I wanna be a carney man

If you have never heard the song, "Carney Man" by Cross Canadian Ragweed, minimize this screen, go to youtube, find it and listen to it 5 times as you laugh your ass off.  Back in the day this was one of my favorite songs (don't judge me, I'm easily amused). 

The inspriation behind that song this morning is that last night I took my boys to our County Fair to ride the rides and to see one of my students participate in the "Little Miss Pageant".  I was dreading going for a few reasons.  For one, it is expensive.  I dropped a 100 dolla bill last night on admission, rides, and food for the three of us.  Redonk.  Two, I knew I would see people from my past (some pleasant to see, others...not so much) and feel obligated to speak to them.  And third, my allergies have been bitchin' lately and I knew being outside amidst the dust, grass, farm animals, and carney people was not going to ease them up one bit.

I ended up having a really good time, which is weird.  There weren't a lot of people there, which meant very few awkard, "Hey, how are you? Good.  We should get together sometime (not).  See ya around." type conversations.  It also meant there were no lines for the rides and the boys could go on as many rides as they wanted, as many times as they wanted, making mama happy I was getting my money's worth out of that damn wristband (seriously, I could have bought two new pairs of yellowbox flipflops for what I paid for those bands!!).

K&K are pretty tall for their age, and luckily they met the height requirements for the majority of the rides they wanted to get on.  Except the Sizzler.  That was the one thing they begged all night to ride, but weren't tall enough.  I had no intention of riding any rides, I am not a 13 year old girl anymore.  But, they had been so good and I didn't want to deprive them, so I shelled out some more bucks for tickets for myself, and we went up to Mr. Pleasant manning the ride.  As soon as I was locked into the oh so familiar seat, I was hit with a wave of nostalgia.  I can't tell you how many times I rode that ride when I was little.  It was one of my absolute favorites and I remember so many fun times riding that ride; first with my dad because I was too little to ride alone, then with my friends because I was so cool, and later on with whatever boy I was crushing on that year at the fair (probably Tye D. if we're being real here).  And now, I was riding with MY children, making new memories.  It was like a "I've come full circle" kind of moment.  I know I'm not "old", but it is definitely weird to think back to all of my fair memories as a little girl, and to now be sharing those same memories with my little boys.  Funny how that works. 

Anyyway, after I had my ribs compressed inside my body from the Sizzler (I had forgotten how squished you get when you sit on the outside of the seat--my boys thought it hilarious that they were crushing me as I screamed), we headed over to the Tilt 'A' Whirl (my other favorite ride).  The boys had been on it once before without me, but I wasn't about to let them have all the fun.  We got situated in our seat, snapped a few pics, and the ride started.  I have a lot of great memories with K&K, but the moment when we hit the part in the ride when you spin backwards full force (and your stomach goes back with you and you can't help but laugh hysterically), sharing that moment with them as we all three did the exact same thing, will probably be one of my favorites for a long time to come.  I don't do a lot of things right as a mom, and I know that.  But it's moments like that that make me forget my mistakes and feel good about how far we have come, and how excited I am about our future.

Ughh that just got sappy, how the eff did that happen?  Anyway, last night was fun, but I'm glad it's over, and glad I don't have to shell out that kind of money in one night again for another year.  At least not where carney men are involved.  Speaking of carney men, I think last night's carnival was put on by the mexican mafia.  No really.  Over half of them had on awesome aviator glasses and were sporting mohawks.  They were the coolest carney men I had ever seen that's for sure.  Don't believe me?  See for yourself!

Mama wouldn't lie!

"Need a corndog?  I can tell!  I'm a carney man!"

Tutorial Tuesday...kinda

I keep seeing all of these super cute wreaths on Pinterest and Etsy, and because I LOVE Fall, I have been dying to have one ASAP.  I decided (because I'm cheap) that there was no way in hell I was paying the outrageous amounts they were asking, and that I would just make my own.  So, I took my ass to Michael's (on a Sunday Sale day, wtf was I thinking??) and got to shopping!  Actually it was more like rummaging.  The shoppers before me had left that place looking like craft hell.  It was a disaster and I almost turned around and left.  But I wanted my damn wreath supplies so I persevered and dug on. 

