Cutsie It Up!!

Normally at this point in the summer, well---maybe a week from now, I wander in to my room with the excitement for new furniture arrangements, new decor stuff, and DREAD. I absolutely dread removing my furniture from a huge heap in the middle of my room. It's heavy, bulky, odd shaped, and there's so much of it. I love re-arranging, don't get me wrong....but that big heap of tables, chairs, bookshelves, etc. is so overwhelming at first. 

This year, however, our maintenance staff was AMAZING! Those ladies sure know what they are doing, and I cannot thank them enough! They took pics of my room and put EVERYTHING back exactly where it was. Even my "teacher space" on my counter (I don't use a desk). It looked phenomenal. And soooo clean! I'm excited to see them again & thank them repeatedly-----they made my coming back so easy! 

I only re-arranged a little bit this year, and moved 2 centers. With the extra time the maintenance crew saved me, I was able to tend to my I-feel-like-organizing and cutsie-it-up mood! Here's the results & if you want the EDITABLE labels, too....click on the photo(s)! Lord knows we all have these plastic drawers in our classrooms!!!!!

These are the drawers I use to keep my copies or anything that gets handed out to the kids. I used some washi-type tape (not really washi, but some off brand or something from Walmart. LOVE IT!) to adhere it to the front of the drawer. This little decorative tape is one of my new favs! 

I think this is my new favorite spot in my classroom. I really wanted comfy places for the kids to read this year. I know there may be some arguments over this one---but we'll get it figured out! I have a lovely 31 consultant/teacher-friend who feeds my addiction to cute bags & bins! 

Here's a bunch of little odds and ends that you'd probably find in a teacher's desk. Like I said, I don't use a desk, so I keep my randomness stored in these drawers on the counter. Also----as of last year, band-aids are a kid-accessible item. I got WAY to tired of fetching band-aids at inconvenient times. Fostering independence here, people! 

I LOVE my new Ikea 3-tier cart. It's stocked with everything I need for small groups/reading instruction---including my new personalized binder I'm using for assessments! If we have to assess all the time, it might as well be easy on the eye! 

More places to store my stuff! I'm a big fan of chalkboard labels & chalk markers! 

Oh yes....we must have a place where completed work should land. 

Now, it has a matching label! 

Here's my new Ikea rug, more labels for types of paper that the kids will need access to. Last year was such a whirlwind, it never got labeled. They managed....but this year, I'll sleep better knowing this is done. HA! 

I also keep my activities sorted for lang. arts and math by skill. Shown above is a box of word work activities for short vowel & cvc word blending. Look REALLY close in the bottom right corner of that tote and you'll see the cute little logo/graphic from my friend Julie at Make-Take-Teach. She makes some GREAT products, and that's where I keep all those bad boys! 

Another show of my "teacher space". And another 31item. 

Love me some fold-n-file boxes!! 

And finally, here is my new trash to treasure----the bookshelf! 

YES! It's one long bookshelf a colleague threw out, and I snatched it up! 

So lucky!!! 

Happy Back To School & Happy Decorating!!!! 

Chalkboard Vinyl

If you have not yet discovered chalkboard vinyl and all that is great and good about it....let me tell you, you are totally missing out on a really amazing product!! I featured chalkboard vinyl in a previous post about creating prop boxes. It is one (of many) ways to label things. It is by far my new favorite labeling system!

Awhile ago, my friend & colleague Julie, from Make, Take, Teach featured my new love in one of her blog posts. You can see the post HERE.

Photo Credit:Make, Take, Teach Blog & Julie Van Alst

I use self-adhesive chalkboard vinyl in both my home and classroom in a variety of ways. It is removable and re-positionable, and can sustain washing by hand! Incredible right?! 

Here are all the ways that I use it in my home/classroom:

* On the refrigerator (or door, cabinet, etc.) to write reminder notes

* On student mailboxes/cubbies to label with their names

  (have a student move out and a new one move in? Simply erase with a damp cloth and re-write!)

* Label boxes, bins, storage containers

* Label containers in my kitchen pantry

* Use as a calendar

*And MUCH MUCH MORE! 

So----I just got a new 50 YARD (HOLY COW!) roll in the mail today! I went in with 3 other teachers and bought the mother load! We each get 12.5 yards, and I am SO SO very excited! 

Another talented friend and colleague of mine is also dearly in love with chalkboard vinyl! She has an entire Etsy shop devoted to LOTS of ways to use chalkboard vinyl. She has many cute labels in different shapes and designs, and shows you how to use them in a variety of ways. There's no need to order a roll of vinyl and do all the cutting yourself---when you can buy everything pre-cut from Lake Effect Treasury. She takes custom orders, and I am sure she'd be happy to hear your needs for your classroom.

If you were lucky enough to attend the MiAEYC conference this year in Grand Rapids, MI.....my Co-presenter and I were giving away sample packs of these labels from Lake Effect Treasury. Those who attended the conference LOVED the samples, and a few ladies commented on ordering classroom sets for the fall. Imagine how much trouble you can save yourself by not purchasing name tags, labels, and writing, laminating, cutting out, and adhering student names everywhere! This is a really great time saver and should give you something fun to do over the summer as you prepare for your new batch of students!

There are a bazillion cute and crafty ways to use this product on Pinterest. I am sure that you, too, will find it all very "Pinteresting"!!! If you already have, or decide to go get some chalk vinyl, don't forget to grab yourself some Chalk Ink markers (liquid chalk pens)----AND let me know how you used to product in your classroom!!! 

Happy crafting and labeling! 

Chalkboard vinyl can easily be cut using scissors or a Cricut (or other die cutting machine)---I bet your mind is reeling with possibilities and designs by now! 

HAVE FUN!