September Children's Book: Exclamation Mark

Hello There!

I hope everyone is having a lovely day! This past Tuesday, September 24th was National Punctuation Day. I recently read a children's book that I had to share. This book is called Exclamation Point: By Amy Krouse Rosenthal. This book is so fun to read to your students K-2. Children at this level are learning sentence structure and have questions concerning their punctuation. This is a great book that tells the story about certain forms of punctuation, and gives them a visual about these sometimes confusing endings. This is a great introduction book before you dive into the subject of punctuation.  Students could also make a short story about punctuation creating their own punctuation characters. Here is a link to Amy Krouse's other books, video and bio about this creative author. Your kids/ students will love it!

I obviously do not take into consideration this quote in my blogs:

“Cut out all those exclamation marks. An exclamation mark is like laughing at your own jokes.”

— F. Scott Fitzgerald —

http://www.whoisamy.com/mainFrame.php?p=films_play&fid=97

Oh well...I guess I like laughing at myself!

September Children's Book: Blackout

Hi Everyone!

I just wanted to review another book that I found so fun to read to your students/children.  This book is called Blackout: By John Rocco. This book is so wonderfully illustrated with the setting placed in a city where all the lights have gone out. Remember the blackout that occurred August 14, 2003? I remember exactly where I was. I was finishing up my life guarding shift at a local country club in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. Thankfully, it was still light out as people started to spread the word that this blackout effected most of the Northeastern states. Not that this was a major catastrophe, but it will always stick out in my mind as a memorable day in history. This book is so beautifully illustrated  with the Midnight sky and  the stars illuminating  the city streets. This book gives happy moments to children and their family when all digital media is down, family moments are the best! This book is a Caldecott Honor Award winner. I always find myself asking the question: Are we able to survive one of these catastrophes again with so much media in our hands? This question goes for me as well. I can never get off my iPad! Great book. No digital media allowed!

Here's a link if you forgot about the 2003 Blackout:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/14/new-york-city-blackout-2003-photos-power-outage-10-years_n_3755067.html

Wardrobe Wednesday: Black Style

Good Day!

Today I just wanted to talk about one of my favorite colors to wear. Black! I love this color! No, I'm not a dark and mysterious person that only comes out at night, I just love the simplicity and sophistication that black exudes. I feel confident and a little slimmer. When I can't pinpoint exactly what I want to wear, black is the color to take all the complication out of my life. Black is the color to make me feel beautiful on the most dreadful days. The little black dress is always a statement piece. The black slim pencil skirt is always flattering in a professional setting, and of course don't forget the classic black suit. I just invested in one for teaching interviews. Happy birthday to me! On weekends you can catch me in my black Nike skinny leg running pants,  or black leggings. In the fall and winter I used to buy thick opaque tights from Bloomingdales when I got my discount (that was short lived). DKNY makes the best! If money were no object, I'd opt for the Wolford's, but that's a little out of my price range right now.  I always love a good black ballet flat, I recently got a pair of waterproof ones for $4.95 on sale at J.Crew. Talk about a deal. You can never steer wrong in a classic black turtle neck or cashmere black sweater. Those never go out of style. I love color, comfort and the  precise fit. If something fits nice, it will always look sharp. Material is always important in a piece of clothing. You want it to last for awhile, not a washing or two. These are just some of my ideas for black style. What color flatters you?

Quaint Little Places to Visit in Nashville

Hello All!


This weekend I enjoyed myself while I explored my surroundings in Nashville, TN. I thought to myself, why not explore the place further before I make my way back up North. On Saturday, I went downtown and went to the ever popular GiGi's Cupcakes located in the Vanderbilt campus area. While I've had my share of cupcakes, I just can't get enough! My girlfriends in Chicago know what  I mean:) In Chicago they have the ever popular Sprinkles Cupcakes on Rush St. right smack dab in eyesight of where I was working. I always noticed a constant line outside the door. Even in zero degree freezing weather. For a cupcake? Well, I must say they are good, but one is enough to keep you content. They sure are rich in taste! In the south, GiGi's is the cupcake of choice and boy are they good! The line was not obnoxious as I stood there waiting contemplating my many choices. I finally decided on Birthday Cake, Wedding Cake, Kentucky Bourbon Pie and of course, Red Velvet. After that I decided to go check out a small coffee shop I heard about on Nashville Public television called Crema. This cute little shop is located on a hill just over looking downtown Nashville. The vibe is very rustic and  quaint. This coffee shop gets all their beans from local Nashville farmers. They take their coffee seriously and it sure is delicious! There were some coffee concoctions in there that resembled it like a science! I enjoyed my cup of latte! These were just some great places that I appreciate around Nashville so far. What a fun little adventure! What are some small businesses in your area that you recommend and support?