I finally found two decent "twig" wreaths (on sale for $4.99), which was the biggest battle of all.  Then I managed to scrounge up some flowers and some ribbon that matched my color scheme (don't be fooled by my decorating vocabulary, that's as fancy as it gets).  I also found some cute glittery pumpkins in the dollar bin, score!  I had a couple of coupons, and everything total came out to a little under $30.  I knew I wanted to spray paint at least one of the wreaths, and I already had the spray paint at home, another plus. 

Here are the supplies I had to work with:

(The Polka dot in the middle and the owl ribbon on the far right came from Wal-Mart.)

I spray painted the wreath first and it turned out just how I had planned, what are the odds of that happening?  Next, I picked which flowers I wanted, and decided on a ribbon.  Now, I know nothing about  making bows, so I wasn't quite sure what I was going to do.  I looked through my crafty crap on Pinterest to see if I had ever pinned a "how to" on making bows, but the only tutorials I had were for hairbows; not quite what I needed.  I figured I could tweak it some.  I figured wrong.  There were way too many steps for this ADD chick, and it seems that my short pudgy fingers are of no use when it comes to looping and holding and well, making bows.  So, I just started cutting pieces of ribbon, making big loops, and stapling (yeah I ghetto rigged it, what of it!!) them together.  If I hadn't told you that's what I did, you would have never known!  Damn my honesty.  I got my BEAUTIFUL BOW and flowers, arranged them accordingly, and put my trusty glue gun to work.  Final touch was gluing my glittery pumpkin smack dab in the middle of my very professional bow. 

Bam!

Eat your heart out Martha Stewart!

Now, you may be wondering why I put this fabulous wreath up on such an ugly door.  The reason is because no one uses our front door.  Ever.  Everyone uses the door in the garage, and I wanted people to be welcomed by my wreath full of fall happiness!  It makes me happy evertime I see it, and for a brief moment I close my eyes and pretend that it's about 60 degress outside!  A girl can dream :)

I haven't finished the second wreath because a) the first one turned out so cute I'm afraid of screwing up the next one, b) I'm lazy, and c) there's no c but you know how I roll with odd numbers...

Now stop reading this and get out there and make some effing fall wreaths!

Fall: "If we decorate, it will come"!

 

Throwback Thursday

It's "Throwback Thursday" you window lickers!  Pretty self explanatory...Below are four pics from way back when.  The first two are from my graduation from TAMU back in '08, and the last two are of my adorbs little boys when they were tiny and cute and couldn't walk or talk or give me hell yet.  They are probably two of my absolute favorite pictures that I have of them!  Enjoy!

 FINALLY got that piece of paper!

  

Celebrating with two of my favorite ladies! (Sure wish I still had that watch!!)

And finally...the cutest kids EVER!

OMG those faces are too much!!

 

 

Lick away my friends, lick away.



Hump Day Holla

I had originally planned for this to be a "Throwback Thursday" post, until I realized that...It's only WEDNESDAY!  Holy hell this week is dragging.  I have nothing spectacular to post about today, the past several days have been nothing but routine and boring.  Weekend was about the same, except that I had a kickass workout on Saturday that made me feel amazing.  I guess I could talk about that...

I hate running.  Let me say that again.  I. Hate. Running. Like with a passion.  I was never super athletic in school, always had coaches who didn't care so much about the non-athletic girls, and because I only played Volleyball (until two shoulder surgeries ended that) and then Golf, I was in the "off season" group a lot.  Do you know what they make you do in "off season"?  They make you RUN.  A LOT.  Apparently it's like a punishment for not being interested in or good enough to play the other sports.  Because of all of that running, and because I was always what I considered out of shape, I associated running with a terrible stigma.  Even now, when I think about running, I get anxiety.  Sometimes to the point of a panic attack.  That may sound silly or humorous to some, but it's very real to me. 

