Mardi Gras Masks and Kwik Stix Giveaway

I'm here today to share with you a great product for your classroom, especially if you teach lower elementary!  Do you dread doing art activities in your room that involve paint because of the tremendous mess you are left with when the painting is done?  You are not alone!  Check out my review of a great product and enter the giveaway at the end of the post!

Fear no more, The Pencil Grip, Inc. has the answer!  Kwik Stix Solid Tempera Paint sticks take the mess out of painting while keeping all the fun!

Check out my review of this great product and enter the giveaway at the end of the post!

When I first heard about Kwik Stix, I was a little skeptic.  I thought, "This is too good to be true," but boy was I WRONG!!  I used Kwik Stix for a recent project with my students and they absolutely exceeded my expectations!

Since I live in South Louisiana, Mardi Gras is a celebration that I bring into my classroom.  Each year we make Mardi Gras masks, eat king cake, and learn tons about history of this holiday that is near and dear to our hearts.  I decided to use Kwik Stix to paint our Mardi Gras masks this year.

According to The Pencil Grip, Inc., these paint sticks can be used on a multitude of materials including paper, cardboard, poster paper, canvas, and even wood.  To make our masks, I needed to paint paper plates.  The paint went on smoothly and covered the plate without having to apply additional coats.   I also found that it was easier for my students to manipulate the stick than the typical paintbrush.

The most surprising thing about these paint sticks was the quick drying time.  The company states that they dry in 90 seconds, and I found this to be true!  My students were able to begin decorating their masks as soon as they were done painting because by the time they gathered their decorations, the paint was COMPLETELY dry!

I will absolutely be using these for many more paint projects!  Have you tried Kwik Stix?  If so, tell us about your experience in the comments below.

If you would like the directions for creating these Mardi Gras masks, click the image below to download a PDF of the steps.

The Pencil Grip, Inc. has offered to give away a 6 pack of Kwik Stix to one of my amazing followers!  Be sure to enter the giveaway below.  One winner will be chosen on Thursday, February 25th!


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Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Bright Ideas: Give a Little Inspiration

It's that time again... time for this month's Bright Idea Link Up!

I don't know about you, but when I am stressed, nervous, feeling down, or like I just don't measure up- reading an inspirational quote makes the weight of the world feel a little lighter.  Sometimes you just need a small reminder that you are not alone, that you just need to put one foot in front of the other and that you are amazing.

A few years back it hit me.... if they help me feel better then I'm sure they could help my students feel a little better!  This brings me to today's bright idea - posting "kid-friendly" quotes in the classroom.

It's really pretty easy, simply do a Google search for kid friendly inspirational quotes.  Type the quote using one of your computer programs (I like to use PowerPoint for posters), print and hang anywhere in your classroom.  I like to change them out throughout the year to give students new things to read.

A few month's ago I stumbled upon this amazing book:

It includes various quotes from Seuss' stories.  I will be posting many of these in my classroom this year.

If you enjoyed this bright idea, please consider joining me on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest for more great ideas!

For more bright ideas from other bloggers, please browse through the link-up below and choose a topic/grade level that interests you. Thanks for visiting!

An InLinkz Link-up

End of My Summer Break and a New Product

Hi Everyone!

I hope you are still enjoying your summer!  I've got about 2 more weeks before I go back to school.  I am trying to soak up every minute of summer I have left.  I found a new hobby this summer - GARDENING!!  I am in LOVE!  Do you have a fun hobby?  I'd love to hear about it in the comments :)

Here are a few pics of my garden and some of my recent harvests.

     

     

In between gardening and spending time with my family, I have been working on new TpT products.  In fact, I just uploaded a new bundle to my store today.

This bundle includes my 2 most recent Math Facts: Cut & Paste Printables.  They both cover 2-digit addition.  One has no regrouping and the other is with regrouping.  My students love these cut & paste math fact practice pages and since my other math fact printables are some of my best sellers, I'd say that many other students enjoy them as well.

You can save $2 by purchasing the bundle, or you can purchase them seperately in my TpT store.  Click HERE to check them out.

I am currently holding a GIVEAWAY on my FB page where 2 lucky winners will receive a copy of the bundle.  I will be choosing a winner Saturday evening.  Hop over to my  FB page to enter!

Thanks for stopping by!

Nursery Rhyme Bundle Giveaway

I have been working hard on my newest line of products - Nursery Rhyme Units!!  I have finally finished all 10.  Each individual unit is listed in my store, or they can be purchased as a bundle saving you $9!!  By purchasing the bundle, it's like you are buying 8 and getting 2 FREE!! 

I'm writing this short post today to show you the different components of these units AND to let you know about my giveaway that I'm hosting on my Facebook Page!  2 lucky winners will win my Nursery Rhymes Bundle!

I have units for the following nursery rhymes:

• Baa Baa Black Sheep
• Hey Diddle Diddle
• Hickory Dickory Dock
• Humpty Dumpty
• Itsy Bitsy Spider
• Jack and Jill
• Little Miss Muffet
• Mary Had a Little Lamb
• Row Row Row Your Boat
• Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Check out the table of contents below to see exactly what is included in each unit.

These homework helpers give parents a chance to work with their child at home.

Students can watch the nursery rhymes come to life with 2 videos included in each unit.

Visit my TpT store to see the preview for each unit by clicking {HERE}

Visit my Facebook Page to enter this giveaway by clicking {HERE}

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!  I'd love to hear what you think of these new units in the comments below!

Bright Ideas: Parent - Teacher Communication

Wow!  This past month just flew by!  I guess being on summer vacation will do that, but anyway...

I'm here today to share this month's bright idea!

As a teacher and parent, I understand the importance of constant communication between teacher and parent!  Today I wanted to share with you a great way to stay connected.

I have always been a little leery about handing over my personal cell phone number to parents.  I recently found a solution -a communication tool called Remind (formerly Remind 101).  In my opinion, every teacher should hear about this amazing tool!

This service allows you to connect instantly, safely, efficiently, and most of all FREELY!!  Yes you heard me correct, this is a FREE service!

I am suggesting this free service for one main reason, teachers never see students’(parents') phone numbers, and students (parents) never see theirs.

Click on the picture below to find out more about this great service.

If you enjoyed this bright idea, please consider joining me on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest for more great ideas!

For more bright ideas from other bloggers, please browse through the link-up below and choose a topic/grade level that interests you. Thanks for visiting!

An InLinkz Link-up