What Does the Elf Say?

Can anyone else believe that the holidays are sneaking up on us so fast? I certainly can't! I'm not totally ready - okay, not even close. The UPS guy is going to get to know us REALLY well during the coming days, since online ordering is my new BFF with two kids 3 and under.

Speaking of kids, we went to see Santa... And we got the classic one happy kid/one screaming kid picture. I love it. :)

Anyways, my kids have gone... well, how can we put it nicely? Umm, nuts. Ever since the calendar turned to December, they've been WAY more energetic than their usual selves. And this is with 19 boys and 7 girls, which is already a pretty energetic mix.

So, I've been looking for a quick, easy, and low-maintenance way to help encourage good behavior. I'm too cheap to spend $30 on an Elf on the Shelf, and couldn't find a knockoff, so I did what any thrifty teacher would do... Make a printable!

Each morning, my students walk in to find a couple of students with one of these notes, a York peppermint patty, and a bit of glitter on their tables. Uber low maintenance, quick, and the kids are loving it. Click the image above if you'd like to grab a free copy for yourself!

Off to grade some papers... Don't be jealous. :) Goodnight! 

Welcoming the holidays with a freebie and reflecting on Sandy Hook

Friday started out as a pretty good day - it was the last day of school for us for a three week (!) holiday break. After school, I stopped by the office and heard about what happened at Sandy Hook. At the time, I think I was just in shock, and since then, I have had a hard time NOT thinking about it. As a mother and a teacher, I cannot fathom the terror those children, their families, and their teachers endured on Friday. My heart goes out to those affected in Newtown, CT and it makes me incredibly grateful for every second I have with my own children.

(My kiddos seeing Santa... I couldn't get my daughter to sit on his lap!)

On a lighter note... We are now off on break and I'm enjoying a little bit of R&R! The last few days of school, I tried to keep things as academic as possible although the kiddos were CRAAAAZZZZYYY! One of the activities we did was graphing holiday M&Ms. The regular M&Ms this year are just two colors - green and red (weren't the greens a light green and a dark green in the past? Maybe it's just me...). However, you can use mint M&Ms (yummm...) or these:

Here's how they turned out!

If you'd like your own FREE copy, just click below!

Off to snuggle with my sweeties... Have a happy Monday!