown bronzer. 

Ok, drumroll please....

1. Urban Decay 24/7 Velvet Glide-On Eye Pencil in Plushie

2. Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk

3. Coastal Scents Eyeshadow Sampler in Arctic Breeze, Laguna Green, Appletini, and Indigo

4. Jersey Shore Cosmetics Mongongo Lip Conditioner

5. Manna Kador Sheer Glo Shimmer Lotion

Oh. My. Gosh. You guys. I am in love with my August Glam Bag. I haven't used everything yet, but I am so excited about each and every thing I got. 

I swatched that Urban Decay eyeliner and woah! The color is amazing. I put a dab of the shimmer lotion on my hand and it gives this really pretty peachy-pinky-goldish glow to your skin. The eyeshadows are SO pigmented, but I haven't played with them yet. Can't wait to!

My friend has used the dry shampoo before and she said she really liked it. 

I've been using the lip conditioner like crazy. I love it. It smells so yummy I could eat it. 

The only thing I was kind of eh about was the bag. It's cute and all...I love polka-dots, but it seems to be a cheap plastic and I'm sure it'll be cracking in no time. We'll see. 

Be GLAM ladies! 

Five for Friday

I know, I know...it's Saturday. I'm linking up anyways. 

I totally missed the last two days of the Back to School linkup...waaah! But I had to focus on my darling little first graders. First things first, right.

We had back to school night on Tuesday and I was a sewing machine. And not even for myself...for my dear friend Kara. 

I'm so nice :)

Ok, this one wasn't from this week, BUT I just had to share and say YUM!!!

Husband took me to Santa Monica for our anniversary and we hopped over to Beverly Hills so I could visit Sprinkles Cupcakes...I really love cupcakes.

They even have a cupcake ATM...I couldn't believe it!

We've been practicing Read to Self this week. We're up to a solid three minutes...woah...that is a for sure change from 3rd grade...slow going, but we'll get there. 

We started class points using Mr. Potato Head. They earned the body when they got a compliment from another teacher and the feet when they were working so nicely on their seatwork. They are SO excited about this and so am I!

Last one is a seriously funny story. No picture. Sorry. 

So during prayer circle a little girl in my class (who is incredibly cute by the way) asks if we'd pray for her family because they're going to the Philippines next week. 

My first thought of course is: Great, why haven't I heard about this yet?? Now I have a ton of absent work to prepare. Ugh.

But I'm still smiling at her when I ask, "Oh, for how long?"

She gets a really confused look on her face and shrugs her shoulders as she replies, "For like 3 feet."

I almost died laughing. 

Things like that make me SO glad to be in first grade.  

PS. I talked to her mom after school and they aren't even going to the Philippines. Ha!

Back to School Wednesday Organization

Hey guys, this has got to be a seriously quick post. My second day with little first graders and I have not been this tired since 6th grade when I stayed up for like 27 hours straight or something ridiculous like that. 

Okay, so today's Back to School topic is organization. I just want to touch on one thing that I'm trying new this year: BINDERS!

Changing classrooms and grades was a perfect reason to purge the ol' filing cabinet and switch to using binders for my teaching resources. 

So far I love it. Like really love it. There is something about neat little binders all in a row that just melts my heart. aaah. 

Honestly, most of my binders are empty...I'm still in the process of gathering materials for my new little ones, but I'm sure they'll fill up quickly. 

I'll go into the process in more detail in another post because I'm wiped. Like really, really wiped. 

Check out Blog Hoppin' for more organizational tips and tricks.

Total side note: just watched God's Not Dead with the hubs. Great movie!! In the spirit of the flick I'll leave you with this:

God's not dead.

Back to School- Classroom Tour

You better up your bandwidth baby because today you get to peek around the place where I spend way too much time. Let the pictures roll... 

It's slightly unfinished, a tad disorganized, always more dusty than I'd like, but it's my little place where I get to do what I do.

I usually don't go theme crazy, and instead opt for vibrant bright colors. I like the idea of a full blown theme, but this works for me. 

Here's my little piece of the pie. 

I love using WBT's Super Improvers last year with my 3rd graders. I know my little first grade darlings will love it too! 

I really love my calendar board. It's missing a few components, but we'll get there. I'm giving my self permission to not stress out this year! 

Here is my huge gigantic board that I probably should have divided up, but I was running out of time. So it got some bunting that was left over from last years room (I changed rooms this year!) and ta-daa. Here's whatcha get. That paper is NOT so neon green...don't know why it looks that way on my screen????

That's all I got for ya today. Keep it real home slice...

(my husband always says that...I don't really understand the phrase, but whatev...keep it real anyway, haha!)

