Phew. Giveaway. Award. Freebie.

Friday is my favorite.

Hope you had a good week, enjoying your time off, or being back at it.  I'm so glad to have the week under my belt.  We're having really weird weather here in Michigan.  Today it was 53 degrees and sunny.  It was downright balmy.  Where's my snow?  Where's my 30 degree weather?!? Where are my sweet, thoughtful, patient and kind first graders?  We all know the effects that a full moon has on our kids.  I swear this weird weather system is to blame for my hummers, twitchers  and barkers. 

Bring on the snow!

Don't forget to enter my giveaway {HERE} As if I'm not already obsessed with blogging...I'm crazily attached to my computer or phone checking to see how many more have entered.  I'm scaring myself here.  Add to that, the giveways I've entered...that I obsessively look at to see if the winners have been announced.  Good gravy.  {I won a dollar on my scratch-off today, that must be why I didn't win the Starbucks or the wreath...maybe God knew I couldn't handle that much excitement}

I keep meaning to share my newest award with you.  I have to tell you that when I first started blogging my eyes were immediately drawn to this green little award so many of you had sitting on your blogger "mantels".  Then...out of nowhere....I saw it, somebody had given me the....

The Versatile Blogger Award

So I have a few people to thank for this award - and not because a bunch of people are banging on my blogger door, falling at my feet, hardly able to contain themselves because I'm just so darn versatile.  It's because this week has kicked me in the hindquarters and I haven't had enough umph to take care of business.

Thanks so much to:

Mrs. Durden at Confessions from a First Year Teacher
Sharon over at Ms. McBee's Kinder Bugs
Tanya V. at A Class Act
Lisa over at A Teacher's Bag of Tricks
Miss Nguyen @ Miss Nguyen's Class

If I forgot somebody - I'm sorry!!!!

So, let's see if I can be a direction follower. I'm not always so good at that {Just like my teacher friends and I are the most horrible listeners at inservices.  We had one today and we actually got shushed.  We talk, we write notes, and we giggle.  Are we the only ones?}

First, I have to thank the person {or people} who gave me the award and link back to them. Done.

Next I have to tell 7 things about me that you probably don't know {and might find yourself wondering how you'll get back the minute or two it took to read 'em}:

1. My nickname growing up was Bug {Story has it that I was quite bothersome as a child, always asking people to play with me, always asking questions, never shutting up...I don't believe it, I'm pretty sure you don't either}

2. My sister still calls me Bug and a few old friends do too.

3. We call my youngest "Buddha"...guess I'm a nickname kinda girl.  I don't even know if I could refer to him by his given name. 

4.  I met my hubby online.  In a chatroom. Called "Romance Connection".  I know, I know. His pick up line: "Whole Language or Basal"...no joke.  He's a teacher too.

5.  When hubs and I talked online I asked him what famous person he looked like - when he said Tom Hanks I pictured the Bosom Buddies version and went into immediate panic mode. Unfortunately, my doppelganger is Kevin Bacon.  Why wouldn't I say, Meg Ryan or any other FEMALE is beyond me...but yes, I told him Kevin Bacon {can you even begin to imagine what was going through his mind at that moment?}.

6. Another cool story about Hubs and I - in a different online conversation we talked about who we would want to play us in a movie.  He chose his look alike - Tom Hanks and I chose who I SHOULD have said I looked like {which I don't} Meg Ryan....which leads me to number 7...

7.  My favorite movie is You've Got Mail...cool, eh?

Now I must choose 15 newly discovered blogs to pass this award on to...

Farming the First Grade Crop

Shaking it Up in 1st Grade

Miss Smartie Pants

Sliding into First!

Live. Laugh. Teach

Peterson's Pad

First in Maine

2nd Grade Paradise

Crayons and Curls

Miss W. Teaches

Miss Toffee's Class

Sweet Times In First

First Grade Magic

A Chocoholic Teacher

A Cupcake for the Teacher

Head on over and show these girls some blogger love - you know you have some to share!

And here's the freebie - I'm not sure how this is going to work. I'm going to offer it in a word document but have no idea if it will look all funky on your screen.  Most of the fonts are from Kevin and Amanda:  Pass the Chex, Smiley Monster, Girls are Weird, Oh {Photo} Shoot!  I change the fonts here and there for a new look.  I also use cuter clipart {of course!} and put it in a pdf for my parents. If you are in love with your newsletter template feel free to send it to me if you want.  I like mine, but wouldn't mind a change.  How often do you all send newsletters?  Do you send home paper copies? Email them? Or put them up on a class website/blog?  I email my parents a reminder to check our class website where they go to download it.  Do you think your parents faithfully read it?  I know mine don't, because sometimes I'll put something sneaky in mine like "If you read this newsletter have your child come into school tomorrow and whisper their favorite color in my ear - for a special surprise"...I know, not nice.

Click on the picture to grab it.

When you go into Google Docs it looks all discombobulated - but when you "download original" I think it will open in Word and look fine. Here's hoping.  If it doesn't - any suggestions? I found this template {and of course tweaked it} somewhere on the WWW - can't remember where. 

Have a great weekend! {Did I mention entering my giveaway yet?  This blog post took me so darn long I forget...}

Holly