Yearly Lakeshore Pilgrimmage!

The Land of 10,000 Lakes. . .and ME!  We're home for our yearly vacation to see family and friends, visit old hangouts and SHOP!  For the first time EVER, the kids went with my husband and dad up to Duluth (where they live) and my mom and I stayed in the Twin Cities to shop and have fun.  First stops: IKEA and Lakeshore Learning!

And every year I end up buying less and less because I use what I have, I make things and get things from TPT.  Doesn't mean that I spend less money though...  Here's the least amount of Lakeshore stuff I bought...half a tote bag!

Most of what I bought was needed (stickers, stamp pads, etc.) but there were a few must-haves.  Here's one:

It's a set of plastic bookmarks that have close reading questions/sentence stems on them to help students find proof in the text they are reading (either independently or in a small group setting).  You can find them online here.

They also have a non-fiction version.

And at IKEA I got a few small things but did not get this gem....which I keep thinking about going back to get.

A light up red carpet, how cool!

Check it out here.

Five for Friday

Drumroll please. . .

Tomorrow I get to do the Alaska Women's Run, which is about the fight against breast cancer.  I've done this run (both in Minnesota & Alaska) for many years and always in honor of my Auntie Lynn who has beat the big C TWICE!

That's my husband being a kid. . . he looks like he's trapped!

This is the COOLEST seesaw I've ever seen!

We've been exploring playgrounds in our part of town this week and, thanks to a great website run by the city, we've found some gems!

I swear to Santa I'm here every other day because I LOVE working (creating really) in my yard and gardens!  Good thing they take PayPal!!

"Say hello to my little friends!"  I bought these babies a few weeks ago and LOVE them.  I really want a chop saw next but I think my husband will freak out if I come home with an electric saw :-0

But what should I name them?  Bert and Ernie. . .Thelma and Louise. . .

I think I'll buy 2 more power tools and name each of them after the Golden Girls, ha!

The weather was cloudy and sprinkly this week so as I worked on projects in the garage, the kids played as well and everyone was as happy as a clam!

Man I LOVE summer!

Small Reading Groups REVISITED

Another school year has come to an end and, if you're like me, you soak up summer vacation BUT a small part of your brain is already thinking about the next school year...  

Summer is like a passive reflexion time for me.  I don't write anything down, but think about lots of stuff and how I can do things better, differently or completely new.  One of these things is my Small Reading Groups because we absolutely loved them but I know they can be even better.  Click here for my original post from back in March.

The reason I'm revisiting this topic is because I just posted a new video on my YouTube channel about how these groups work and are set up (from the teacher's point of view) and it all revolves around these awesome little magnetic boards.


  Here are quick links to the various small reading groups I do:

Read to Self
Read with Someone
Word Work
Listen to Reading
Reading Games
Computer Time

Five for Friday

Summertime Fridays are WAY different than school year Fridays.  During the school year, you come home on a Friday exhausted and wanting to crawl right into bed...at least I do!  But in the summertime, Fridays are about doing what you want when you want and having fun outside...at least for me!

Tonight I get to do one of my favorite races in Anchorage and can't wait to rock out and run like the wind to my playlist!

My little guy LOVES babies and he got to hold a baby for the very first time this week when one of my students came over with his 3-week-old sister.  He could've sat that, smiling with that little bundle in his arms all afternoon!

I can go running or biking until midnight if I want to because we have sun for 90% of the day now!

My garden!  I tore down the 4x8' rectangular bed and built my own creation!  My priority was being able to easily reach the plants, weeds, etc. anywhere around the garden.  I made hoop houses for it as well to help protect against cold and wind.  I'm also going to drill holes in between the parts of the garden so I can thread a drip hose in and out for when we leave on vacation.

Essential Oils

My friend introduced them to me back in December and I've loved learning, using and ordering oils from DoTerra and Eden's Garden (my fave).  I swear the blend I used for mood got me through this year (my most difficult).  And I have to say that using peppermint oil and a blend called "breathe" have immensely helped my exercise induced asthma!!!

Hope your week was AWESOME!

FREEBIE: Calculator Poke & Apple Readers' Theater

I think we have 2 apple trees in our backyard!  

One of them is flowering, which it's never done before, and I'm guessing they are apple blossoms.  Need to investigate more...  

Speaking of investigating, using non-fiction Readers' Theater scripts to investigate science concepts increases science knowledge AND helps improve reading fluency!  This 'close reading' focused script comes with: a written comprehension check, extension questions, a guided close reading lesson for the play and a link to my Apple Fun Pinterest page!

Click to check it out!

And here's an independent math FREEBIE activity that I started creating in April for students who like to use calculators....USE, not "It's a cell phone Mrs. Locke."

Click on either image to get the game.

And check out this new Linky Party for some great teaching resources!

I'm freeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

My classroom is all packed up,

Everything put neatly away.

Out in the sunshine I will now be,

Each and every summer day!

I will now have more time for my family,

Many fun things we will do.

I'll have time for me and be able to pee,

Whenever I want to!

What day of the week it is I won't know,

And I won't really care,

Because as long as I'm having fun in the sun,

It won't matter what I wear.

~Jaime Locke

So I get to now blog again regularly and create more teaching materials, yay!

Two awesome things to share with you today:

Use these Keebler cookies for s'mores...the chocolate is already ready and less messy!

The only glacier in the country that's accessible by car...
we went there this week and had a BLAST walking on the glacier and exploring!

If you're on summer vacation, I tip my glass to you!

If you're almost on summer vacation, I'll pour you a glass for when you cross the finish line!