Announcing the MEGA Back to School BASH {Giveaway Hop}

Can you believe it is time to....dare I say it...go back to school?!? That's right! Summer has come and gone, and it is time to get back into those classrooms, organize all of that supplies, decorate your space, plan some out of this world lessons to WOW your kiddos on those first few days back, and well...that leaves zero only a small amount of time for you. BUT...I have great news. Some of my best friends and I know a *little* something about how hard teachers work and how much blood sweat tears love we pour into our classroom each year.  So, we have been planning a little something {for quite a long time} to hopefully set you on the right track for your best year yet! 

For the next week {August 1-5}, we will be hosting a massive giveaway with some of our favorite teacher things. We have some amazing sponsors, and let me just say...people LOVE teachers, y'all. Each of the sponsors below were more than willing to support and give to such a sweet group of people. {Because we all know...teachers are the BEST!} 

Here is how this will all go down. Below you will find 17 amazing "Bash Baskets." One basket will be featured on each one of these blogs: 

All you will need to do is "hop around" to each blog and enter to win. You can make sure that you don't miss one single blog by looking for this little apple at the end of our post. If you keep clicking the apple at the bottom of each post, you will find all 17 Bash Baskets...which means 17 chances to WIN it BIG! 

How easy is that?!? While you are checking out some of the teacher swag below, be sure and give our sponsors a little love by following their shops {click the links}. I am telling you, you won't want to miss out on any of these amazing prizes. CHECK. THEM. OUT. 

Aunt Bee's Quilts and Tees

Beadsbee Boutique 

MPM School Supplies

Mixed Bag Designs

Erica Bohrer

The Favored Party

LooLeigh's Charm

Oodles and Doodles

Silhouette America

TRM Designs

Vera Bradley

Shabby Apple

Erin Condren

Instagram and Twitter: @erincondren

JC Sweetpea Designs

Jennifer, the designer for JC Sweetpea Designs has also designed a special set of clipart to give to ALL of our sweet teachers. How cute are her designs?!? Here clip art is also all over our giveaway designs. :) 

Married in May

Print Chicks

Glory Glass Magnets 

Classroom Friendly Supplies

young love aDOORable decor

The Sound of Learning

Rosie Pink

The Polka Dot Pavilion

Sydney's Jewells Botique

Oragami Owl

Pink Zebra

Put a Case on Me (Facebook) and (Website)

My Rubber Stamp

ScrapAddict

Thirty-One

Michaels

Teachers Pay Teachers

Seriously? Are those not some amazing prizes? But that's not all. Each blog will also be giving away some of their best selling units. You will have to wait until the hop to see what each blogger will be giving away! 

Now, make sure you come back tomorrow {or anytime between August 1-5} to enter to win 17 different Bash Baskets! 

See you tomorrow! 

Magnificent Deals and a Giveaway worth $125 from OfficeMax

Teachers LOVE magnificent deals.  I'm here to share some special happenings and a massive giveaway from OfficeMax.  With the Back-to-School season upon us, I'm on the hunt for ways to save.  

Happening #1...Teacher Appreciation Days at OfficeMax

To help teachers stock up and save on much needed supplies, OfficeMax is hosting it's special three day Teacher Appreciation Event where teachers save 25 % OFF their purchases. You can sign up for OfficeMax's MaxPerks Teacher Rewards at no charge in stores and online for exclusive coupons.  For more information, please check out www.officemax.com/celebrateteachers for details on Teacher Appreciation events in your community. 

Happening #2...Saving on School Supplies

OfficeMax is providing big deals on education essentials and more throughout the season, offering 25 cent, 50 cent, and $1 values.  Let me just tell you... I scooped up buy two get one free markers this week.  You can mix and max Sharpie and Expo Marker packs.  HELLO, amazing deal, right!?!  You can visit OfficeMax's back to school web page at www.officemax.com/backtoschool to shop or search by zip code for in store and online promotions.

Happening #3...OfficeMax Print Center

I've been asked about different ways to print my decor packs.  I'm aware it's chalkboard backgrounds and the cost can add up with ink.  I sent mine out to have printed.  The quality is better and it's much more cost effective versus purchasing expensive cartridges.  So back to OfficeMax... 

Teacher can also receive special discounts at OfficeMax Print Center in stores nationwide and can select from one of two bundles including:

• Teacher Value Bundles: 100 BW copies, 1 Poster (18" x 24"), 3 feet of lamination, and 50 business/event cards for $19.99.  (Value $60)
• Teacher Premium Bundle includes 50 color copies, 2 Posters (18' x 24"), 3 feet of lamination, 50 business/event cards, and a teacher planner for @29.99.  (Value $100)

Happening #4...OfficeMax's A Day Made Better Support for Teachers

OfficeMax is hosting it's annual A Day Made Better In-Store School Supply Drive where community members can donation much needed supplies for local teachers.  The supplies will be donated to local schools on October 1st during the annual A Day Made Better events in which OfficeMax associates surprise 1,000 teachers in their classrooms with a total of $1 million worth of OfficeMax donated school supplies.  Learn more about A Day Made Better at www.adaymadebetter.com.