All of those feelings from Jr. High and High School when I wasn't a "good enough" runner come flooding back to me.  I feel inadequate.  I feel judged.  I feel defeated before I ever even start.  The "last time" (which is what I refer to as a year and a half ago when I was in shape) I was working out really hard, I had signed up for a 5K called the "Armadillo Dash".  I worked really hard at something I hated (running) and slowly but surely got better.  I set a goal for myself to run the 5K in 30 minutes.  I had worked my ass off to be able to run for 30 minutes straight, and I knew I could do it.  Of course when race day arrived bright and early that March 6th 46 degree morning, the anxiety set in.  I wanted to stay in bed.  I wanted to pretend like I hadn't been training.  I was scared of failing.  But, my guy wasn't about to let that happen.  He made me get up, get my ass ready, and head to the race.  I was nervous, but once we got there and were in the crowd about to start, my nerves eased up a bit. 

It wasn't as bad as I thought.  No one was judging me.  They were in fact, doing the opposite.  People were cheering me on (ok, they weren't cheering solely for ME, but I pretended like they were).  I didn't run the entire time, I got tired and at one point I thought my lungs were going to explode.  But I kept going.  I finished the race in 33 minutes.  Had I reached my goal?  Not quite.  But it was pretty damn close!  I was disappointed at first, but then I started thinking back to two months prior when I couldn't even WALK that far or for that long without being winded.  I also couldn't run for more than a minute at a time without wanting to die.  So even though I hadn't reached my "exact" goal, I couldn't be upset about the progress I had made.  End of great story.

Here I am today (well last Friday really), back to that girl who panics when it comes time for cardio at the gym.  The girl who often times gives up before I ever begin.  And then Saturday morning came along.  I'm not sure what got into me, but when I got to the gym that morning, something just clicked.  I did the "ArcTrainer" for 30 minutes, and then hopped onto the treadmill.  I set the time for 30 minutes and told myself I was going to walk 5, run 5, walk 5, run 5, etc.  I didn't know if I could, but I told myself I would.  And guess what?  I DID!  I even ran longer than 5 minutes a couple of times.  And it felt so good.  Am I ready for another 5K?  Absolutely not.  Am I going to do another 5K in the near future?  ABSOLUTELY!  It's the best way to motivate myself, I know from experience.  The thought terrifies me, but not so much because I'm afraid to fail.  It terrifies me because I know big changes are coming, and as you know, changes scare me!  But, I have to keep reminding myself that these changes are going to be GOOD! 

So I started this post not knowing what it was going to be about, but I guess deep down this story was ready to come out!  I hope that you find inspiration and motivation in my stories.  I have a long way to go, and I know I personally need all the inspiration and motivation I can get, so I hope to help some of you along the way!  As soon as I decide on a 5K that I am going to do, I will let yall know!  Once I say it on here, I can't go back!

Happy Hump Day Hookers!

If you really knew me...

If you really knew me...

You'd know that:

• I like the smell of gasoline
• I cannot stand ketchup/mustard juice (Seriously, that shit is nasty)
• I can quote a wide spectrum of movies, and often do, especially at inappropriate times
• I am a bit of a pervert and I cuss way too often
• I hate flowery scents
• Perfume and above forementioned flowery scents make me nauseous and give me a headache
• I have never read/seen the Twilight series, and don't want to
• I would leave my man for Blake Shelton, Adam Levine, or (the young, not so weird) Matthew Mcconaughey (just kidding, look how dorky he is? We're perfect for each other! And no I'm not a damn longhorn, but when the ex sis-n-law gives my kids longhorn gear to try and piss me off, joke's on her, I rocked the f outta that hat all winter!)

