The Best Beginning for The Best Endings *New Blog* {And More...}

It's Friday people...FRIDAY!  What's normally a TGIF kinda day somehow doesn't feel so TGIF'y...not when the days of waking up alarmingly early are just around the bend...

Drat.

No, I take that back I've got some good news for you.  News that will surely pick you up by your bootstraps {Whatever those might be} and put a smile on your face. 

It's called....

Erika over at The Honey Bunch...

 ...thought there may be some people out there who might like to "talk books" instead of "talk shop".  She was right.  People are jumping at the chance to be a contributor to this new blog and she's already up to 44 followers {in less than 24 hours}. 

I've always wanted to join a book club but have found reasons not to - like... 

1.  I'll embarrass myself by having nothing more than "it was good" rumbling around in my noggin {the stress of work tends to do that to me}

2.  I'll be more interested in the hors d'oeuvres than who dunnit

3. Will I be forced to read a book I don't like, but everybody else likes, and I might be the only one who doesn't actually like it?

4.  Will I be able to stay awake?

5.  Where will I hide my...

'Cuz Lord knows some books are WAY over my head...

But I love to read and I love to talk {or type in this instance} so I think I might like to do both. On a blog. Why not!?!?  So I'm going to give it a try.  I sure hope you stop by, follow, and jump in with any thoughts you might have...

In other news - look what I hubby hooked up today. 

Mimio!!!  That's my son messing around with it.  What a hoot when he tried erasing the white board
with his hand!

I am so dangblasted excited about this business. You have to remember, when I started this blogging adventure I had an overhead projector in my classroom.  That was the extent of my technology.  In three months I've acquired an Elmo, a projector and a Mimio and said ta-ta to my overhead {okay, not actually because I'm a teacher = hoarder, so I have it tucked safe in a corner "just in case"}.

I cannot wait to get schooled on all the wonderful things I can do in my classroom and you bet your bottom dollar I'll share - because it's true, you can use Smartboard files with Mimio so I'm guessing it can go the other way too.

Now head on over to The Best Endings to get your book on!

{And don't forget to tell your friends about it!!!! Oh, and follow because that's what we do around here!}

Top Three...If You Can Call it That...Linky Party & Something Has Me Tickled Pink

Hi Chicklets,

I'm sort of embarrassed to participate in this party, but I'll do it - consider it a late Christmas gift to all of my bloggy friends who might find yourselves feeling competitive and green with envy of people with, say, 49,000 views of ONE post.. {How does that happen, I won't mention any names, Miss Kindergarten } ...yes, I'll do that for you. Awww, hush, it's no big deal.  You're welcome.

If you're interested in showing me up checking out your stats for the year {Hey, that's right - I've only been blogging for two months...what do I expect anyway - instant Bloggess status like Kristin?} and proudly {or not so} display them for the whole-wide-world to see - go link up with Fern {Who I'm trying really hard to "follow" but Blogger hasn't let me follow a new blog in THREE days!!!} over at Fern Smith's Classroom Ideas.

Full Moon = Random and a *Think Sheet Freebie* - Are you ready? You might want to have a seat first.  Get a brown bag ready just in case you need to "breathe in, breathe out"....289 views

i'M aLl OvEr ThE pLaCe *Snowman Freebie* - Wait, it gets better...389 views

Happy Lucky 13th Follower Freebie - Okay, this one isn't *quite* so bad...910 views

I did learn a thing or two though about stats - I can check to see how often and which things are pinned....if you don't now how you just go to "stats" then to "traffic sources" and click "more".  It's listed under "referring url's"  - then find "Pinterest".  So, while my numbers might not be all that impressive, I was pretty geeked to see some of my items have been pinned and even some nice stuff was said about them too!

On  a different note...

I am pleased as punch to tell you that I am the proud owner of this piece of technology...

Which allows for me to turn this:

Into this:

It's the Mimio! {Click HERE for info}  It might not be a Smartboard - but I'm just tickled pink to be "testing" it out for our school. I'm hoping I like it and find it useful in the classroom.  If I like it our PTA is going to purchase 6 more.  Mimio has its own exchange online and from what I understand I'm able to use Smartboard files.  I found a ton of them on Jessica Meacham's website {HERE}.

If you're familiar with Mimio I'd love to hear what you think of it.  Here's hoping it's everything I think it might be!

Now go check out some of my old posts to beef up my stats...hey, if I keep clicking on my own posts will it bring up my numbers? !?! 

Guess where I'm headed?