Black Friday Linky

Hey friends! I can hardly believe it's almost Thanksgiving and Black Friday! I'm so thankful for my family and friends this year.  I'm also thankful for all the people I've met through blogging, especially my friends at The Primary Pack! We are celebrating Black Friday again this year with all of you in a fun way (and a little early). We are sharing a few of our most wish-listed items in our personal wishlist, our carts and our own stores. We are also hosting a HUGE Black Friday giveaway, check it out below, you don't want to miss it!

 I'm usually a pretty big black Friday shopper but my kids don't need much this year and neither do I, so I'm going to go for these things:

A bike: My youngest child's Santa gift.

Dual DVD players - because one of ours died and we like these in the car!

Tieks - because my feet are important and I'd love to have a pair!

Old Navy gift card because I've lost a lot of weight and can use some new clothes!

Bath and Body Works Gift Card because I love their candles, soaps, wallfowers, sprays, and lotions!

There are lots of things on my wishlist, but here are a few:

Jennifer Drake's Sight Word Reader's - These books are awesome and help the students learn sight words and build fluency.

Jennifer Drake's Rhyming Puzzles - My students need practice with rhyming words and this is a fun way!

Brenda Tejeda's Writing Bundle - These writing activities are awesome and this bundle is a great deal! 

Brenda Tejeda's Sight Word Bundle  - Brenda has the best sight word activities, this is a great way to make sure I don't miss any! 

Here are a few things you can check out from my store:

Gingerbread Count the Room - A fun way to practice counting and let your students get up and move around the room.  This is one of my student's favorite centers!

Gingerbread Counting Mats - An easy ready to print center, but so cute! 

Christmas Centers - 2 Weeks worth of centers and other activities ready to print and go!

Christmas Around the World - Activities, crafts, and information on several countries that I use in my classroom!

Maps Skills and Landforms Unit - My best selling unit!

Drumroll please.... Check out this HUGE giveaway package you can win by entering below! There is a resource from almost everyone in The Primary Pack, perfect for all primary grades!! Good luck, friends and happy shopping!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Now It's Your Turn To Join The Fun! 

Just a few rules to follow and you're on your way:

1. Download the images above!
2. Add your personal holiday wishlist to the image titled "My Personal Black Friday Wishlist"
3. Add your favorite sellers products from your TPT wishlist to the "My Classroom Black Friday Wishlist"
4. Add your own products to the "For Your Black Friday Wishlist"
5. Link up below to share your Black Friday Wishlists!
6. Don't forget to enter our fabulous giveaway above AND visit others linked up below!

An InLinkz Link-up

Currently January 2015

It's been a while since I've had a chance to link up with Farley at Oh' Boy 4th Grade for Currently, but it's that time!  I've been seriously busy.  Guess what y'all?

I graduated!! I officially have my Master's in Instructional Technology!! Not only that, but seriously, I graduated with a 4.0!  This semester almost killed me! I had to complete a 110 hour internship on top of another class where I had to write a manual for a Media and Technology Committee....did I mention I was working and I have 2 kids and a husband? Yeah! The struggle was real! 

My poor little neglected blog!  I'm about to BLOW this blog up with the hundreds of pictures I have been taking, so just hang tight while I post about everything that has happened this year so my sweet parents that follow can see my cute students! 

Alright, so about the Currently....here we go! :) 

Listening:

 

Why on earth is this movie on after Christmas? Beats me! Anyone else LOVE Home Alone 1 and 2?! Love both FOR REAL and couldn't pass up the chance to watch it.  Love some ABC Family. :) 

Loving: Winter Break!  I didn't dry my hair or put on make up for a week.  A true sign that its a break - I look like a chia pet and I live in workout clothes.  I finally got myself together yesterday so I didn't look like a scrub on New Year's Eve! 

Thinking - I need to catch up on blogging.  This is pretty much a given. I just uploaded all the pictures from my phone and iPad from school and Oh.My.Gosh.  We took a LOT of pictures in the past few months and...woah I haven't blogged about any of it.  Coming soon...blogs for days!

Wanting - To get my Donor's Choose Project Funded! Do you know about Donor's Choose? I recently wrote a grant to get two iPad minis for my classroom for tutoring and to use as an iPad center.  If you donate by January 2nd, you can use the code DISNEY and they will match your donation! If you are reading this and feel inclined, I'd love for you to donate even just $1 with the match code! <3  

Needing - To organize my closet.  HOT MESS y'all.  HOT MESS.  I can't find anything.  While I've been in grad school my sweet husband has been tending to the chores.  No organization skills at all.  Additionally, I've lost about 60lbs and I have a lot of clothes that are too big that need to come out...it's on my to do list this weekend!

Yes - I have a goal to lose 75 more pounds! I hired a personal trainer and it's gonna happen y'all.  Maybe not all 75, but some more for sure! 

