Sunday Sanity Saver: Workshop Organization

This weekend was incredible!  I had the privilege of sharing my passion for Readers' Workshop with other educators at the Oregon Reading Association's Winter Institute.  I presented on tips for managing an engaging Readers' Workshop.
One of the most important parts of this, is organization.  As teachers we know that organization is the foundation to all of our teaching.  Without it many of us are lost.  For that reason, I wanted to share with you the organizer that I use when planning out my Workshop overview each week.  This does not replace my lesson plans.  This overview is my plans for my workshop each week.  Just like my lesson plans it may change, but I love that I can record notes and observations on it, which I revisit daily.

This planner can easily be used with writing and math as well.  I hope this saves you a little bit of sanity as we enter a crazy week.

What do you use to keep all of your groups and conferences organized?  Leave a comment below, I would love to hear from you.

Sunday Sanity Saver: Organized Planning

Happy Super Bowl Sunday!  What kind of fun plans does everyone have today?  With the want to enjoy our weekends, I decided today's topic of Organized Planning was a must.
Whether you are new to teaching or a veteran teacher, you know that planning a successful week takes time and energy, something that we are all lacking.  Several years ago, I started using a planning guide, that I created and it has helped me tremendously.
*Please note, I have tweaked and revamped this organizer multiple times and I feel like it truly covers all aspects of my planning needs.*

These organizers are all that I bring to my team planning meetings because they allow me to take the notes I need, without feeling overwhelmed.  I can then sit down and plug my detailed planning into Planbook.com.  What I love is that I have a clear view of where I am starting and going each month.
The organizers that you see here are just one of the available templates.  Also included is a year long overview, ELA organizer, and editable forms of everything.  Click on the image above for more information and a direct link to these planners.  Because everyone deserves to be organized, I am discounting these down for the next 24 hours.
Do you love that feeling of being organized?  What is your go to organizational tool for planning a successful week?  Leave a comment below and let me know.

Sunday Sanity Saver: Laundry Saved!

This week is all about saving your laundry from those inevitable stains that we all know too well.  First off, why don't more parents warn you about kid stains and the amount of laundry that would be added to your daily/weekly chores?  Since having my son, I swear my washing machine doesn't stop.  I am not one for super fragrant detergents and I made my own laundry soap for quite a while, but stain removal continued to be an issue.  Even more of an issue was the amount of clothing that got thrown away due to oil based stains that never cleaned up right.  I had just about had it until I stumbled across a random pin, on good-ole Pinterest, and decided to give it a whirl.  I have since played around with it and today I have for you the GREATEST DIY stain remover!!!
All you need is: Dawn dish soap, baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and an old toothbrush.
Start by finding a garment that makes you want to shed a tear.  I was so upset that I had only gotten one wear out of this beautiful top, from Paizlee.  Little man thought that shaking his oily hands at dinner was a great idea; it was cute until the oil was all over my new top and not his hands.

Drizzle Dawn dish soap on all the stained areas.

Sprinkle baking soda over the dish soap.  I always use too much baking soda, but it doesn't hurt the recipe.

Next, coat the baking soda in a layer of hydrogen peroxide.  You want just enough to create a thick paste.

Use the toothbrush to gently work the paste into the stains.

Let this stain remover sit on the garment for an hour and then wash it normally.
Finally, wear your favorite piece of clothing again!  I posted this picture after using this incredible and easy stain remover.

I figured if it worked on the delicate fabric my top was made out of, it was worth a try on little man's stain-ridden clothing.  I followed all of the above directions TWICE, yes, two times, and look at the before and after.

I am still shocked as to how well it worked.  Yes, it really is the same onesie!

What are your tips for keeping up for laundry and attacking all those crazy kid stains?  Leave a comment below, I would love to hear from you.

Sunday Sanity Saver: Cranberry Pork

First of all, a HUGE thank you to Rachel, from The Tattooed Teacher, for my amazing series logo!  Isn't she so talented?!?!?
I am so excited for #SundaySanitySavers to help you as much as they have helped me.

Today's post is all about the CROCKPOT!  Yup, that amazing device that was created to help moms, especially working moms, everywhere!  Even better than busting out the crockpot is being able to toss 4 ingredients in it and have dinner ready 6 hours later.  Without further ado....

Cranberry Pork

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 - 3 lb bone-in Pork Shoulder
• 1/4 c dried minced onion
• 1/4 c honey
• 1 can of whole cranberry sauce

Place the pork shoulder in the crockpot.  Cover with onions and honey.  Pour the can of cranberry sauce around the pork.

Set the crockpot for 6 hours, on LOW.  Then, leave it.  Seriously, do not touch it until it is done.

Once the pork has finished cooking, shred with a fork and remove the bone.

This deliciousness pairs perfectly with rice and green beans.

I would love to know if you try this recipe.  It has been on repeat for several months over here.  What is your go-to crockpot meal?  Let me know below in the comments.

Sunday Sanity Saver: Snowed-In With A Toddler

The weather here has been absolutely NUTS!  Being that I grew up in Michigan, it still drives me crazy that Portland hasn't gotten their act together and learned that rock salt and snow plows are a must this time of year.

Either way, I have loved this time with little man.  He has developed into such a creative, funny guy and I love witnessing his learning.

Unfortunately, we couldn't get out and do much exploring, we hit record low temperatures, so we made use of some items from the craft closet, or as my husband calls it the "crap closet".
These activities kept this 18 month old happy, engaged, and in one place for more than 5 minutes.  That my friends is amazing!

Pom-Poms, plastic IKEA bowls, and tongs were perfect for sorting and practicing colors.  The fine motor practice was incredible.

We reused a milk container and added colorful paperclips and cut up pipe cleaners.  Little man used a magnet to move all of the pieces around.  He loved trying to move them from one side of the container to another.

 The pom poms got another go with a piece of pool noodle.  Little man stuck each one in the center of the noodle and then I blew them out.  He couldn't get enough of the pom poms flying all over the living room and then setting it up to do it again.

 We have been having a great time with colors lately.  He is starting to recognize more colors and is very interested in learning the names of each color.  We used these interactive steps to practice a different way.

We also have spent a ton of time playing with his felt board.  Check out my DIY post here.

What are your go-to activities for an active toddler?  I would love to add more to my "bag of tricks"!  Here's to hoping the snow melts sooner rather than later.

#SundaySanitySaver: Oh, Grocery Shopping!

Have you had a chance to tune into my weekly tips on Periscope?  Every Sunday, I pop on Periscope to give you a tip to try and make your life a little easier.  This week, I shared a way to gain some time, by organizing your meals for the week.  As so many of us know, coming home after a long day and cooking can make a long day even longer.  I have learned that by planning my meals for the week, I can easily get dinner made with little hassle, except for keeping a one year old safely out of the kitchen.
I use this grocery list and meal planner to keep everything organized.  I can add to my list throughout the week, and then on Sunday when I run my errands I am good to go.  I just pop it in my Happy Planner and add to it when I get a couple minutes.

You can grab this grocery and meal template by clicking on the picture or this link.  I hope this saves a little of your sanity this week.  Be sure to hop over to Periscope next Sunday for another #SundaySanitySaver.