Five for Friday and a Giveaway!!

I know . . . I know. . . I know. . . we haven't blogged in FOREVER!!!  It's been a super crazy busy few month!!  We have a lot to catch you all up on!  Soooooo . . . we are going to start back in with a favorite linky - Five for Friday with Doodle Bugs Teaching!

The Collaboration Connection

Sooooooo excited to be a part of the newest collaborative blog with over 20 amazing teachers!!  

And to start our new blog off, we are having a giveaway - actually there are 3 raffles to enter!!  You must head over and check it out immediately!!  (well, after you finish reading this post!)

Click on the picture above to enter the raffle!

In math we have spent the last few weeks focusing on 2-digit addition.  Our Common Core Unit we were given to use doesn't teach 2-digit addition the traditional way with "regrouping".  This has been a challenge more for the parents and teachers than the students.  Our kiddos have been loving the "open number line" strategy that we've been using.  

One activity we used to practice was using a deck of cards.  Students paired up and each drew 4 cards.  They created a 2-digit addition problem using the four cards they drew.  The student with the higher sum earned a point.  The first student to 5 points won!  Then they played again and the student with the lower sum won a point and the first to 5 won that round.  As they solved each problem, they had to use the "open number line" strategy.  So simple and they loved it!!!

I achieved a big goal I had for myself this week on TPT - selling 1,000 units!!!  It may not seem like a lot to some, but it still amazes me every time I sell a unit or someone downloads one of my free products.  I get so excited when I see the email pop-up or I hear the "cha-ching!" on my TPT app.  

I haven't had much time lately to create and I have a lot of ideas swirling around in my head.  I can't wait to have some free moments to start creating again!!

We've been in our new home for over a month and I still can't believe we live here!  We have so much space for our family and friends to visit.  Buying furniture to fill the place was exciting and a little overwhelming!  The husband and I are loving it!

Here's a few sneak peaks of our new place.

I'm loving having a fireplace and a mantle to decorate!  

Finally a king size bed!!!                 A view of our backyard.

This past weekend my sister and her family came up for a visit.  Our niece Olivia is 4 1/2 (don't forget that half or she will remind you!) and our nephew Jude is 5 1/2.  The girls spent the day shopping and the boys had fun at the Northwestern basketball game.  As Livey would say "It was off the hook . . crazy!!!"

When my sister comes up to visit we have to shop the stores they don't have in Central Illinois - Trader Joes, Anthropologie, Crate and Barrel, Pottery Barn, and Nordstroms.  

I was so excited to find this tee at Nordstroms.  Its from Megan Lee Designs on Etsy.  

I've already found a few more on her site that I can't wait to get!!

Thanks for stopping by!  

Hope everyone has a fabulous week!!