Grandparent Christmas Gift

I realize that Christmas is over so this gift won't work for many of you (save it for next year).  But this may be an option for a Birthday or 'Just Because' gift for your little one's grandparents.

One side has a Handprint and Poem

My  Hand Is Like a Snowflake

Unique in Everyway

Please Keep It Close To Your Heart

I'll Be Grown Someday

The other side has his Christmas Photo

I cut out his handprint and poem and glued it to one side of a blue cardstock sheet. On the reverse I glued his Christmas Photo. You could use a hole punch and ribbon to make an ormanent or if you just one to do one side make it a magnet. I decided to make just the card so it could be used in different ways.

Happy Crafting

Stationery card

Happy Joy Christmas Card

Click here to browse our Christmas photo card designs.

View the entire collection of cards.

Time-to-Eat Tuesdays: Taco Dip or Hotdish

Taco Dip:

Mix together:

1 lb. browned and drained Hamburger

12 oz Chunky Salsa

1 cup Corn, drained

3/4 cup Miracle Whip

1 tbsp Chili Powder
2 cups Cheese (Mexican, Colby Jack, or Mozzarella)

Serve with Tortilla Chips and Enjoy

Taco Hotdish:

Follow the directions above but layer in a cake pan homemade tortialla chips, 1/2 mixture, 1 cup cheese. Repeat. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Reuse Halloween Letters

I was just about to toss my 'Happy Halloween' and 'Trick or Treat' gel letters when I thought of a few more uses...

ABOVE OUR 'IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBER' LIST

BECAUSE THERE IS A HOLIDAY BETWEEN HALLOWEEN AND CHRISTMAS 

(THERE WASN'T A U SO I CUT AN O)

NEXT TO BUG'S ART FROM OUR ECFE CLASS

WHERE I WRITE OUR MENU FOR THE WEEK

Time-to-Eat Tuesdays

Crock-pot Chicken Tortilla Soup & Homemade Tortillas

2 boneless, skinless Chicken Breast (frozen works great)

1 small onion, chopped

2 cans Rol-Tel   (I used tomato and chili to add extra spice)

1 cup Frozen Corn

2 cups Chicken Broth (you can use 2 cans or make your own with bouillon cubes)

1 1/2 cups Water

1 packet Taco Seasoning

Cheese and Sour Cream for Topping (optional)

4 or more Flour or Corn Tortillas

Cooking Spray

Salt

To make the Soup:

Mix together in the Crock-Pot: Onion, Rol-Tel, Corn, Chicken Broth, Water, and Taco Seasoning.

Add Chicken so it is at least partly submerged in the mixture.

Bake on Low for 8 hours or on High for 4 hours.
Before serving, take out Chicken and shred. Mix in with soup.

Serve with Tortilla Chips, Cheese (I used Mozzarella), and Sour Cream

Homemade Tortillas
I would suggest making these at least one hour before serving so they have a crispy texture.

Preheat oven to 400*

Spray tortillas with Cooking Spray on both sides
Cut into triangles using a pizza cutter
Sprinkle with Sea Salt
Bake for 5-6 minutes or until edges are golden brown

Wal-Mart Christmas Price Guarantee

Starting November 1st Wal-Mart is staring a Christmas Price Guarantee

Basically what this means is if you buy something at Wal-Mart after November 1st and see it in an ad someplace else cheaper, Wal-Mart will you give you the difference back in a gift card. This will run through Christmas.

You will need to bring in both your receipt and the ad. The price guarantee is for the exact same item.

This does exclude food, online prices, and Black Friday Ads (bummer).

I think this is definitely a way to get customers to Wal-Mart. I will shop there knowing that it is going to be the cheapest price for the items I can find.

Quick... Less than 2 months of shopping left!

Swagbucks

Why You Should Join Swagbucks.

Swagbucks is a website where you earn points to get free stuff.

I love using SwagBucks and really have gotten free Amazon eGift Cards just by using this site so I thought I would share it with all of you....

There are a variety of ways to earn free points including daily polls, special offers, watching tv, finding free codes on their blog, searching via their website, and much more.

Basically all you need to do is follow my link below to sign up and receive 30 free swagbucks.

http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/ablais86

* Visit their website daily to participate in their daily poll.
* Click through the NOSO (No Obligation Special Offers), reject all offers, and earn swagbucks (once daily)
* You can also do tasks, play games, watch movies, and more but many of these are time consuming and just not for me.

