Juggling My Recipesssssssssssss...

One of the things I LOVE doing when I'm not teaching is trying all kinds of new recipes. Christmas Break is a great time to do just that and fortunately my family likes my variety of choices :) Here's just a few I found on Pinterest just lately. I have tried, whenever possible, to go back and tag the original source for these links! Here is your 7-Course "pinteresting" meal ... First up, a yummy appetizer Mozzarella Cheese Balls

No meal is complete without a yummy salad and this one is coined as the Best Pasta Salad Eva ......

And now for the main course(s) Chicken Enchilada's with Green Chili Sour Cream Sauce ~ yum

Or, Better Than Takeout Chicken Fried Rice ...

Or, Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad ...

And we must NEVER forget dessert Impossible Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes appropriately named because they are IMPOSSIBLE to put down ...

Thin Mint Cookie Truffles ~ gimme gimme

With a lovely, yummy after dinner drink Snow Cocoa made in the slow-cooker ...

Have you tried any "pinteresting" recipes lately? Hurry and try these BEFORE you make your News Years Resolutions! ;)

Sleep in Heavenly Peace...

A friend posted ~ In thinking about the events of Friday and the darkness of this world, it is good to be reminded that Light has come....Hallelujah! Max Lucado wrote this on Friday. Dear Jesus, It's a good thing you were born at night. This world sure seems dark. I have a good eye for silver linings. But they seem dimmer lately. These killings, Lord. These children, Lord. Innocence violated. Raw evil demonstrated. The whole world seems on edge. Trigger-happy. Ticked off. We hear threats of chemical weapons and nuclear bombs. Are we one button-push away from annihilation? Your world seems a bit darker this Christmas. But you were born in the dark, right? You came at night. The shepherds were nightshift workers. The Wise Men followed a star. Your first cries were heard in the shadows. To see your face, Mary and Joseph needed a candle flame. It was dark. Dark with Herod's jealousy. Dark with Roman oppression. Dark with poverty. Dark with violence. Herod went on a rampage, killing babies. Joseph took you and your mom into Egypt. You were an immigrant before you were a Nazarene. Oh, Lord Jesus, you entered the dark world of your day. Won't you enter ours? We are weary of bloodshed. We, like the wise men, are looking for a star. We, like the shepherds, are kneeling at a manger. This Christmas, we ask you, heal us, help us, be born anew in us. Hopefully, Your Children In the midst of horrific events, may we never forget that The Light Has Come

Bluebird of Happiness Classroom

Welcome to my classroom! Most of you know that I consider it more than just a place of learning for my students. Considering where I teach and the heavily-burdened children that are entrusted to me for a year, I want their Kindergarten room to be a place where they come and are safe and loved and able to BE ... I hope that when they leave me at the end of this year they will be able to see beyond the sadness of their daily home life ... So, here's a peek into my world!

Last spring, I happened upon Melanie Ralbusky at the Schoolgirl Style blog. Have you been there? You must! I had gotten my job about 2 weeks before school started and 3 weeks before my daughter's wedding {{{EEEEEEEEEEEEEEK}}} and so I had never really decorated it the way I had hoped. Well, I can tell you that the inspiration I received from Melanie's site made my little heart go pitter-patter. I began to plan every nook and cranny. I gathered all of my supplies ...

The first thing that had to go was this beast of a cubbie. It was painted in primary colors ~ ugh!! This baby has 32 cubby holes ~ ON EACH SIDE!!!

It took me about 20 hours to paint the behemoth but I chose nice warm colors that would complement the rest of the decor. I think you will agree that the end result was worth all the time that it took! Next I worked on the kids' work tables. I wanted each one to feel like they were sitting around the kitchen table!

Our Technology Treehouse and Reading Loft ...

Common Core I Can chart ... This was created for me by Karen at Rockin' Room 11

My Behavior Management System, also purchased on TPT through Jessica Stanford

The Reading Corner and Birthday Wall ...

Some more shots from around the room ...

And, we can't forget all the details that make everything JUST right:

This wall has a string of bluebirds carrying the words "Somewhere over the rainbow skies are blue and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true" ...

And this one is my favorite, "If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow, why oh why can't I?" ...

I hope that my little sweeties will always remember our Classroom Sweet Classroom!

Thanks for visiting my little corner of the world!