Liebster and Family Photos!

Back to the grind tomorrow! My family and I had a wonderful Thanksgiving in NY this past week. Both my family and my husband's family live within 15 miles away from each other (where we grew up) so it is great to be able to spend the holiday with both families. Anyways, it was a great surprise to find out over the week that I was nominated for the Liebster Award from three fellow bloggers! Since this post is going to be JAMMED pack of information about me, I decided to make my intro short...BUT I couldn't leave out the amazing family pictures that we had taken this week:

 

This is my daughter, Addy! Typical attitude here...has to be center of attention.

 

 

 My husband and I! Nice, because we never had engagement photos.

 

 

The rules:

- You most post 11 random things about yourself.

- Answer the questions that the nominator set for you.

- Create 11 questions for the people you nominate.

- Choose 11 blogs you love (with less than 200 followers) and link them in your post.

- No tag back (but please leave a comment on this post with the URL to your Liebster post so I can learn more about you)!

 

So thank you!!!

 

11 Random Things About Me:

 

Questions from Resource Room Rules:

 
1) How long have you been blogging? Since this summer, so around 5 months.
2) Why did you start your blog? I enjoyed reading everyone else's blogs so much that I decided I wanted to start my own and share my ideas.
3) Where and what do you teach? I teach in Virginia and I am a 2nd/3rd grade looping teacher.
4) What is your favorite food? Tough one...but I love Thai and Mexican style dishes! Especially coconut curry or panang curry and anything I can put taco sauce on.
5) What is your favorite television show? I watch General Hospital everyday, or try to...but my favorite prime time show is a toss up between Grey's Anatomy and Revenege.
6) What do you do when your not teaching or blogging? Spending time with my family and friends. Wine tasting, play poker, taking walks, reading...
7) Last good book you read? Loved Fifty Shades triology!
8) Last good movie you saw? Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2, sorry but I am a total twilight geek!
9) Last memorable vacation? Beach trip to Topsail Island this past summer...love the beach!
10) Where have traveled? I've traveled out of the U.S. (besides Canada) twice visiting Poland, Germany, and the Czech Republic.
11) Favorite time of year? Tough one as well...but I have to say, because the current season that I love Thanksgiving to New Years holiday season. So much family time!

Questions from Third Grade Doodles:

 

 

1.  What is a recipe that you are famous for making? Delicious Guacomole!

2. Why did you start a blog? I enjoyed reading everyone else's blogs so much that I decided I wanted to start my own and share my ideas.

3. What is your favorite subject to teach? Social Studies

4. What is a favorite website that you use with your students? Spelling City and Brain Pop Jr.

5. What is the hardest thing about teaching? Teaching the things that come easy to you, such as borrowing and carrying in math or why you shouldn't start ever sentence with And...

6. If you could go anywhere, where would you go? To the beach, every day!

7. Describe in a sentence or two, your ideal classroom. Well managed, calm children with a love for learning, enough space to actually have small groups and individual space for Daily 5, more cabinets and wall space...unlimited resources at my finger tips that do not require a credit card number!

8. What is a favorite teaching theme or bulletin board idea that you've used? I love my current bright colors and polka dot theme!

9. Who is your favorite music artist? Bon Jovi!!

10. What is your morning poison? (i.e., coffee, tea, sugar, etc.). Coffee!

11. If money were no object, what one thing would you buy for yourself? For your classroom?  For myself...a house that is all paid for so there is no mortgage or rent payments. For my classroom...iPads!

Questions from Curious Firsties:

 

 

1. What wakes you up in the morning? Usually my three year old daughter crawling into bed with us.
2. Do you have a hobby that you enjoy? Reading
3. Do you have a recipe that you can't live without? Black Bean and Avocado Dip (1 can of black beans, 2 ripe avocadoes, salsa with corn, cilantro, scallions and lime juice...no amount is too small or big for this recipe. Serve with tortilla chips!)
4. What is your favorite movie? Love Actually and Twilight Saga...most Julia Roberts movies.
5. Why did you decide to start blogging? I enjoyed reading everyone else's blogs so much that I decided I wanted to start my own and share my ideas.
6. If you weren't teaching, what would you do instead? Event planning, which I do in the summer months.
7. How long have you been teaching and in what grades? I had been teaching since 2008 part time in all grades but 3rd. I was hired in my first full time position this past Feb. as a 2nd/3rd grade teacher.
8. What is your favorite household chore? does redecorating count?
9. What is a holiday tradition that you love to do each year? Watch National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation while putting up the tree!
10. Where do you like to shop? Kohl's, Old Navy, Michael's
11. What is your favorite pin on pinterest? Probably this one... haha!!

 

 

Oh boy, this is a long post!

Here are the 11 blogs that I am nominating:

1. Learning with Laughter

2. Crayon Confessions 

3. Anchored in 3rd Grade

4. Wicked Fun in First Grade

5. Savvy in Second

6. Third Grade is a Hoot

7. Dare to be Different- Teach!

8. The Happy Teacher

9. Teacherific in 2nd Grade

10. Polka Dots & Teaching Tots

11. Confessions of a Teachoholic

 

Here are my 11 questions:

1. What is your favorite part of blogging?

2. What is your favorite Christmas/Holiday movie?

3. What is your favorite topic to teach?

4. Where and what grade do you teach?

5. What is the last great book you read?

6. What is your favorite TpT purchase? (leave a link)

7. What is your favorite pin on Pinterest? (leave a link)

8. What is your go to blog? (leave a link)

9. What could you not live without?

10. What is your favorite teacher tool?

11. What is your favorite teaching website? (leave a link)