The #1 way to earn lots of SwagBucks is to SEARCH. Download their search toolbar on your computer and instead of searching via Google or a different search engine, use SwagBucks. (You can also go to swagbucks.com and search via their homepage). You won't earn SwagBucks for every single search but they will appear frequently.

Some Hints:
1. Instead of typing in a web address (such as facebook.com), search for it via swagbucks
2. Search on Friday as it is Mega SwagBucks Friday (many more points awarded for seaches)
3. If you have extra time, just starting searching (it doesn't matter what for)
4. Join SwagBucks via Facebook and watch for Codes
5. Follow the SwagBucks Blog and watch for Codes
6. Explore the SwagBucks Website. It is very easy to navigate and has lots of point earning opportunities.


When I earn enough points I always go for the Amazon eGiftCards. 450 SwagBucks gets you one $5 Amazon Gift Card. Not bad considering I would be searching for info/websites either way. I've been able to purchase some Christmas Gifts via my Amazon GiftCards and it's fun to know they cost me nothing.



Sign up via this link and you start with an automatic 30 SwagBucks:

http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/ablais86

Stages of Reading

Reading is so incredibly important. I try to read to my Bug at least once a day. Of course, this doesn't always happen but it's definitely something we shoot for. And on some days, like Tuesday at the Library, he gets lots and lots of books read to him.

Stages of Reading

1. Listening to stories, unaware of print and its funcitons.

2. Picture reading, describing pictures.

3. Going through motions of reading; turning pages, tracking print.

4. Pretend Reading; making up story or drawing from memory.

5. Memory Reading; may track print with hand but  not eyes.

6. Scaning for meaning and saying individual words (mostly nouns).

7. Listening for repetition in story and chiming in.

8. Generalizing knowledge from familiar texts to new texts.

9. Recognizing patterns, using contexts clues, sounds of letters/words.

10. Reading with fluency and expression.

A Trick: For your themed holiday and seasonal book, pack them away with your holiday decorations. When next Halloween comes around it will be fun for Bug and I to revisit these great books.

(Notes Bug's hand reaching for his Mickey Mouse Haunted Clubouse Book)

Fourth Grade Honesty...

Ahh the honesty of fourth graders...

Where will you be in ten years?

*Working at Pizza Hut.
*Hopefully Graduated
*With a cell phone that actually has minutes on it.

...and my personal fave and perhaps the most honest

*Drunk in college and hopefully playing football.

Time-to-Eat Tuesdays

Mac & Cheese Lasagna

One of my favorite go-to recipes for when I'm not prepared for dinner is Kraft Mac & Cheese Lasagna with of few of my own changes

Mac & Cheese Lasagna

1 box Mac & Cheese Lasagna

1 lbs. Ground Beef

1 1/2 cups Spaghetti Sauce

1 cup Grated Mozzarella Cheese (or Italian)

Parmesan Cheese

Make Mac & Cheese according to package directions
Brown Ground Beef
Layer half of Mac & Cheese, 1/2 lbs. Hamburger, 3/4 cup Spaghetti Sauce, 1/2 cup Cheese.   Repeat
After second layer sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese
Bake at 350'F for 25 minutes

Serve with Garlic Bread and Salad

Enjoy!

Almost Free Personalized Christmas Gift

I've seen this offer on tons of sites and decided to check it out. Worked great for me!

Free $13 credit from Ink Garden for any NEW customers with code ForFree  (expires 12/31)
just pay shipping

http://www.inkgarden.com/  

I love the personalized mug but some of the other items you can get for free include a mouse pad, notebook, or placemat. Or check out some other items for $13 off your total.

My Namesake...

Welcome-

I am a Mother, Wife, Substitute Teacher, and Friend who has a bad reputation for never leaving 'Teacher Mode.' Some may say I like to make lists, give orders, be super organized, and follow you around fixing all the things you do wrong (ahem... my mother-in-law). So, welcome to (drum roll please)....

Teacher Mode!

What you can expect to see here...

Stories about my little bug

Recipes

Home Organization Ideas

Crafts

Learning Activities for Children

Book/Movie Reviews

Funny Classroom Moments

Mother/Wife Life

Great Deals

Links

.... and more