Teacher by the Beach

A new blog, giveaways - and a fun recipe!

Friday, December 30, 2011

Did you guys know about this 2nd grade blog??

She's so cute! And she's been doing some giveaways too! Go on over and check her out...she's doing a giveaway right now that ends January 2nd!
(p.s. - if anyone can tell me how to get my comments to be numbered, then I am going to do my giveaway for having 200 followers! woohoo!)

Head on over to

to enter her giveaway too! As soon as she gets to 300 followers, the giveaway ends!

Also, Kelley over at Buggy for Second (one of my new faves) is doing a cute giveaway of this...

Click HERE to go check it out!

Happy New Year everyone! 2011 was a great year;
we bought our 2nd home and SOLD our first (yay! that took FORever), I graduated with my masters degree, and we just finished off the year giving birth to my beautiful baby girl...
I am excited to see what 2012 will bring...I look forward to many more posts - I have learned so much from you all (teacher blogs, DIY, and crafty/cooking blogs) and have grown in many ways. Here's to a new year!!

I leave you with this:

My husband and I will be toasting into the new year...but notice the gravity-defying champagne??? hehe...I made sparkling jello!! yay! Those of you who don't "know" me yet...I LOVE to be themed...do you remember my pumpkin waffles and reindeer pancakes?? hehe. I'm wondering if I need to change my blog's name to something about being a teacher and being crafty-like?? lol. I got the recipe from Family Fun...check it out {HERE}.

Be safe and see you next year!

New blog and a linky!

Yes, I'm blogging again. haha...

Today was my first day home from the hospital (did you see my Introducing post??), and what is the first thing I did??? Ok, well, I went outside and played with my 2 year old because it was just SO GOSH DARN BEAUTIFUL outside!! 70 degrees and perfectly blue skies!! I was NOT going to waste another day cooped up inside!! (Yes, it is SO weird NOT to be in pain or tired or wanting to just sleep! All I want to do is get up and going - SO not like my first birthing experience. I'm not sure if it'll hit me in a few days, or if I just got REALLY lucky this time??)

So, I guess the question should be, what was the 2nd thing I did when I got home?? CLEANED!!! lol!!! I'm NOT even lying! I came home and my house was a disaster (apparently, my OCD gene did NOT come from my mother - though I'm very thankful she was here to take care of Autumn while we were in the hospital, and that's all that matters, right?!). So, I couldn't take it and I started cleaning the kitchen and doing laundry, and throwing things away...WHAT is wrong with me??? lol!! I have to blame it on Brooklynn though...I think this was the easiest birth ever. In history. I feel like I could go ahead and start working out or running...but I won't. Not yet. lol.
And the 3rd thing I did??? Started looking through all my emails....OH EM GOSH!! This is going to take me FOR. EV. ER!! Seriously. I left for the hospital with 65 emails (all of which have been read, so I didn't even count them), but now I'm up to....hold please...217!!! WHAT??? I need to go through 150 emails! lol...most of which I sent myself while I was being OH SO BORED sitting in the 4x4 hospital room. bleh!

One of the emails I came across that I HAD to do tonight was about a new blog in town!

Yay!! I'm super excited about Erika's new blog! (someone put the title of their post about this as NBOTB - and I got totally excited because it made me think of NKOTB! lol...I don't remember who it was, but I DID send myself that post so I could comment on it!) ANYWAY, when Erika posted on her teacher blog,

I was instantly interested in being a contributor!
She has created a new blog called

and has invited anyone to come contribute to it! It's like a book club, that you don't have to go to...lol.

I have been neglecting my reading for a little while (can I blame it on doing National Boards, then getting married, and having a baby, and then doing my masters?? lol), but I have been collecting books (real and electronic) that I want to read during the whole "lull" so hopefully being home for a few months and this new blog will give me the motivation I need to pick it back up!

Head on over to see {my intro post} and check out all the other contributors as well!! There are TONS of great contributors!

I also wanted to link up with Clutter-Free Classroom....

Although, I probably should wait on this, because TECHnically, WE have another WHOLE week left of vacation. Teachers here go back on the 6th, and that's even a "work where you want" day. And quite honestly, I have like 6 weeks left of my vacation..lol.

But none the same, I wanted to link up so I can meet new friends :)

Our vacation just started, but we've done A LOT in our short time...

We've gone to Sea World and participated in their Christmas Celebration

LOVE this picture of Autumn with Santa.

And we've gone up to St. Augustine to see the Nights of Lights...

And we celebrated Christmas....at the beach!

where we built our annual "sand"men

And the best thing we've "done" so far is have our new daughter, Brooklynn!