• I bite my nails (sometimes even when I have acrylic nails on, hey old habits die hard...or never die at all)
• I'm a sucker for a man who makes me laugh
• I'm not into politics
• I'm usually too lazy to fold clothes, so I restart the dryer, a lot
• I have serious anxiety when it comes to making changes, big or small
• I hate needles, but I'm dying to get a tattoo
• I still hate needles, but I got my rook pierced, and it wasn't so bad, so I'm ready to pierce another weird part of my ear.  I love it!

• I brush my teeth anywhere from 5-10 times a day
• I love the smell/taste of coffee, but HATE coffee teeth so I rarely drink it
• I HATE for my hands to be wet (For real, it freaks me out)
• I always do the opposite of what the Push/Pull sign on a door says. Always. (And not on purpose)
• I sit with my purse in my lap, a blanket in my lap, or anything else I can hold as much as possible (it's a weird security thing idk I'm messed up)
• I prefer to be barefoot at all times, I even drive barefoot when possible
• I wear flip flops year round
• I believe pedicures can cure just about anything
• I like getting crazy shit painted on my toes
• I am a pansy and can't wear contacts because they irritate my eyes
• I can't stand tomatoes
• I would drink Chuy's creamy jalapeno sauce by the gallon if possible
• I am way too forgiving
• I'm a huge dork
• I have passed along my dorkiness to my children, and am so grateful I did :)

I'm a real piece of work, I know.

So, tell me what I would know if I "really knew you"...

Happy Friday Biotches!



Guttershelves

Two posts in one day?  Madness, I know.  Truth is, I've had this post in a "draft" for a while, but kept forgetting about it!  And I also didn't finish the project it's about until um, earlier this morning.  It's totally random, but I don't care.

I saw multiple pictures via pinterest this summer where people had used rain gutters as book shelves in their children's bedrooms.  As a teacher, I obviously have tons of books.  And I hated the big bulky ugly bookshelf that I had at the time, so it was time for a new project!  Of course I forgot about it for a while because it was summer and I wasn't in my classroom, but I finally got to it before school started.

I went to Home Depot and searched for the "gutter aisle", it really should be labelled that simply.  I found it and, who knew there were so many freaking types of gutters??  I had no service on my phone so I couldn't go to my trusty Pinterest app and find the pin with the shelves, which really pissed me off.  So I stood there, looking like a dumbass, until cutie in an orange vest finally came to my rescue.  I explained, in my teacher voice, what I planned to do with the gutter.  Cutie was also a dummy, and told me that my plan "probably wouldn't work" and that they couldn't cut the gutter at the store for me because they didn't have the right tools.  Was I not at Home Depot?  And if they couldn't cut it, how in the hell was I going to fit a 10 ft. gutter in my Edge?  I shooshed him away, and continued standing there.  For a long time.  Until Cutie #2 showed up. 

 Once again I began explaining my plan, this time probably more slowly and with a hint of frustration as #1 had let me down.  Cutie #2 immediately grabbed that gutter and told me to follow him.  He asked a few people about cutting it, they didn't speak our language, so we moved on.  Finally home(depot)boy went and got a hacksaw and we (meaning he) went outside and got to work!  He measured it into thirds and got busy cutting.  I was so excited I wanted to tip him or give him a hug or something.  He refused the tip, and because the hug seemed inappropriate, I shook his hand and thanked him profusely for helping me.

Come to find out, getting the damn gutter and having it cut ended up being the EASY part.  I went to Walmart and got some blue PLASTIC spray paint next.  Took it home and (not gonna lie, it was probably a week later) got ready to paint.  The thing about spray painting is, you obviously have to do it outside, and outside sucks.  I mean I love the outdoors, but it's pretty f-ing hard to paint something and hope for the best when the wind is blowing, grass is flying, and suicidal bugs keep wanting to fly/crawl into the pretty blue, and stay there.  I wanted it to be "perfect", and that didn't happen.  They finally dried, I got the dead bugs off, did some touch up painting, and it was time to get them to school and hang them!  Or so I thought.  Again, it was probably a good week, possibly two, before I got them to school and convinced my guy (with a 6 pack of Miller) to come help me hang them.  We finally made it, got the drill, concrete screws, gutters, and got those bad boys hung.

