Summer Bucket List (Part 2)

And so it continues...

The ever so long list of my interests and new obsessions. Yesterday, I talked about my blog, my future TpT store, selling collecting jewelry, and my new found love of all things Erin Condren. Along with the love I have found for these EC planners, I have also become obsessed with washi tape, stickers, and pens! My friend, Mrs. Montjoy, (@mrsmontjoy...check out her Instagram) does a great job of sending me pictures and keeping me updated in my new found obsession. She has introduced me to SO many new people to follow and so many cute little Etsy stores. While I have always loved Instagram, this is just one more thing that has made it my favorite social media outlet!

Speaking of Instagram, I have met some of the most generous and amazing people! Through Instagram, I have also discovered some beautiful, creative, artistic examples of Bible journaling. There are a lot of  reasons I've included "Faith" in the creation of my blog name. It is the core of who I am and where I am in my life. I am not ashamed to say however that life keeps me BUSY...too busy...and lately it has taken me away from being in my Bible like I should, and I have let it. While browsing some Instagram posts, I have been inspired to not just get back into my Bible, but to STUDY, to journal, to write, to meditate on it like I did once upon a time and like I should be doing each and every day of my life. I took some advice from @meliason12 and ordered a new journaling Bible (which will be here Thursday...YAY!) and I am committed to putting my faith and my relationship with Jesus back where it belongs, top of my list!

Like I said above, I have always loved Instagram, but I have accounts on all social media outlets and I am excited about learning how to utilize each of those accounts and grow the number of followers I have. I started the #tptsellerchallenge this week which will hopefully give me the motivation I need to get started with my TpT store and will help me link up with some other awesome educators.

Finally, I started today on a journey to get healthier. This is only the 4,683rd journey I've started like this, but I am determined to get baby weight off THIS SUMMER! I researched the Whole 30 approach for quite a while last week. It looks like a great way to get healthy and lose weight, but I kept coming back to a system I am much more familiar with which is the Abs Diet. I read the Abs Diet book a few years ago and everything in it just makes sense. Anytime I've ever started it, I've always lost weight, there has just always been something to come along (birthday parties, get togethers, family reunions) that have been stumbling blocks food wise. I usually give into eating whatever I want at an event like that and then as soon as it's over, I have an excuse to go back to an old way of eating. While having a "cheat meal" is always my favorite part of an eating plan, it is sometimes hard for me to make a cheat meal JUST a meal. I mean, why can't it be a cheat day or a cheat weekend???? Obviously, this is why I never have long term results. This time I started keeping a food journal and progress journal, so hopefully that will help keep me accountable. Plus, I have extra time to exercise each day now that school is out. Let's hope these 60 something days will get me into great habits and I can make eating healthy a lifestyle instead of just a fad or craze.

So, with all of that said. You can see that my plate is pretty full, but I continue adding to it, because that's the kind of girl I am! The key now is just coming up with an organized way of devoting time to each of these things, while keeping my family first and foremost (next to Jesus) because as much as I love teaching, following others on Instagram, and all of the above things mentioned, my favorite job is being a wife and a mommy.

I'm off to make lists, clean the house, and get started on brainstorming for some TpT resources....hope to see you back here soon!

Summer Bucket List (Part 1)

So, what's on the list??? A better question might be...what is NOT on the list??? My husband has learned that one of his "favorite" things about me (or not) is how I love to get 100% involved in every thing that interests me. And almost EVERY thing interests me. Since the last nine weeks of school, I have become interested in:

1. Starting a blog (Welcome!) 

2. Creating TPT resources (haven't started yet)

3. Selling jewelry (uh...we won't talk about that one)

4. Creating planners (I've sold a few to my school friends)

5. Bible Journaling (waiting on my new Bible...SO EXCITED!)

6. Getting my social media numbers up (gotta start somewhere...again...welcome!)

7. Getting healthy (really need this baby weight GONE!)

8. ERIN CONDREN PLANNERS (I won one!!)

9. Stickers (thank you Mrs. Montjoy), Washi Tape, and Pens!

Let's start with the blog. I love my blog, or the potential for my blog...I am most excited about posting on a regular basis, but I knew I would have to wait until school ended so that I could get into a strong, continuous routine. So, here I am...64 days of nothing to do except play with my 2 babies, maybe swim a little, and post, post, post! 