Latte at Crema

View at Crema Coffee

Gigi's Cupcakes

Yum!

September Children's Book: The Man Who Walked Between The Towers

Hello Everyone!

I recently went hunting for used book for my future classroom. I came across some great reads. One book that I found quite interesting was a book called The Man Who Walked Across The Two Towers By Mordicai Gerstein. This book is all about a New York street performer and French acrobat named Pelippe Petit. In remembrance of 9/11, some children may have questions about this horrific day. This book has a way of informing students about the history of the twin towers as a positive peaceful remembrance. This book is a way showing students the historical background of the great structures. In this book Phillipe is inspired to wire walk between the two gigantic buildings. He had tight roped various other buildings before this feat including the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris France. This book talks about his journey and how he had to complete this daredevil stunt without anyone knowing. I get vertigo just reading about his adventure! This is a great non-fictional story to read to your students who have questions about The World Trade Center. This book is also inspiring for students who have dreams and goals for their lives to never give up and that anything is possible. This book has also won a Caldecott Award Medal. Great book for your library!

Sometimes We All Could Use A Vacation...Destination Getaways

Hello Everyone!

Today I wanted to talk about places to escape to when you need some downtime! I have no idea where I want to go on my Honeymoon, so talking about this out loud makes me look at destination places from a different perspective. I went to the bookstore recently and skimmed some travel and leisure magazines trying to get some inspiration. My sister recently got back from Greece in July and she and her husband really enjoyed it. The pictures were gorgeous! My fiancé brought up Bermuda and it really does look nice.Bermuda is a British overseas island(s). Bermuda is composed of 181 total islands with an area span of 20 miles. This island has pink sand beaches! Southampton, Bermuda looks absolutely beautiful! This would be fun! Another fun spot to travel would be the Providenciales, Turks and Caicos. These are also British Island Territory located in the North Atlantic Ocean. There are eight islands that make up these two destinations. I hear the water is extremely clear and gorgeous, and the temperature stays pretty consistent from high seventies to high eighties depending on the months. Another interesting spot that I looked at was Monaco. This destination is a French speaking city-state located on the French- Riviera in Western Europe. Maybe I could practice my french speaking skills from high school. Bonjour!  Mon nom est Kristen. J'aime aller à la plage, et le shopping. Où est un excellent endroit pour manger ce soir? Je vous remercie! If I said that line, I think they would laugh in my face. Silly American! I remember learning those simple sentences in french class. I think my google translate will come in handy! Monaco is also better known for its world renowned casino, the Monte Carlo and the Monaco Grand Prix. These are just some destination places that I have recently seen. Just jogging my brain with ideas and placing them on my blog! If you have any ideas or places that you want to recommend, please comment! Thanks!

September Children's Book! The Day The Crayons Quit.

Hello Everyone!

Today I just wanted to catch up in my reading series and books that I have really enjoyed lately. One book in particular that is very popular with children is called " The Day The Crayons Quit" By  Drew Daywalt. This book is a great read for Kindergarten right now while we are learning all our colors and singing about the many colors there are in the crayon box. This book is all about a boy named Duncan. One day, Duncan receives many letters in the mail from his crayon friends. They are all unhappy for a particular reason. I won't give it away, but its a great bedtime read to read to your kids while we are on the subject about color words. It's very humorous and funny. It really brings me back to the day of reaching out for my Crayola crayons to color a picture. This has been on the New York Times Best Seller List for quite a few weeks. Great read for Teachers, Parents, and Kids. Afterward, you could have the students draw and label their favorite crayon character (common core) they loved the most and why in the book. This book is so cute! It holds students attention span with the witty crayon letters and superb ending.  I give 5 stars!