And they looked AMAZEBALLS!

I got on Pinterest to look at the original guttershelf pics I had seen (just to see how much better mine were than theirs), and realized I had forgotten to get the end caps!  Add on another week or two, finally found the end caps at HD, got them painted, and now, they are FINALLY 100% complete!  It is now the third week of school, but whatever, they have been up and worked wonderfully even without the end caps.  They definitely help though, and look much better.

See for yourself!

Booyah!



What you got in yo bag Ms. Robot?

For those of you who know me, you know that I have what I prefer to call a healthy appetite for Coach purses (others like my man might call it an obsession/addiction, whatevs).

The last purse I purchased (may I mention that was way back in the SPRING thank you very much), was a little larger than the purses I usually carry.  But, it was super cute and I had to have it.  Seriously, had to (it's got tiny sequins on it for heaven's sakes).

It's almost time to switch it up for a "fall" look, so I've been carrying it a lot to work.  Today one of my kiddos asked, "What you got in yo bag Ms. Robot??"  (As he tried to put his dirty little hands inside my bag.)  I started thinking...what DO I have in my bag??  I know it's heavy as hell, and I can't ever find what I'm looking for, so what's hiding in there?  I decided to take a peek.

That wasn't showing me enough, so I said f it let's just dump this bad boy out.  Luckily, I didn't find anything growing in there.  Although since that orange has been in there since Monday, it probably wouldn't have been long...

It wasn't as much as I thought, which makes me wonder what the crap is making it so heavy...but it was still a lot! 

• Germ-x (because you can't be a proper ocd mommy/teacher without it)
• Bayer (because again, you can't be a proper mommy/teacher without it)
• Hand lotion
• Brush (after inspecting that brush I realized it's probably time for a new one...it's falling apart and faded...)
• Make-up bag (also in serious need of being replaced)
• Wallet (I know it doesn't match the purse, but they didn't make a matching wallet for that bag!  I was as appalled as you are, don't worry)
• Sticky notes (from my Secret Pal at work)
• Car keys/work keys (both of which are ALWAYS at the bottom of all of this crap when I need them)
• Orange (swear I'm going to eat it today)
• Tampon (woman code: always be prepared)
• Phone charger (I love my Razr, but the battery life sucks ass)
• Pen/marker
• Fruit snacks
• Checkbook
• Hair clip/bobby pins
• A screw (no clue)
• Change
• And some random toys that I'm pretty sure came from that hellacious dentist visit a couple of weeks ago.

So, those are the goodies I found in my purse.  I'd like to say I'm going to clean it out, but the ugly truth is I'm probably going to toss it all back in there and continue to add random shit until my shoulder starts aching from the weight.  Or until I get a new Coach for the fall!

So, what you got in yo bag?

This is what I know...

Since this blog is all about me getting real, I decided that it was time to show you all what REAL is all about.  I saw a post similar to this several months ago, and it stuck with me.  I wasn't getting "real" about my eating habits and working out at the time, so even though it hit home, I pushed it to the side.  The past few weeks though I have been working really hard, and I found myself back at that same post, and I decided it was time I tweak it a little to suit me, and get real; with myself, and with those of you reading this.

The truth is, I have let myself go.  A little over a year and a half ago, I lost nearly 35 pounds.  And since then, I have gained them back, along with several of their nasty little friends.  And I am pretty pissed off at myself for it.  I'm unhappy with my outer beauty, and because of that, it's putting a damper on all of the good beautiful things I have on the inside. 

The biggest part of this truth, is having to ask myself how and why I let myself go.  At what point did I just stop caring about what I put in my body?  When (and why) did I decide everything else in my life was more important than working out?  Why did I allow myself to size up in all of my clothes, instead of facing the problem head on?  It's like I just accepted that I was going to be fat.  And that is pathetic!  I motivate everyone else around me in all of their endeavors, why can't I motivate myself? 