Back to School 2014- Who

I'm so excited to be linking up with Blog Hoppin' Back to School 2014! This is perfect timing since we go back to school tomorrow. 

So...

Welcome to Monday...all about ME!

Last week I linked up with Falling into First for a Meet the Teacher Blogger link up and it was super fun. I loved getting to know more about you all and it was fun sharing about myself. 

Head here first and then read on my friends. 

I'm a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi...I did attend the Gulf Coast campus (the main campus is in Hattiesburg), but was actually living in California when I graduated.

In the Meet the Teacher Blogger link up I mentioned that my husband and I were living in Mississippi. We were there courtesy of the Air Force. My husband was active duty for 9 1/2 years. During that time he deployed 3 times...the first time was only 4 months after we were married; the second time was when my boy-boy was 5 months old (he made it back for his 1st birthday!); and the last time was when I was pregnant with my little love bug. She was 4 months old when she met her daddy for the first time. 

I'm super-d-duper proud to have been able to support my husband during those years of service. 

After the separating from the Air Force my husband got a civilian job with the Army in a town outside of Boston. We got to live there for 7 of the coldest, snowiest months they'd seen in, oh, only 30 years or so.  The hubs decided to take a job back at the base we had just left...across the country twice in 7 months...not ideal.

But we had a blast living in MA! So many highlights I could picture you all to death, but if I had to pick one really cool thing it was getting to see the Boston Marathon. 

We lived maybe 10 minutes from Ashland, which is where the race starts. We got our spots on the sidewalk and waited for the action. It was a great thing to experience!

2011 Boston Marathon

Go check out Blog Hoppin' for more Back to School 2014!

Meet the Teacher Blogger

Hey, hey, hey! I'm Jessica, the mama-teacher-blogger from Little In Betweens. I'm a northern California girl, currently calling California's beautiful central coast my home. I've been teaching 3rd grade at a small Christian school for the last 3 years and I'm now entering my 4th year as a first grade teacher! 

I've been married to this guy for 12 years...technically on Sat. 

Still lovers him to pieces <3

Eight and a half years ago I became a mama to this handsome boy

And six years ago this little sweet pea came along

I am crazy blessed beyond measure. I love my life.

I love nail polish! This Flashing Lilac purple was a summer fav from Loreal. Infatuated with pens. It's weird...unless you're also a teacher and then you're probably obsessed with pens too and pen obsessions seem totally normal. My current favs are these bold tip retractable pens from Foray. I got mine at Office Depot. I love spending time with my hubby...our favorite things to do together are eat out and watch movies. I really should be 500 pounds by now. Love munching on sour gummy worms...usually while I'm playing on my Macbook Pro...last year's birthday gift from my love. Rekindling my fascination with all things girly...this is where Sephora comes in. It's a good thing we don't have one in town!

I get my entrepreneurial spirit from my mama. She's always owned beauty salons and just sold her final salon/boutique so she could retire. I'd love to have a little shop of my own some day. 

Ugh, that was hard. Determined--If I put my mind to it, it is going to happen...no matter what! Understanding--I try to always see things from the other person's perspective. Generous--I like to give to others, not just financially, but of my time too! I like little acts of service. 

Seriously, if I get to our inservice tomorrow today and there is any mention of an iPad training, someone is losing a limb. No joke. And the blue heart is for my great-grandma, my Meme. I would have her at my party in a heartbeat if I could...just so she could meet my little loveys. She would adore them!

Check out the real book What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day by Pearl Cleage. It's a good read. My life is not like the girl in the book, but the title fit. And pretty please give me that twitchy nose and let's get some stuff done!!

I cannot carry a tune in a bucket, as my Daddy would say, but I would sing the heck out of that song. My daughter loves it and you really can't help but sing when it comes on. Can't you just hear the longing in poor Ariel's voice. That's passion people!! It's 12:28 12:49 a.m. and I have inservice in the morning. Enough said on the night owl issue. 

A Turkey's Plea is a best seller of mine and a writing lesson that I LOVE to teach. And the Word Wall Headers are a fav right now because I just made them and they came out so sweet-saucy. I love them!

Last thing you don't know about me...well, maybe you do, I can't remember...my husband and I were living on the Mississippi Gulf Coast during Hurricane Katrine. Most surreal and heartbreaking experience of my life! 

Well now that we know each other so well I might have to change my signature to Hugs and Kisses, haha. Totally kidding. Unless you're Adam Levine reading this, then I'm NOT kidding...wait, unless you're my husband reading this then, honey, I'm totally kidding. I only want to kiss you :)

Before I get myself in any more trouble go check out Falling Into First for some more great Meet the Teacher Blogger links.