Room Update and Summer Shopping Linky

I get super-excited about a lot of things when it comes to getting my room ready for school if you haven't already noticed!  Right now, I'm pretty pumped up about how well my room is coming together.  If my husband hadn't decided he needed a mini-vacation this weekend, I might have actually been able to meet my goal of having all of my "stuff" put away by the end of the week!  During my visit to school today, I fixed a broken table, got my books organized in my class library, defined some different areas of my room, and reupholstered a VERY UGLY rolling chair (see below).  Whew!  Combine that with the final night of VBS at church this evening, and you have one worn out person!

I didn't want to mess with cutting the fabric, so I just tied it up with a ribbon!

I'm SOO glad I didn't throw this chair out and buy a new  one--it looks good as new!

Anyways...I'm thrilled to be joining in on Kristin's "Summer Shopping Linky Party" over at Ladybug's Teacher Files!  While I was gathering the things in my house to take to school today, I realized that this was the perfect opportunity to take a quick snapshot of some of the items I've purchased to get my room ready for the first day of school.

Are you ready to catch a glimpse of the goodies I've found??

Wal-Mart

I pretty much knew what I wanted when I walked into Wal-Mart, but I left with a few extra items I hadn't planned to purchase.  Here's what I got: tension rods for curtains, card stock scrapbook paper for my "Bravo!" student work wall, buttermints in zebra packaging for open house ($1 each), plastic table cloths for bulletin boarrds ($1 each), zebra table cloth for open house ($1), permanent markers to replace the ones that were stolen from my classroom last year, colorful staples because I love them (>$1), pen holders for my clipboard, caddies for group supplies ($1 each), ribbon for caddies and wall hangings, plastic containers for dice math fact practice, and zebra flower pot for first day of school activity.  $$

Target

Normally I find tons of stuff at Target that I can't live without.  This year?  Not so much.  I do, however, love the pink magazine holders that I have yet to decide how to use!  I also picked up the last four light bulb stress relievers and a black container to use in this awesome "Light Bulb Moment" freebie from Mrs. Plum at There's No Place Like Second Grade.  Seriously, check it out!  The good news about my Target finds is that they were all $1 each--love that Dollar Spot!

IPA Educational Supply

Bargains and education stores do not seem to go hand-in-hand, but I still feel like a kid in a candy store when I walk into an educational supply store.  I found the perfect lanyard for my keys and ID which is definitely a necessity since I am constantly sitting them down in my room and forgetting all about them.  I got some pretty great Kagan cooperative learning tools that I look forward to using with my kids this year.  Could I make them?  Yes.  Would it have been cheaper?  Not in the long run!  The election kit comes with a voting box, display signs, and more for only $7.  Last but not least, I simply fell in love with the zebra index cards.  I'm thinking I might print all of my word wall words on them and save myself from having to cut each word out.  I hope it works!

Mardel

If you missed out on the Mardel teacher sale, you missed out on some great stuff!  I got both of those timers for $2.50 each.  The velcro dots were only $1 each, and I plan to use on the tables on the student name tags to make it easier to move them around.  (I got that idea on a blog I read this summer, but I don't know where.  If it was you, I thought the idea was brilliant!)  The rest of the stuff was just 20% off, but I had to have them.  The editing stickers will be convenient to have in their writing folders.  The zebra cards and zebra star name tags are part of the collection that my room theme originated from last year.  I also got the nifty 5th grade pencils that I used in my welcome bags.  The border...well, let's just say I'm weak and couldn't resist!

*sigh* I just LOVE buying new things for my classroom!  My husband definitely thinks I'm crazy from time to time when I come home gloating about my newest finds.  If you could ask him, he would probably tell you that I can't walk into a store right now without searching for something that I just have to have for school.  Ahhh...welcome to the life of a teacher!  Hope you enjoyed browsing through my fruits of my shopping extravaganza!  Until next time...

Love ya!

Heidi