Well, that's all changing as we speak.  I'm sick of dreading going to any type of social function because I can't stand the thought of wearing fat clothes in public.  I'm sick of hating shopping because it's just too damn depressing.  I'm sick of feeling sorry for myself when I am the only one responsible for this mess of a body I now have.  I've changed my eating habits, changed my work out habits, and I'm changing how I look at myself.  I've had my pity party, now it's time to do what has to be done so the next party I throw for myself is me going shopping and sizing DOWN instead of up. 

I have completely strayed from the original part of this post that I had in mind, big surprise, so here it is:

This is what I know...

I know how it feels to cry uncontrollably because you are that unhappy with your body.

I know how it feels to scour the back of the clothes rack, only to realize the biggest size they carry in store doesn't fit you.

I know what it's like to feel defeated in the dressing room.

I know how it feels to grab the XL thinking it will be too big and come to find out, it's actually too small.

I know how it feels to sit down and pull at your shirt to try and hide your rolls.

I know what it's like to pour yourself into your jeans.

I know how it feels when the buttons from those jeans cut into your skin and leave painful marks.

I know what it's like to stand in your closet full of clothes that are all too small wondering what you're going to wear that day.

I know all about not owning or refusing to step on the scale to “avoid the truth”.

I know what it's like to change over and over every day before you finally find something that doesn't make you look THAT fat.

I know what it's like to hide fast food wrappers from your significant other.

I know how it feels to see cute fashion trends, only to realize they don't make them in your size.

I know how it is to think "oh SOMEDAY I'll get back into my skinny jeans".

I know how it feels to be so out of breath from just doing the simplest of tasks.

I know all about avoiding outings with family and friends because you are ashamed of how you look and don’t want to be "the fat girl" amongst the skinny folks.

I know all about lying to those family and friends about not being able to go out with them because you’d rather stay home in pajamas and feel sorry for yourself rather than put on an outfit that you feel hideous in.

I know all about "Starting my diet on Monday".

I know how shameful it feels when that diet fails.

I know the only thing that seems to cure that shame (at that moment) is more junk food.

I know all about that vicious cycle.

I know how it is to feel like a prisoner in your own body.


BUT, I also know how great it feels after you've been eating healthy for a few weeks.

And how amazing it is to see the pounds melt off.

And how it feels when you go to put on a pair of pants that were tight last month and now they're too big!

And how strong you feel when you run your first mile.

And how much better you sleep after you rid your body of all the junk you've been feeding it.

And how much more energy you have.

And how it feels to buy a smaller size.

And how it feels to hear people say that you look great.

And how you never knew you could be so proud of yourself for something.

And how it feels to do it the RIGHT way, with hard work and dedication.

And how all of a sudden you crave foods that are good for you.

And how it feels to look at a picture you didn't know was being taken and actually think you look cute and NOT fat.

And how great it feels when your significant other tells you how sexy you are, and you actually believe him instead of assuming he’s just lying to make you feel better.

And that amazing sense of accomplishment you will feel when you step on the scale and you've reached your goal.

I know.

So don't tell me it's hard.

I know.

Don't tell me it's not possible.

IT IS.

Don't tell me "I'll start Monday."

Start today.

Don't tell me you can't do it.

I know I can, and so can you.



Thanks Mama Laughlin for the inspiration!
www.mamalaughlin.com

Friday: My second favorite F word

How is it possible that the second week of school was longer and more brutal than the first?  The little shits have come out of their shells and started showing their true selves, that's how!  No more being scared of everything and trying to impress me with their sweetness.  Four year olds are very deceiving.  Oh and they also managed to infect me with their nasty little germs, sending me home with a lovely bug.  However, it is now Friday, which means a few awesome things.  1) I get to go have a fun loving bitch session with some gal pals as I sip on something that will no doubt be filled to the rim with one of my favorite men (probably Jose)! 2) I am going to be kid free for the weekend.  Now, I miss my babies when they are gone with their dad, but I can't lie and say I don't enjoy the "me" time that I get.  It has taken me a long time to not cry every other Friday when I send them off with him, so instead of feeling bad about my attempts to enjoy my free time, I see it as progress!  I still hate saying goodbye (they are never in as good of hands as they are when with mama), hate that we even have to do it, but I'm getting better! 3) Even though the weather hasn't gotten the memo, it is pretty much "Fall" and that means FOOTBALL baby!  I plan to be glued to the TV all weekend watching.  Gig 'Em Ags!