We are now home, and I will be spending a lot of time figuring out how to juggle both my "needy" baby (not that she's needy, but you know how babies are- gosh I love them! I had forgotten how cute their movements and little sounds are) and daughter who LOVES her mommy! And I hope to be starting my workouts and running soon too...if not, then maybe my Kinect sports will help me out a little until I can get back in my routines :) And then of course I will be working on getting through all my emails (see above). ha!

Introducing...

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Brooklynn Wynter...

Autumn loves her little sissy

my baby girls - Autumn is SUCH a hoot!! lol

My first contraction was about 3am on Dec. 28th. Around noon, they gave me my epidural...only to have it wear off by about 2:00. They were trying to give me more meds, but they had TWO emergencies going on at the same time...so it was hard to get to me. Around 2:45 my doctor came and and checked me - I still was dialated all the way, but apparently "I just needed to deliver." ha! WITHOUT meds??? okie dokie...here we go! My first push was at 2:55 and she was out by 3:03!

Autumn is now all better - so she was able to come say hi to her sister without worrying about getting her sick.
I have been SOOO bored here at the hospital...Brooklynn sleeps all the time (until we get home of course, lol).I have been checking my google reader on my phone and sending myself emails of posts to catch up on - leave comments and stuff....I think I'm over 100 emails now- ha! Y'all have been busy :)

Thank you for all the blessings, wishes, and prayers! I am a very blessed girl to have a wonderful family - but I'm thinking my husband is the lucky one - with 3 beautiful women in his life! ha!

p.s. - I'm over 200 followers now!! That means a giveaway soon!!

Is this the last??

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

OK, y'all....this may very well be my last post for 2011, so I'm glad they posted today so I could join in on the fun!! But first, I have to tell you....not only is my daughter STILL sick, but now she has an ear infection! She has NEVER been sick nor has she EVER had an ear infection. And she gets them BOTH at once...and the day before I go into the hospital to have Brooklynn. Talk about feeling bad about leaving her! :( Thankfully, my mom is now here, and I know she'll be in good hands (not only because she's MY awesome mom, but because she's a nurse).
Here I was so worried that over break, I'd have nothing to blog about..lol. I'm so glad I was wrong...there are TWO more linkies I want to link up to...first one is from Mor over at A Teacher's Treasure.

New Year Resolutions:

Personal:

1. to lose all the baby weight.

2. get better organized...ok, to get MY FAMILY more organized..lol

3. stop stressing about the small stuff - but that's what I do...my OCD sometimes takes over

4. Continue blogging & blog hopping!

5. Make a family night once a week - no TV!!

Professional:

1. Get better organized..lol. I mean I AM organized,but I want to rethink how I want it....

2. Maybe write a children's book?? I have actually written one, but now I don't know where to go with it....

3. Get better at paperwork...I HATE HATE HATE it!!

4. maybe start working on making my own units (for TpT)??

5. Keep blog stalking!!! HA! It's the BEST professional development!

What are your resolutions?!?

❤ Link Up ❤

This next one....Kristin told me that HAD to do it....so, ok, here I go! :)

11. Favorite movie you watched
Ok, those of you with small children at home and NO family around to help watch, know that this is NOT the easiest thing to do. And quite honestly, I really don't remember all the movies I've seen this year....and especially since most have them have been on DVD and I don't know which year they actually came out...

10. Favorite TV series
Ok, I have a few favorites....most of which are in their LAST season!! ahhh!!!

I actually met the WHOLE cast one year up in NYC...talk about star struck!

My husband used to hate this show, but that was because of her lipstick - ha!!

I'm not sure why, but I'm kind of addicted to this show - and my husband will actually sit and watch it with me too! hehehe (he'd kill me if he knew I told you!)

and.....

I seriously like this show...First off, I followed Lauren Graham over from Gilmore Girls...but I really think that EVERYONE can relate to this show, some how!

9. Favorite restaurant

Restaurant?? Ok, again, with a 2 year old, we RARELY ever go out - it's SOOOO not worth our frustrations..lol. But one of my FAVE places is Long Doggers...and there's one on the beach that I like to visit on our weekly beach trips in the summer :)

8. Favorite new thing you tried
I will have to say Blogging....I gave it a try in September, and I am UH. DICT. TED!!! lol. I think I have grown so much professionally because of all y'all, but I've also gained a lot more new friends :)

7. Favorite gift you received
This has yet to come...but she should be here by tomorrow!! Little baby Brooklynn will be my favorite gift!