As far as TPT goes, I would like to say that I have all kinds of great ideas about what to include in my non-existent store....but....I don't. However, I'm hoping some ideas will come to mind over these next few weeks. I love to create and maybe I'll be able to come up with something that might help someone else. 

I'll skip the selling jewelry one for now. Let's just say, I found a line of jewelry I love and I think is really great, ordered a kit to sell said jewelry, and well...to.be.continued...

The creating planners idea ties right into the Erin Condren interest. I'll just be honest and say I could not fathom paying for a planner what Erin Condren asks people to pay for a planner (keep reading...). I decided to create one customized to what I need and designed for how things work where I teach. Other teachers saw them, loved them, and started wanting me to create them one. So, I did and it was pretty fun! :) In the meantime...after hearing one of my dear friends go on and on about her Erin Condren Teacher Planner, I started seeing all of the hype on Instagram about the upcoming launch of the Life Planner. So, I entered a few contests and it just so happened I WON one!!! (Thank you, @silentpoetryarts @penpalhappyness @sweetlittlepenpals @swell_kids @theartofplanning @frugalcitygirl) These sweet ladies gave me a $50.00 gift card to ErinCondren.com and a $25.00 Etsy gift card. I can't wait to get all of that planning goodness in the mail to share what I ordered with everyone. In the meantime, make sure you click on their names above and check out their Instagram pages!! 

And while I'm going on and on about my excitement for my planner and accessories, I have been stalking Etsy pages, Pinterest boards, Facebook groups, and Instagram hashtags. I can go ahead and tell you that I will take back what I have said about the cost of Erin Condren's planners. I don't even have mine yet, but can tell you it will be worth the money, and while I didn't make the initial investment into mine...I guarantee you I will be on the Erin Condren bandwagon for years and years to come!! (sorry, hubby) :)

That's enough for tonight...I'll continue this post about the rest of my interests/obsessions/husband's headaches tomorrow! Make sure you click the buttons at the top right of my page and follow me on my social media links, so you are in the Faith, Family, and 5th loop!!

Stay tuned for Part 2 tomorrow! 

My FIRST blog post

Well, here goes nothing...I have stalked followed many members of the blog world for quite a while now, and have finally decided to give this blogging thing a shot. If for no other reason, I am excited that this blog will give me a place to keep my thoughts, ideas, and activities/lessons organized. I have found so many helpful ideas through following other teacher bloggers, and who knows...maybe, just maybe, I might have some helpful tips to share as well! :) Before I go any further, I must give a HUGE thank you to Megan at A Bird in Hand Designs for designing this blog for me. She was so easy to work with, it is obvious she loves what she does, and she was quick to help this "newbie" with any questions or concerns I had. Check out her page...especially if you feel your blog needs a little sprucing up. :)

Ok, back to the basics of me...my name is Nikki and I teach in a very small town in South Carolina. I have taught for 9 years and have loved every minute of it, but have truly found my passion for teaching in the last year. Not to say I haven't always loved what I do, but this past year has been the icing on the cake as far as feeling at home, in my element, and right where I belong! I have spent the majority of my teaching years teaching 3rd grade, but my heart has found its home at a new school in 5th grade this year. I now teach 5th Grade ELA and Social Studies to 2 separate classes each day. I love, love, love what I do! Next year things will change up a bit as I teach one block of Read 180 (more on that later), one block of ELA and two blocks of Social Studies, but I feel sure I am going to be just as happy and at home as I have been this year.

My life is not just awesome because I have a job I love, but it is especially awesome because I have a wonderful family I love, too! I have been married to my sweet husband for 3 years. We met through an online dating service...kinda strange, but it turned out well :) He has a 16 year old daughter that I now get to claim, and together we have a 2 year old little boy and a little girl who is about to be 1. There are 14 months between the babies, so I can promise you things get a little crazy around our house sometimes! It's a fun crazy though and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.

The name of my blog is pretty self explanatory...I wanted to link together the three most important things in my life which are obviously my faith, my family, and teaching (thus, Faith, Family & 5th). I wouldn't be who I am today and wouldn't have made it through many parts of my life without my faith. I believe a strong, solid family is a foundation that no one can break, and I pray my passion for teaching and helping students LOVE to read is obvious each day!

I am nervous, but excited about this little journey I am about to embark upon within the blogging world. I have learned so much and am so thankful for many people/teachers that I may never meet. I hope I can look back one day and know that I helped someone along the way and that this blog will be one venue for providing help, support, inspiration, or just my thoughts! And so, without further adieu...