Happening #5..."Tools for School" Teacher Care Package

I'm honored to work along side OfficeMax to review and giveaway "Tools for School" goodies worth $125.  This package includes...

OfficeMax Binder Clips
$50 OfficeMax Gift Card
OfficeMax Color Paper Clips
TUL Electric Pencil Sharpener
TUL Liquid Pocket Highlighters
Just Basics 36 Pack of #2 Pencils
Papermate 12 Pack of Purple Pins 
OfficeMax Brite Self Stick NotePads
OfficeMax 12 Pack Blue Grip Gel Pins
OfficeMax 8" Stainless Steel Bent Scissors

I'm heading to the store again tomorrow for their new deals of the week.  I found the most adorable Neon Plastic 3 Prong Folders with Pockets that are a must have!  I use them for my homework folders so they last traveling to school and home for the entire school year.

The pencil sharpener is as smooth as butter.  I've given control of my crank sharpener to the kids.  This one will remain hidden in my office.  LOL

I prepared the highlighters in a basket at each desk.  The color corresponds with their group color.  The kids MUST highlight their name before their captain can collect their work.  It's only taken 8 years but I'm becoming wiser than a 6 year old. 

As recommended by Mrs. Deanna Jump during her Guided Reading Presentation in Vegas, I'm keeping the Self Stick Notes on hand for our weekly group sessions.  Looking for another purpose?  I just love Mrs. Sarah Cooley's Sticky Note Research Project.  I used this file for report writing last year.  The kids were so excited to write on the notes!  

The kids use pens for partner editing.  Oh, the power of a "cool" tool.  My kiddos are only allowed to use pens when editing so the novelty won't wear off!  

I use the Binder Clips in my student planners.  Luckily, my school provides planners for daily communication.  The binder clips are used to mark the week so I can move about writing daily notes.  Simple but useful!

My scissors are treasured and purchased new each year.  After a year of cutting tape, glue, and velcro, my old scissors become tough to open and close.  When you get a blister using scissors, you know you need a change. Bahaha!!!  

I sure hope you are excited about the deals.  The giveaway will end on Friday August 2nd and a winner is automatically generated.  This giveaway will be featured for only a week to ensure your supplies arrive before the school year begins!  For those that are already back in school, I'm sure you want this collection of goodies asap!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I received the school supplies and gift card mentioned in this post from OfficeMax in order to facilitate my review. The items featured in this giveaway are also provided by OfficeMax and will be sent to the winner directly. Opinions expressed in this post are 100% my own. I have not been compensated for this post in any other way.

Bucket Fillers

Are you a bucket filler?

The above display was shared with me by Cheryl and Jen on Instagram.  You can create a display like the above using my colorful bucket option shown in the post.  Click the unit cover for a link to the file in my TpT store.

 

This has been a system of encouragement in my classroom since 2010.  The idea is to fill another person's bucket by being caring and uplifting through actions and words.  I love the following books on the topic and use them throughout the first month of school. To make your search a little easier, I provided Amazon links embedded in each image below.  

Implementing Bucket Fillers has never been so sassy!  Provided in this 30 page file are several print options to meet your classroom needs. 

The file contains a single page of colors with 4 buckets per page. Colors include Red, Orange, Yellow, Light Green, Blue Green,  Bright Blue, Dark Blue, Purple, Pink, Gray, and White.  This option allows for you to pick and choose your color options or select all white to save on ink.

Also provided are pages with the rainbow colors just in case you wish to mix it up a bit without wasting the ink on additional buckets in each color.

Print the Bucket Filler pennant to hang above your display.  The graphic images of the display coordinate with the student page for filling buckets.

This file is editable with highlight fields.  Please read instructions carefully when creating your editable buckets!

There are several ways in which you can display your buckets in class.  The images are found through a google search.  I use a shoe holder in which hangs on my office door and adhere the buckets to each pocket. If you love my file, you can find a link in the first graphic of the post. 

I've displayed mine in both color tones and white buckets in the past two years.  I personally prefer the shoe holder because it tucks nicely behind a door and allows for me to have my limited bulletin space for academics.

 
My sweet friend Cara from The First Grade Parade came up with cute peacemakers and peacebreakers charts to align with No David. She is such a talented artist!  I linked her post with a freebie start up guide in the images below.

My other sweet friend Alisha from The Bubbly Blonde has a cute freebie I plan to use this year.  This will provide a bit more background for Bucket Filling. A link to her post is provided in the graphic below.

With all the resources available today, I encourage you to look at Bucket Fillers and find whatever resources are right for you! There are plenty more than mine in the two freebies listed!  Have a terrific weekend.