6. Favorite thing you pinned
OMGosh....I'm going to have to say my "Oh My Crafts" board because it's totally inspired me to get back in to my crafty ways :)

http://pinterest.com/jross1018/oh-my-crafts/

5. Favorite blog post
Hmmm....I would have to say any post that is a Linky Party...there have been Foldables, Mentor Writing, Read Alouds, and then just all the *Fun* linkies, like Farley's Currently parties, the bag party. I love linkies becuase I get to see what everyone else does with the same concept - PLUS I get to meet new bloggy friends.

4. Favorite accomplishment
Graduated with my masters in Elementary Reading!!!

3. Favorite picture
I have so many, but I'll just pick a few

playing in snow in July!! My dad and my daughter :)

Autumn and me paddleboarding

Christmas day at the beach :)

2. Favorite memory

When I lived in West Virginia, one of my favorite memories was going to the drive in movie theater. I have told my husband this a bazillion times...and for mother's day this year, he found one in FL and he took me to one!!

1. Goal for 2012
In life: To lose all this baby weight...And to get more organized....I myself am very organized, but having my husband and daughter, there's a LOT of clutter..lol

In school: I need to be better at paperwork - I DETEST paper work...and now with this RTI thing...ugh. Don't get me started...

All right. So that's my 11 in 2011. Go on over and Link UP!!! Please! :) I love reading all y'alls links :)
This may very well be my last post for the year....I may be headed to the hospital tonight - woohoo!!! We will finally get to meet our baby girl Brooklynn... I promise when things calm down, I will be sure to share :) I may be around tonight, as I'll be hanging out being bored in the hospital....but do you know how excited I am to FINALLY get a full night's sleep?? lol
Happy 2012 my friends! It has been SO great meeting all of you this year and learning so much from each and every one of you!!!

All things Gingerbread, inspirations and freebies!

1,332 views

Also, can I just say....I just found out that I am the winner of Jamie's HUGE giveaway!!

Do you follow her?? Go check her out!

I want to say THANK YOU to all the donors!! (I'm going to try and put all their buttons on here so you can go check them out too!)

Lisa's TPT store (no teaching blog)

Heather from Hojo's Teacher Store

And for my other Thank Yous!!

Jessica, over at The Littlest Scholars, has such a cute freebie with pirates! It was a little young for my 2nd graders, and she offered me the blank versions so I could make my own! AW - thank you Jessica! I just LOVE pirates! and Ladybugs....and Dr. Seuss! lol. Good thing their all red, black, and white! lol
She has now posted those versions for everyone too!

Go check her out!
p.s...she just left for a little cruise vacay (JEALOUS!), so I'm sure she'd love a little surprise of new followers and comments when she came back! :)

And Diana Cole from Cole's Little Pups has such a CUTE Jan Brett activity for her Three Snow Bears book. She's wanting to be able to adapt her units to go up to 2nd grade, so she let me make a few suggestions for her future units. Go check her out - she's got some SUPER cute stuff! (I didn't see a button to grab, so just click on her blog's name for the link!)

There are so many others out there I want to thank! I am so glad to have found this little bloggy community, and am so appreciative of all your support and words of encouragement. I have found some great bloggy friends, and I love how you guys CRACK. ME. UP!! (Kristin, Reagan, and Kim, JUST to name a few! But there are SO many more out there. I could just make a HUGE list of everyone I ~~stalk~~ appreciate on a daily basis...oh wait. I have! Check out my newly updated blog button roll on the left!)

And I have another Thank You to post about, but I'm waiting to get it in the mail so I can take pictures of it to go along with the post.

And probably, the most selfish thank you I want to say is that I love all of the comments I get from you all. lol. No seriously. It really brightens my day whenever I see a comment in my email! Sometimes I read them a few times :) Is that wrong?! lol And I try to respond to all of the comments - usually by responding my email. Have you gotten them!? I hope so! I do it that way because I'm usually on my phone and it's easier than going to your blog and making a comment. Geez. I really hope you're getting them. Now I'm feeling bad. I might have to start making it over to the computer to make sure I go comment on your blog! lol.

It's the BEACH time of year....

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Today is Christmas - part I anyway. My mom comes in tonight from Colorado (yay!!), so today it's just our little family celebrating. Each year, we head to the beach...doesn't everyone go to the beach on Christmas??? lol. Now, if I wasn't 9 months pregnant, I totally would have been out in the water (withOUT a wetsuit) getting my surf on, but oh well. Playing on the beach will just have to do. :)

And we make "snow"men! lol...

here's my version....

and my husband's version...

From our family to yours - Merry Christmas! Hope your day brings you joy, however you spend it.

p.s...I'm only 9 away from my 200 follower giveaway! Check out what I'm going to do once I get to 200 {HERE}