Maybe - This house is gonna get organized! Little by little! We organized my little guy's room first over the break and it was awesome! We need to declutter every room in the worst way!

I Wish - I sure wish I could take my family to Disney! I am gonna try my best to save enough money to take us this year! 

So that's me - what about you?? Head over and link up!

All I Want for... BLACK FRIDAY Linky + Giveaway!

I'm joining my best blogger friends over at The Primary Pack for another fun adventure! We are celebrating Black Friday in a fun way (and a little early). There is no word yet if there will be a Black Friday sale but regardless, we are sharing a few of our most wish-listed items in our carts and our stores. We are also a HUGE Black Friday Giveaway, check it out below, you don't want to miss it!

I have been doing a pretty good job of knocking out my wish list as I went along, but these are my top 3 things!

1 - Jennifer from Crayons and Cuties in Kindergarten's Elfing Around Unit - This unit is jam packed with fun Elf activities and since we'll be getting a visit from a certain elf when we get back in December, this will be perfect!

2 - Brenda from Tejeda's Tot's Sight Word Practice Pages  - If you haven't gotten the sample, you need to get it and try it.  These are amazing for teaching sight words and how to read sentences with sight words!

3 - Laura from Differentiation Station Creation's Snowball Addition Centers, Games, & Printables Pack - Another unit jam packed full of goodies and it will be perfect for teaching addition!

Here are the most wishlisted items from my store! :)    1 - Map Skills and Land Forms Unit - All you need to teach about maps!
2 - Brown Bear Brown Bear Center Activities - Perfect for the 1st half of the year if you love Brown Bear! Includes letters, colors, and numbers.
3 - Positional Words - Perfect for teaching positional words!
4 - Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Literacy/Math Activities - Perfect for the 1st half of the year if you love Chicka Chicka Boom Boom! Includes letters, colors, and numbers.
5 - All About Me Centers - Helpful when you're teaching All About Me and Family! There are plenty of activities in my store, head over and take a peek and see if you can find something you like!

Drum roll please.... Check out this HUGE giveaway package you can win by entering below! There is a resource from almost everyone in The Primary Pack, perfect for all primary grades!! Good luck, friends and happy shopping!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Now It's Your Turn To Join The Fun! 

Just a few rules to follow and your on your way:
1. Download the images above!
2. Add your favorite sellers products in your TpT cart to the "My Black Friday Wishlist"
3. Add your own products to the "For Your Black Friday Wishlist"
4. Link up below to share your Black Friday Wishlists!
5. Don't forget to enter our fabulous giveaway above AND visit others linked up below!

An InLinkz Link-up

Introducing The Primary Pack

I am so excited and blessed to have the opportunity to work behind the scenes with the fabulous bloggers of The Primary Pack!  We are collaborating to bring you a rainbow of ideas!  Make sure you follow along to grab a bunch of colorful freebies, as well as enter our giveaway with $300 worth of prizes!

Hi! I'm Kourtney blogging from Mrs. Payton's Precious Kindergarenters. I am a North Carolina teacher who loves dance fitness, fun fonts, clipart, and the color pink. I taught first grade for one year and am now teaching my 9th year of Kindergarten!

I am so fortunate to teach 22 Kindergarten friends, who I absolutely adore!

I have been married to the love of my life for 9 years! He makes me laugh, completes my sentences, and is a good daddy to my babies!  I couldn't ask for a better guy :)

We have two handsome boys that keep us on our toes! 

I will be graduating with my Master's in Instructional Technology in December and I am so excited about that! I love technology and I enjoy creating resources for the classroom, especially theme related materials!

To celebrate our new collaborative adventure, The Primary Pack is hosting a giveaway with tons of fabulous prizes!

Enter the rafflecopter below for a chance to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

AND here's my "colorful" freebie!  Just click on the image!

 Hop along to meet our other bright bloggers and to grab a rainbow of freebies!

An InLinkz Link-up

Meet the Teacher Linky

It's my last week of Summer! I'm a little depressed! I'm trying to do some fun stuff this week, so I decided to link up with Falling into First for her Meet the Teacher Linky :) I have been so fortunate to meet some amazing Bloggers since I started blogging and selling on TpT and I love reading about my "friends!"  So....here's a little about me! 

My name is Kourtney Payton.  I am 31 years old and I'm a teacher, a mommy, a wife and a blogger!  This is my 10th year teaching and my 9th year teaching Kindergarten! I can't wait to meet my newest group of Kindergarten Friends! 

I married this jewel, Steve, 9 years ago and couldn't be happier!! When you meet a man that takes you to Target to look at the Dollar Spot on a date or sends you texts of school supplies when he's at the grocery store...you have a keeper girls.  He has helped me set up 2 classrooms, stapled up plenty of things to my walls, overhauled hand me down bookshelves and I can't explain what an awesome daddy he is! 

