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10/10/2014

Halloween Bash Blog Hop!

Me, just shy of week 1 Billion-one.
Guys! It's FALL!!!! Fall is my favorite time of year for a BILLION reasons. Pumpkin patches and hot drinks and pretty colors and boots and layers and all of the yummiest smells and I COULD GO ON ALL DAY. Fall puts me in a good mood.

Last year for most of fall, and definitely for Halloween, I was A BILLION WEEKS PREGNANT. That is not an exaggeration. I was GINORMOUS. So, needless to say, I missed out on the fun energetic happenings of fall.

This is me, two days before I went into labor, dressing for fall and pretending like playing in the leaves was fun. Really, I just wanted to sit down and pretend like I hadn't gained 80 (gasp!) pounds in the last year.

Needless to say, this year, I am making up for it! We're packing in all the fall goodness we can! And THIS year, I've got an extra little guy to join in the fun, which MORE than makes up for last year! This is, BY FAR, my favorite fall so far. Thanks, little man!

Meet Beckett.









One of the many perks to being stuck at home pregnant (other than ending up with a cute kid out of the situation), is having extra time to create goodies for you! Last year, I put together some awesome activities that I'm really excited to share with you today. So, without further ado, some treats for you!


This adorable set is my Candy Corn Flash Cards Freebie! Can you even handle the cuteness of those little candy corn faces? {If you want to implement that cute clip art other places in your classroom, you can Click Here for the free link.} How great is it that something as simple as a new set of adorable flash cards can get your students excited about an activity!


I love flash cards because they're cheap & easy to make or buy, and they are SO VERSATILE! If you're needing some inspiration on new, fun ways to use flash cards in your classroom, make sure to check out This Blog Post from last fall. It's got 16 different games & activities to use with flash cards!!

The flyswatter game has always been one of my Go-To games. The kids stayed amused and engaged and I could use it to assess almost any skill at any grade level.

My neice, Avaya (2), is learning to identify letter names.



Another fun and easy game is simply matching or categorizing with the cards. 
My nephew, Eli (4), is working on letter names & sounds.


I have several Alphabet & Number  and Vocabulary Flash Card Sets, {including some FREEBIES!} so if you're looking to spruce up your collection, or supplement a unit plan, make sure to check them out! 


Another fun favorite of mine is this Halloween Literacy Pack. It's chocked full of Halloween themed goodness to supplement your phonics, writing, and reading lessons over the next couple of weeks. It also has CCSS "I Can" posters paired with each activity.


My favorite thing about this pack is the ideas for modifying for various ability levels. We all know how important modifications are, but sometimes they can be tough to do for each center!


I got to put this kit and it's modification suggestions to the test this week with a friend's homeschool kiddos. She's got five kids between 3 and 7. PROPS, MAMA! It was so much fun to hang out with this crew and see how excited they were about these activities. 4 of 5 of them participated, and all of them used the same kit, just modified! Here are some ways we modified these activities.

Adeline (7) and Campbell (6) started with the Mummy Match word family cut & paste. 
We modified by circling the word family letter group (op, etc).





Anderson (7) was able to do the same activity with no modifications.


Anderson (7), Adeline (7), Campbell (6) and Henley (4) all played with the vocab dice & cards.
They practiced identifying the words, drawing the pictures, and writing the words.



Henley (4) focused on tracing the letters on the vocab cards, 
and then mimicking the letters on his paper.
Cambell (6) focused on using the pictures to identify the words,
and then practiced writing them with her beautiful handwriting!

Adeline started out with the word worksheet, 
but then transitioned to writing complete sentences.


While the big kids were focusing on their work, Henley (4) & I did a picture walk of our story.
We then identified the beginning, middle and end. 
Henley drew pictures of each phase of the story, and then dictated captions for his pictures.


It was a great day, and we were all pleased to be able to work in harmony on the same activities, but each with different goals!

Interested in this pack? Enter here for a FREEBIE!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ok, in celebration of fall, and the need for all things warm and yummy but also quick and super easy, I give you THE EASIEST DINNER EVER. 

I hadn't made this recipe in a couple of years. However, as fall came about here in St. Louis, I found myself suddenly craving it, so I decided to whip it out. AND YOU SHOULD DO THE SAME. I promise you won't regret it.

Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:
Chicken
Canned Black Beans
Canned Diced Tomatoes with Chiles
Canned Corn, drained
Canned Chicken Broth
Cream of Chicken Soup (optional)

Several things I love about this recipe:
 1. It is SO fast. And cheap.
2. You can throw the chicken in frozen. 
3. All of the ingredients are flexible regarding proportions.
4. No seasonings!
5. It smells DELISH.

So here's what you need to know. Don't worry about how much of each. 4 chicken breasts & 1 can of each item is a starting guide, but if you happen to love black beans, add some extra! Want it to be thicker? Add an extra can of cream of chicken! Go WILD, people.

Put it all in the crock pot, on low, for about 8 hours. It will probably be done sooner.
Shred the chicken with a fork. 
Serve with your favorite toppings. {We do cheese, avocado, and plain greek yogurt.}

VOILA!




How incredible is it that this hop is FULL of giveaways?! On top of all of the great freebies & ideas, you can also enter to win one of these fabulous prize packs!! Check them out!

K - 2 Prize Pack


2nd - 5th Prize Pack

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Secondary Giveaway Pack

a Rafflecopter giveaway



3 comments on "Halloween Bash Blog Hop!"
  1. That recipe looks awesome! I'll have to try that out. Anything that is easy and tasty and can be thrown in the crockpot sounds good to me!

    Sara
    Sara J Creations

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's definitely worth putting in the rotation. We're having it again this week! :)

      Delete
  2. This blog post is adorable! The kiddos' faces while working are priceless. Your activities and ideas are amazing and so creative. Thank you for sharing.

    ReplyDelete