Fall Inspiration: Plaid

Hello Everyone!


Today I just wanted to talk about everything plaid. Fall is the time to get super comfortable with blankets and hot apple cider. When I was younger, I always combined back to school with my uniform  which was green, white and navy plaid. At the time, I thought it was the ugliest color combination on Earth. As I look back now, I've noticed you can actually do a lot with these color combinations. They also look established and sensible. This season is all about plaid! I see it all over! You can even use this material in interior design. Think Burberry, Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfigure.  There are so many ways to celebrate this fine material. It never goes out of style and is classic and timeless. No, it's not just a yuppie piece of cloth, remember Nirvana? He was far from that term. And to those buff strong men who think its for the skinny rebels, remember the lumberjack on the Mr. Brawny paper towels? So, wether your preppie, grunge, football fan macho man, or a middle school kid that thinks your uniform is a drag, look at these fun fall plaid styles to get some inspiration! Here is a picture of me when I was younger rocking the plaid! Cheers!

10+1 Health and Hygiene Habits to Live By

Hello Everyone!

Today I just wanted to talk on the subject of hygiene. I know, you are probably thinking I'm a little nuts talking to the the public about this, but if only one person reads this, and they take into consideration one thing I've said from this blog, then my job is accomplished.  So here are some tips about personal hygiene. I remember a couple years ago when I would commute to work by taking the redline "L" train from Wrigley to Michigan Ave. in downtown Chicago.  Those summer days where commuters got on the train and everyone was cramped inside like sardines were the worst! Being in such close proximity to one another was not only annoying, but worse if someone is not smelling their best. I know, I get it, we are all human and its natural, but we can prevent such uncomfortable circumstances from happening.  Now that I live in Nashville, I don't have to worry about that problem, but I do have to deal with children that cough, sneeze, and get super dirty on the playground. Thank goodness I am becoming immune to this, as before I was so disgusted with  runny noses and saliva that I wanted to gag. Yes, again, natural, but it is seriously still gross.  Here are some tips and ideas that will keep you smelling fresh in and out of the office, school or wherever your work environment  takes you. Now that summer is winding down, this doesn't affect people as much, but these few hot summer days are still here. By no means am I trying to offend anyone! We are all human beings and our bodies are exposed to everything. Just some helpful tips when we're on the move!

Hygiene Tips:

- Brush and floss your teeth daily.  That seems so common,  but flossing is extremely important! Every time you eat food, particles get stuck in your teeth and it sits and decays around your tooth, making it smell.
- Use a deodorant  a couple times a day. Buy a travel size bag and fill it with travel size hygienic products available at Target, or if your on a budget, Wal-Mart. Ladies can carry this in their bags and
men can leave it at the office. The essentials would consist of a toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, mouthwash, floss, hand sanitizer, and even contact lens solution.
- Wash hands as much as you can. If you can't get to the sink, use Hand Sanitizer! Public Places are living ses pools for germs.
-Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze and use a Kleenex.
-Carry a light smelling perfume to mist yourself. Do Not Douse yourself! Sephora and Nordstrom are awesome at giving you samples of testers to try before you buy the new fragrance for Fall. Stashing those in your bag is pretty convenient as well.  I really like the new Prada fragrance Candy L'Eau, mmmmm!
-Drink lots of water to move fluids throughout your body and keep your mouth fresh and hydrated!
-Shower daily.
-Keep your nails filed and clean.
- Take care of yourself! Sleep 8 hours and eat healthy!
- Like your momma says, "eat more fruits and veggies!" Fruits and veggies are a great plaque
remover while chewing. It gets your saliva moving and doesn't let food to sit around.
- Think positive about yourself! You will sit a little straighter, stand a little taller and your self esteem will instantly improve. Everyday, I try an affirmation where I look into the mirror and say to myself, I accept myself completely and unconditionally, right now.

Ok, I hope this helps!