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

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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.

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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

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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

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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!

To Market to Market...

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Yesterday I went to the Nashville Farmers Market. I love going to the Market when the seasons transition.  I start seeing beautiful big orange pumpkins, gourds, dried colored corn cobs, and mums! That brings upon feelings of spiced hot cider, apple picking and hay rides! I love this time of year! The smell of firewood and cool nights are so inviting!  Flannel shirts, riding boots and warm sweater weather! Nashville is still pretty hot, so I am in anticipation for the cooler weather. I helped my mother recently make a peach pie! These peaches were huge and from South Carolina. I really enjoy supporting local farmers markets because everything is so fresh, and less expensive than grocery stores. It's also a fun experience! I took some great shots of all the local fruits and vegetables. Check out how cool the pumpkins look! I can't wait for October to slowly roll through so I can watch my favorite scary movies on AMC. I used to do this in college with my sorority sisters all the time! Another college favorite was lighting Swan Creek Candles around the house. These candles are the best because they are made from soybean/ vegetable wax and they are also lead free. The scent is incredible. I really miss going to haunted houses as a kid. Actually, I don't really miss the chainsaw touching my feet. That was the worst! I can't wait for Halloween activities with my Kindergartners! They make the cutest crafts, and say the funniest things! Below are some shots I took with my new Nikon D90. I love this camera! What kinds of things will you be doing this Fall season?