Summer Organizing Challenge

I find myself trying to prepare for the upcoming school year by purging my whole house!!!  I seem to do that every summer.  It's the only time I find I am able to really take time to go through all my "junk" and purge.  Once school begins- it's busy town.
I was imagining that others have the same difficulty.  Sometimes I appreciate a little boost or incentive to get things completed.  Knowing someone will see my results- other than my kids and hubby always helps me work harder.  I thought it would be fun to have a little reward too!  I am giving away something that is useful for any grade.
If you complete the 4 week challenge- I will give you my new Teacher Planning Binder for free.  I just added it to my TpT store found here....

I know, I know.  Everyone and their sister from another mister has a teacher plan book/binder out now, but their book isn't free (OK, not totally free- you have to clean out your house to get it...but it's a total win-win situation)!!!  There are 69 pages total to the download.  It has four different style options, 11 divider pages per style and organizing pages for student info, weekly lesson plans and grades.

And because I REALLY want this to work for you, I am throwing in a special freebie for those folks who take on and complete the challenge.  I will send a set of editable pages to go along with the Planning Binder to be used for the year.  The freebie pages include:  Year at a Glance outline, Student Birthdays and Parent Volunteer worksheets.  The editable pages will assist you in organizing your year.  I will be adding those editable pages to my TpT store soon.   

Keep reading to the bottom for all the rules.

Here are the weekly challenges and "due" dates: 

Here's how my 1st week went:

After several hours and a couple of days, here is the result:

Rules of the Challenge:
I will post a linky each Sunday, 1 week prior to the "due" date for you to show off your cleaned up and purged home areas.  The first due date is July 6th, one week away.

*Post a before and after picture on your blog (see below for help with that).  Create a link back to my blog on that post.

*When you link to my challenge linky, please be sure your link goes directly to the specific post about this challenge.

*Purge, recycle, trash, clean, label, reorganize, give away, and do anything else you can to help yourself feel more organized and prepared for the new school year.  When your home is in order it will allow for a smoother transition back to school.

*Once you have posted your awesome newly cleaned areas, go to the blog posted before and after yours.  Comment on the two blogs giving them encouragement- we all need that from time to time.

*Then on the final week, if you have completed all 4 weeks of the challenge, I will request your email and will send you a google doc link to the FREE Planning Binder (and the added editable pages).

Now, it's time to get started.  Below are the templates you may wish to use for week 1.  Just insert the pictures and a text box to explain what you are showing us.  Good luck.  Let the cleaning begin!

Science is Super

My kids love science projects and experiments.  Kids meaning- my daughters.  Although, my students always love when it's science time as well.  Maybe because I have a great time with science too.  I get a bit silly about it.  I love the discussions, vocabulary opportunities, trial and error and the possibility of getting messy or being outside.  It's just plain educational fun.
This summer my daughters have done a few different science lessons with me and my hubby.  I did some lessons from a resource that is near our house.  The Sandia Mountain Natural History Center is near my home and has a variety of resources.  Even if you don't live nearby to use the resource of the center (which is usually not open to the public, but a great field trip opportunity), you can use the site for info on the central NM mtn area or just to watch the wildlife videos.  There are some great curriculum packets they have available to the teachers that are used before a field trip.  You are able to download the info whether or not you go there for the field trip.  I used some of it already with my entering 2nd and 5th grade girls.  We explored our own yard discussing ecosystems, talked about vocab and wrote about it, and then went on a treasure hunt trying to find some of the things we talked about (decomposers, producers, and consumers in nature).  It was really fun, took us about an hour and created the opportunity to write/read/problem solve without them knowing I was making them do it!!!!  Ha, ha, I'm a sneaky mom.  If you want to see the lesson plan download possibilities, click the link below and any of the words in blue will take you to lp's (except pre-trip kit).  If you want to see the whole site, just go to "home" after clicking the link below.



The site my hubby has used a bit with my kids is below.  If you click on it you will be taken straight to the experiments page.  There are a ton!  We did the chemistry experiment called elephant toothpaste (it's really funny) and we talked about Bernoulli's principle and tried the tp and leaf blower experiment.  Oh my goodness, did the kids LOVE that one.  They tp-ed the backyard in style.  Check out what that looks like {HERE}.  The link I just mentioned will take you to youtube and the Ellen episode where Steve Spangler does the experiment on her show.  


Have a nice Monday,

Foxwell Forest Give Away

Click the above to go to a great give away from Foxwell Forest!!!  I would love to win her entire TpT store.  Wow!
Happy Saturday,

Linking Up Randomness

This is my first time linking up with Fabulous in First- and I'm a day late.  If you want to try it out, click the pic above to go to the very cool linky hosted by Michelle.

ONE
My daughter just finished acting camp this past Friday and she had a fun time.  The class made a movie during the week and we got to go to the viewing party this evening.  She was most excited about the red carpet treatment and her award- most knowledgeable!

TWO

My younger daughter had an acting gig as well.  She was a girl scout in a fantasy football spot.  It was funny.  I didn't take a pic there, but here she is during the fitting.

THREE

I'm trying to get ready for the Cherry Garcia 5K...it's in a couple weeks and I haven't done very much to train!!!  Eeks.  I need to start REALLY running, yesterday.

FOUR
I've begun working on a project that I intend to post on TpT by the end of the summer.  I am trying to make a special package of things that are able to be used by a variety of grade levels.  More to come on that at a later time!

Happy Monday,

June Currently- summer rocks!

You know the drill, click below if you wish to join Farley!

Have a great June 1st!