The Liebster Award

I was extremely honored today to receive an email from Wendy McCarty of "1st Grade Fireworks" informing me that she has nominated me for the Liebster Award!  Award?  HUH?  Imagine my surprise!  I’m honored to accept and recognize that this is a great way for me to meet other new bloggers – so I’m all for it!  The Liebster Award is given to new bloggers with 200 followers or less (that's me).  What is a Liebster? The meaning: Liebster is German and means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome.  WOW!

As I stated before, I was nominated by Wendy at http://1stgradefireworks.blogspot.com ...thank you! You should check out her blog - lots of great ideas!  A woman after my own heart with an obsession a vested interest in pinterest.com and TpT! >hee, hee< Thanks again, Wendy! 

AND THE RULES ARE:
1. Post 11 random things about yourself.
2. Answer the questions the nominator set for you.
3. Create 11 questions for your nominees.
4. Choose 11 other blogs with fewer than 200 followers to nominate and link them to your post.
5. Leave a comment on this post if you were nominated so I can learn more about you and see who you nominate.

I NOMINATE: 

C & C Teach First 

 Our Sweet Success 

 Blessed in First

My Little Gabber

        You Might Be a First Grader

         Look + Listen = Learn

         Page ii

        Created for Fun

        Classy Classroom

      Little Second Grade Somebodies
Tricks of the Trade

MY 11 RANDOMS: 
1. I’m married to the love of my life, Chad.  We emailed for quite awhile before we first met but it was love at first sight!  We married within that same year – 2008!

2. We have 2 BEAUTIFUL girls, Gabriella and Cecelia!  We live, love, and laugh as a family!

     3.  I love to sing, read, and nap – not necessarily in that order and definitely not all at once!  But, you get what I mean, right? J

     4. This past summer, I started the Advocare weight loss regime and lost 27 pounds!  I’m maintaining right now and hope to lose 20 more next summer!  What an accomplishment!  My sister sells it, my mom got me started, my husband supported me, and I’m so glad I did it!

  
5. I started dabbling in TpT (Teachers Pay Teachers) last year and have steadily been making more and more each quarter.  During this current quarter, I’ve sold more than $500 worth of products (and counting) and have surpassed the $1000 all time earnings mark!  Incredibly proud and incredibly humbled that people are investing in my products/ideas!  It’s been a great supplemental income and I’m constantly coming up with new ideas to share!  More importantly?  It’s made me a better teacher!

6. I have been teaching for15 years, 14 as a first grade teacher at Wakefield Community Schools in Wakefield, NE and one year at a small, Class 1 school in Berwyn, NE (K-1, Music).

7. I commute 45 minutes each morning and evening in order to LOVE my job, the kids I teach, and the community that I called home before I  moved away!  It’s so worth it!

8. I recently got rid of my teacher’s desk!  At first, I thought there was no way but now I can’t imagine my room any other way.  I have a table where I center most of my activity but it’s now a multi-purpose area.  I can work there, small groups can meet there, students can use the area to meet and work, etc.  Best change I’ve made EVER!

     9.  I am VEHEMENTLY opposed to one-size-fits-all programs that mass-produce robotic kids who can give answers on cue but can’t think for themselves or make critical, life decisions that matter. 

     10. Fall is my favorite season!  Give me a cool, football evening with a hotdog and hot cocoa and I'm good to go! 

     11.  Christmas is my favorite holiday!  I love the music, the decorations, the joy,the generosity, the Reason for the Season!

QUESTIONS FROM WENDY:

1. Vacation retreat.....MOUNTAINS or BEACH? Definitely a mountain girl!  Love the smell after it rains, the clouds that look like whipped cream on the crest, etc.  I grew up in Albuquerque at the foot of the Sandias – I LOVE mountains!

2.   What is your favorite Christmas cookie to make? Anything easy!  I’m not a baker.  My grandma used to make Bisquichitas (sp?) – super yummy with anise as an unusual ingredient!  But I’ve only tried making them once and it was a LONG time ago!

3.   Name 3 places you have NOT been to, but would like to visit.  Durango, California, Florida.

4.   Cat person or dog person? Any other animals you would prefer? Probably cat if I had to choose.  Not much of a pet person, really!

5.   When was the last time you gave someone a "hand-made" gift? What was it?  Most of my gifts are “hand-made.”  I used to paint a lot!  I’ve made some beautiful things (if I may say) and I prefer to paint on old windows and screens.  My fav?  I cut an old door in half (top to bottom), hinged it, and made it into a corner shelf!  LOVE!

6.  What is one "lesson" you have learned from having a TPT store? Put my name, addy, and info on every page and give CREDIT, CREDIT, CREDIT!

7.  If you could be your "boss", what is one "mandate" you would initiate? Casual dress every day!  When you feel good, you do good work! 

8.  What is the title of the last book you read? A Karen Kingsbury medley – A Thousand Tomorrows & Beyond the Clouds!  Love her!

9.  What is your favorite type of music? Favorite song? I’m a fan of ABBA, Dixie Chicks, Josh Groban, and all Christian music (to name a few).  My favorite song?  “I Would Walk 500 Miles” by The Proclaimers (oh, the memories!).

10. What do you do to "turn it off" for R & R? Read a good book and take several LONG naps.

11. What do you want for Christmas? A new wardrobe and a weekend away with my husband

FOR MY NOMINEES:
1. What’s your favorite TV show (current or past)?
2. What’s your ultimate vacation destination?  
3. If you weren’t a teacher, what would you be doing?

     4. Would you save a million dollars or a million children?  Why?

     5. If you were a super hero, what would your name be?
    6. If you were running for public office, what “educational platform” would you run on?

     7. What’s your favorite thing to cook/bake?

     8. What is one wish you have for your biological children or classroom children?

     9. What advice do you give your students every year?

    10.  If you were the boss, what one thing would you implement immediately?

    11. What do you want for Christmas?