Liebster Award!

We are so excited to be chosen for this award!!  We got nominated by 2 bloggers Renee from  Growing a teacher and Stacey from ray of kindergarten sunshine!  Thank you ladies and I hope you find this journey fun and rewarding!

Award Background

Liebster is a german word that means "dearest," "lovely," or "cute." The purpose of this award is to recognize new blogs that are worth a look

Here are my 'rules' for accepting this nomination: 

1. Link back to the blog that nominated me
2. Nominate 5-11 blogs with fewer than 200 followers
3. Answer the questions posted for you by your nominator
4. Share 11 random facts about yourself
5. Create 11 questions form your nominees
6. Contact your nominees and let them know you nominated them

Here are the blogs I am nominating:
1. Jessica from Fun in PreK-1 and Kinder
2. Sarah from Kinder cakes
3. Polka dots and teaching tots
4. Katie from Kdots
5. Katrina from A Love for Teaching
Here are the questions that Renee wanted me to answer:

Now the questions for the nominees:

1.  When did you know you wanted to be a teacher?  Well the real answer is when I aided in my daughters preK classroom, but I should have had a clue when I used to line up my stuffed animals in 2nd grade and play school with them for hours!!

2.  Best classroom moment last year?  I loved the look on my kids faces when we opened the oven and the gingerbread man was gone!  It is truly priceless...

3.  What is your closet addition? I love that dresses are back in style!  And a little black dress is a must for those days you do not know what to wear!  I buy most of my dresses at Ross...and I love when I find deals...My closet addition to my classroom is a light panel.  It just came in and I will put up pictures this weekend...SO EXCITED to use it...

4.  How do you get your morning caffeine fix--coffee or soda? definitely coffee...pretty much don't say a word until I drink my first cup and I am spoiled, my amazing husband brings me coffee in bed every morning and to the bathroom while I get ready during the year. 

5.  What was your first "teacher" purchase? My first?  Wow that was a looooongggg time ago!  Probably gifts for my kids...I think I buy more stuff for my kids at school than my kids at home (don't tell them). :-)

6.  What is your all-time favorite movie, you know, the one you always quote?  A Sure Thing with John Cusack We laugh because we named our son Nicholas...ask me to explain if you have not seen it...

7.  When you go to Target, what's the section you MUST visit every time you go in the store? The dollar spot of course!

8.  What have you enjoyed most about this summer?  Sitting on the beach talking with friends!  And my sister is moving back to my town with her 3 kids and I can't wait!!

9.  What are some things you purchased for your classroom this summer?

10. What is your favorite subject to teach?  Why? I love teaching kids to read!  I love children's literature and watching their excitement when they read their first word!

11. What's at the top of your bucket list? I really want to do a triathlon!  But I am so out of shape right now...working on moving again...

11 random facts about myself:
1.  I have 3 kids...One daughter just graduated college, one daughter just graduated high school and my son is starting 8th grade!
2.  I have been married for 24 years and I am still totally in love with him!
3.  I grew up in California but now call Florida home.
4.  I love to follow food trucks and try new foods
5.  I am addicted to my ipad!
6.  I have read everything Francine Rivers and Lynn Austin has written
7.  I love going to the movies chick flicks and period flicks are my favorite.
8.  My favorite pastors are Jentezen Franklin and Joyce Meyer.
9.  I am a cat lover!
10.   One of the things I am proud of is running a half marathon with my bestie Kim for Team in Training for the Leukemia Society and my daughter was our honored hero for the run.  She had leukemia when she was 8.
11.  I am from a big family and I love it!!  3 brothers and 2 sisters and 14 nieces and nephews...I always wanted to have 5 of my own kids...not anymore though, I got over it...and now I have 18 new kids every year which I wouldn't trade for anything!

Now for 11 questions for my nominees:

1.  How long have you been teaching?
2.  Where did you go to college?
3.  Is there anything in your life you would do over or change?
4.  What is your favorite book?
5.  Who are your favorite children's authors?
6.  Where is your favorite spot in the house?
7.  When did you first know you wanted to teach?
8.  How did you first hear of blogging?
9.  What is your best classroom management trick?
10.  How do you organize your library in your classroom?
11.  Do you like teaching in small groups or whole group learning best?  

This has been fun and I hope we all have made some new friends!