 

Anywho, I found this new "product" (via pinterest, of course) that "promised" to make my freshly shaven legs (and I'm assuming other parts) super smooth and to "lock in up to 10% more moisture"!  How could I pass that shit up??  So, I finally found the product at Wal-Mart yesterday, and as soon as the kids were in bed last night, hopped in the shower and got to shavin'!  Afterwards I applied the gel to the necessary areas and couldn't wait to see what happened!  Spoiler alert, the build up to using the gel was way more exciting than actually using it.  This is the fancy gel...

And here's what I found...

1) You will be shinier (and slipperier--wait is that a word??) than an oiled up body builder in a speedo for at least 30 minutes after applying.  Seriously, don't try to sit on a leather sofa because you'll fly off there like you're on a slip-n-slide.  I speak from experience.
2) Tell your significant other what you are using or else you will get the confused look like I did and have him wondering if you are either missing your kids "baby" days, wishing for a baby, or as Amy Farrah Fowler from Big Bang so eloquently put it, trying to smell like a "sexy toddler" (yeah, he went through all of those thoughts and did say I smelled like a ST--which is why I love him)!
3) This crap really DOES work!  My legs were soft and silky (and as of this a.m. still are) and feel f-ing fabulous!  Seriously, I couldn't stop touching myself all night (get out of the gutter people)!
4) There are three other flavors (or scents as normal people call them) and I plan to try them all!
5) Well there is no 5, but I hate even numbers and I couldn't just stop at 4.

Time to slip-n-slide off to school!  Hope the little goobers don't try to touch my shiny legs today.  I'm not above giving out a people's elbow on a Friday!
Holla!

Donorschoose.org

For those of you who don't know, there is an AMAZING website, www.donorschoose.org that is dedicated to helping teachers!  Teachers/educators log in, create a "project" for their classroom, choose the materials, explain the need, and post their project for donors to see and (hopefully) help fund!  It is so easy to use and I am so glad I found out about it this past school year.  I have already had three, that's right, THREE projects fully funded since I got started with donorschoose.org.  The materials that we have received have been so fun for my students to use. 

Our first project was funded last spring and the materials were all science related.  The most fascinating thing we received were our live caterpillars that we were able to watch turn into beautiful butterflies!  You can teach the butterfly's life cycle all day everyday to four year olds and hope they understand.  But giving them the opportunity to SEE the life cycle first hand, that was pure awesomeness, and I KNOW they understood after that! 

The other two projects were focused on literacy and art.  We just received our literacy package that included some awesome chicka chicka boom boom trees and literacy games.  Our art package is on it's way and includes a large art easel, a desktop art easel, new paint, paintbrushes, sponges, smocks, table covers, and so much more!  It is going to be like Christmas around here when my kiddos get to open up their new art supplies! 

All together I have received almost $2000 worth of materials for my classroom.  As a teacher, and someone who spends close to $100 a month on my students and classroom, having those supplies simply GIVEN to me meant more than words can express.  I never would have been able to afford to just go out and buy all of those items, and my students would never have had the chance to experience the things they have.  Our most recent project is all about technology.  Because we have no student computers in our classroom, I decided to "wish" for two small tablets for our classroom.  I have no idea if/when it will ever be funded, but I have no problem patiently waiting to see!  I have been so very blessed thus far, and can't wait to see what other wonderful things donorschoose.org may have to offer!

If you are interested in learning about my past projects, as well as seeing my most recent projects that have not yet been funded, please visit here:  www.donorschoose.org/krohrbach and check it out!

Let's change some lives.