These are my babies! Kevin and Elijah :)  They drive me bananas all the time, but I sure love my boys.  They keep life interesting and remind me why I love being a mama! 

These are my furbabies Garfield and Pumpkin! I love them to pieces and they love to snuggle with me (and each other!)

 THESE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS...

Flair Pens, Monograms, Polka Dots, Zumba, Sh'Bam, Group Fitness in General, Laughing, Nick at Nite, Vera Bradley, Satellite Radio, Being Organized, Tervis Tumblers, Chocolate

 IF YOU WEREN'T A TEACHER, WHAT WOULD YOU WANT TO BE?

When I was little I wanted to be a doctor.  I'm definitely not cut out for that, but sometimes I think I could be a nurse!  I also used to work in banking and though I didn't have a passion for that, I was pretty good at that job :) 

THREE LITTLE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE YOU.

Kind, Loving, Sensitive 

FINISH THE SENTENCE, "________,  SAID NO TEACHER EVER!!"

"I am never busy...said no teacher EVER!!"
 

Q: IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY AND YOU CAN INVITE ANYONE {DEAD OR ALIVE} TO THE PARTY. WHO ARE YOU INVITING?

How about Channing Tatum? Whew, he's a hottie! 

Q: IF SOMEONE WROTE A BOOK ABOUT YOUR LIFE, WHAT WOULD BE THE TITLE?

 Crazy with Kids

 Q:YOU GET TO PICK ONE SUPERPOWER. WHAT IS IT?

 Definitely Teleportation. Getting out of the house with two kids is impossible.  I'm here to tell you if my oldest didn't help me in the morning, I'd never make it to school on time! 

Q: WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE QUOTE OR SAYING?

"If you can dream it, you can do it!" 

Q: IF YOU HAD TO SING ONE SONG ON AMERICAN IDOL, WHAT WOULD IT BE? 

 "Don't Stop Believing" - Journey - Seriously who doesn't love the 80's or Journey? I'd have the crowd singing right along with me! 

  

 Q: ARE YOU A MORNING PERSON OR A NIGHT OWL?

I'm definitely a night owl.  This summer I have been up all night working on Teachers Pay Teachers stuff, watching Full House, Friends and who knows what else.  I am in for a serious shocker next week!    

Q: WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE RESOURCE THAT YOU'VE CREATED IN YOUR TPT SHOP?

My Chicka Chicka Boom Boom pack was the first centers pack I ever created! It always gets me excited about the beginning of the year! :) 

Q: SHARE SOMETHING WE MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT YOU! 

My husband I got married 6 months after we started dating.  Sometimes when you know, you know!  We've been happily married for 9 years and never looked back! :) 

Alright, it's your turn to head over and link up and let us know about you! Leave a comment if you do so I can come read about you!

Creative Teacher Giveaway

Has anyone else been busy preparing projects for their classroom?  I've been to my school several times and I have a few things in progress.  I'm super excited though, because I've joined up with a bunch of other awesome blogger friends to show our readers how to make crafts and we are giving some away too! 

I decided to make a Teacher To Do List.  Why? Because who doesn't have a To Do List? I am constantly writing mine on a sticky note and they get lost or are all over the place.  I was browsing Pinterest and came across this pin:

I thought this was super cute and a great idea, so I got to work on mine! 

First, I created my Teacher To Do List using Power Point.  Then I printed it out on white card stock paper.

Next I placed it inside an 8x10 picture frame I purchased at Walmart for around $3.

The next step for me was to tie a bow from polka dot ribbon.  If you don't know me...I love some polka dots! I also love all things girly :)  I also got this at Walmart.  You need Grosgain ribbon rather than the silky ribbon so that the bow will hold.

Then you are going to hot glue the bow on to the corner of the frame.  I just bought this awesome cordless hot glue gun.  Yes, it's worth the extra money...GO GET ONE!! 

This bow might or might not have taken me 15 minutes to tie...seriously! 

To write on the To Do List, you are going to need a Dry Erase Marker.  I'm not big on looking for things, so I need it to be handy.  

Hot glue a pom pom on your marker so you have an instant eraser.

Then add velcro to the marker and the back of the frame so that the marker is "hidden," but handy.

And when you're finished, this is what it looks like! You can write on it with the dry erase marker and simply erase with your pom pom.  Each time you complete a task, you just check it off.  

This is a great way to stay organized and on top of things for the new school year and seriously, I'm all about that! 

Ok - you want to win one? Enter below on the rafflecopter and I will select a lucky winner!  The winner must be a classroom or homeschool teacher and must live in the contiguous US (because of shipping).  You will be contacted if you are the winner and will have 5 days to respond to give mailing instructions or an alternate winner will be selected. All entries will be verified.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Want to see more crafts and enter to win? Your next stop on the hop is over at Primary Possibilities! Happy Hopping and Crafting!