****Guess what?!  Letter of the Week lesson plans are getting an overhaul!  I’m going through and updating all plans, adding new free worksheets and making sure all links are up to date!  I’ve created a bunch of templates too for some of the crafts that’ll make your life a lot easier!  Hang tight!  It may take some time to get through all the letters, but it’s coming soon!!  If you’re seeing this message, this post has already been updated!*** 4/26/23

I used to tell my kindergartners that S was the funnest letter to write.  It was like a swirling, slippery slide with fun curves.  But I must admit, my fondness of the letter S was completely an act.

In truth, the letter S reminds me of slithering, spiders, snakes and evil Disney characters who drawl out their “sssssssss” in their evil monologues.

However, just for you dear reader, I have put aside my disdain for the letter S and dug up a weeks worth of adorable and fun activities! Check out this week’s Letter S Lesson Plans!

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****Guess what?!  Letter of the Week lesson plans are getting an overhaul!  I’m going through and updating all plans, adding new free worksheets and making sure all links are up to date!  I’ve created a bunch of templates too for some of the crafts that’ll make your life a lot easier!  Hang tight!  It may take some time to get through all the letters, but it’s coming soon!!  If you’re seeing this message, this post has already been updated!*** 4/25/23

You know what I love about preschoolers and kindergarteners?  The way they frequently mis-pronounce the letter R.

Like in Kevin Henkes, Hooway for Wodney Wat.” Those precious w-sounds in place of r-sounds It is so stinkin’ precious!

My own Southern Belle has a slight Boston accent when trying to pronounce her r sounds now.  Her dialect is a jumbled mix of southern drawl and  Harvard Rs.  Part of me hopes she’ll never outgrow it.

But…since the end goal is proper pronunciation – we will work on it, and this week’s lesson plans provide the perfect opportunity!

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****Guess what?!  Letter of the Week lesson plans are getting an overhaul!  I’m going through and updating all plans, adding new free worksheets and making sure all links are up to date!  I’ve created a bunch of templates too for some of the crafts that’ll make your life a lot easier!  Hang tight!  It may take some time to get through all the letters, but it’s coming soon!!  If you’re seeing this message, this post has already been updated!*** April 21 2023

Quick, quiet, quaint…   What do these words have in common?

Certainly nothing to do with my life!

But they do all start with the letter q and and therefor are essential to this week’s Letter Q Weekly Lesson Plan.  And I do promise to be quicker at getting these lessons out now.

See what I did there?

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I taught for 10 years. There were lots of things I loved about my job, but it was not easy. I often felt over-worked and underappreciated, as do many other teachers. Every year, I had a few sweet parents who would send goodies throughout the year and it always put a smile on my face. I told myself then, that I wanted to be that parent when my own kids went to school.

So I try to send little goodies throughout the year: back to school, Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Easter and teacher appreciation week/end of the year. I’m also the stereotypical “Pinterest Mom” so I scour Pinterest each year in search of cute ideas to tie in with my gifts. Through the years, I have found many great ideas and even made a few of my own.

I’ve pinned a ton to my Pinterest board, but struggled with organizing them.   So to help us both out, I’ve created this blog post of fabulous Teacher Gift ideas! I’ve even indexed them by holiday/event. Be sure to pin this one, because you’re going to want to re-visit it throughout the year!

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If you’re coming from my Ultimate List of Teacher Gift Ideas post, you know I’m a fan of surprising my girls sweet teachers with little gifts throughout the year.

This year, I’ve challenged myself to take it a step above, and design my own cute gift ideas and create printables to go along with them.  I started with this cute back to school teacher gift!

Back to school is one of my favorite times to give a present. I started with my oldest started part time preschool, in the infant/toddler class l when I was working and is something I’ve continued every year.

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One afternoon, just after she turned one, my husband fed our oldest daughter part of a Reese’s Cup. I mean…she was over one, we followed what we’d been told and waited til after our first birthday. I don’t even know if he’d realized I hadn’t given it to her yet. And peanut butter was literally my favorite food. Who would’ve ever imagined that in seconds her tiny face would blow up with huge welts and start swelling??

Luckily, I knew about food allergies. I had a student at the time who had a variety of food allergies, whose Mom was amazing and taught me so much. We didn’t have an Epi-Pen on hand but I knew enough to give her Benadryl. The hospital was only 10 minutes away, but it felt like a cross country trip.

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****Guess what?!  Letter of the Week lesson plans are getting an overhaul!  I’m going through and updating all plans, adding new free worksheets and making sure all links are up to date!  I’ve created a bunch of templates too for some of the crafts that’ll make your life a lot easier!  Hang tight!  It may take some time to get through all the letters, but it’s coming soon!!  If you’re seeing this message, this post has already been updated!***

P is for puppy, poop, pee and perpetual potty training.  It is also the reason I am really behind in getting these posts out.

This crazy Mama just got a puppy.  So now I have a 4 year old, a 21 month old (who is also potty training)  annnnddddd a 10 week old puppy.  Is there a P word for “Mama’s lost her ever loving mind?!”

Seriously though she is the absolute cutest.  As evidenced by this picture.  Internet – meet Lilly Heart Sparkle (named of course by my 4 year old).  She is the sweetest, bundle of mischief that ever walked on four legs!

She has made my already world a lot crazier, but I finally found time to get the letter P out to you!  Preschool starts soon y’all so I promise I’ll be better!   But without further adeui, I bring you the letter P!!

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The back to school clock is ticking down, and while most of me is sad, part of me is also excited. My girls go to preschool a few days a week in the mornings so I can get some work done. My oldest will be starting her final year of preschool and can’t wait to show her teachers what she’s learned about letters!

It’s bittersweet sending them to school because even though I treasure the time with them, it is so incredibly hard to get anything done with them home. And…their bickering and whining might just be driving me to the brink of insanity.

In addition to the opportunity to get work done, preschool does a great reason to create cute back to school outfits. To match my girls sweet back to school shirts, I had to create super cute bows! I’d seen a few ideas floating around and decided to do my own take on it.  So today I’m sharing with you my very own Pencil Hairbow DIY – the perfect accessory for those back to school outfits. 

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T- minus approximately 4 weeks until my girls start back to preschool.  I may or may not have a mental countdown going on in my head.

Seriously…I love them both more than life, but working at home with 2 small children is no easy feat!  Plus – Mama needs a break from the tantrums and bickering –  Am I right?

So I’ve been busy gearing up for back to school and today I wanted to share with you this quick, adorable – first day of school chalkboard DIY!

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