Quick Update & a Giveaway!

Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Hi, hi!!!!

I am so sorry!  You must be wondering as to where I've been lately.  Well, it's a long story and I'll try to keep it realllly short.

Last week, (if you've been following me on Instagram) you knew that my middle son slightly fractured his toe. His timing couldn't have been better because the following day he was leaving for a week long overnight camping trip.  So, I rushed him over to the Emerg to see the "damages".  He ended up using a lovely little air boot to get himself around.  (Don't worry, I spoke to the Camp Director and she encouraged me that it was totally fine for him to attend the camp.  Otherwise, this over protective Mama would have held on tight to her little boy.)

Still on the topic of health.  Ladies, if you haven't had a mammogram, then maybe the next time you visit your doctor you might want to mention/consider it.  If you are a male reader, then, I urge you to remind the lovely ladies in your life to consider having a mammo.  You see, last week, I had my biopsy.  I'm still waiting for the result.  Let me tell you, this waiting is driving me insane!   This week has been draggg-ing along.   Lucky for me, I've been distracted with setting up my classroom.  {Speaking of classroom.....I will post pictures of my classroom in the near future.  I can't wait for you to see my room!}  Depending on my results, you might see less of the postings or more of the postings.  We will just have to wait and see.  

***Update:  My results are IN!!!!   It's all good.  Just a slight minor surgery needs to get scheduled in order to remove the fibro adenoma.  I can handle that.  All is good!   Yey!!!!***

On a much happier note, The Hands-On Teacher: In First is having an amazing giveaway.  Hop on over to her blog to see what you can win!   Good luck! 

Enjoy the day!  


B2S Sale and Acknowledging TpT Sellers

Saturday, August 17, 2013
Well, hellooo there...

By now, I’m sure that you have already heard that TpT is having a B2S sale tomorrow and Monday.  The best part is that some of the sellers are reducing their prices even more.  What a great way to save some mon-ay!   You just have to enter BTS13 at checkout and save up to 28% off on those wishlisted items.  

So....I thought, this would be a great time to introduce you to some of those wonderful sellers {that is, in case you haven't heard of them already}.   Now, I must first tell yah….I personally have a product or two from each of these wonderful & creative ladies...and, I love all my products!  
So, not in any particular order, I will begin presenting to you these TpT sellers....but, before I do, let me tell you that I'm only listing a few sellers.  I have many other favorite TpT sellers, but if I list them all, we'd be here all day....Having said that though....this blog is a tad long....So, make yourself a cozy little drink, put your feet up, and read on!

First, there’s Dee.  She’s from Over the MoonBow.  Her products are cute & colorful and her store is jam packed with goodies.  I love her Spot On Writing - Writing Process Displays and How We Go Home Dismissal Clip Chart.  I can't wait to use both of these products in my classroom this year!  

Then, there’s Mel over at Graphics From the Pond.  She actually has two TpT stores and you can find her either at Graphics From the Pond or at From The Pond.  Mel's products range from worksheets to clip art.  Her store is loaded!!!!   I have her Spotty Flower Badges and her Stitched Borders - Clipart Frames.  I will be putting these items to good use this year.   


Hilary from Second Grade Is Out of This World is one creative seller.  You’ll really enjoy browsing through her store;  there's too many products to choose.  I have her response journals....Yey! 

Samantha from Ms. Smarty Pants has a variety of writing activities.  She has thought of everything that's related towards writing.   I can't wait to share her Opinion/Persuasive Writing Ice Cream Common Core with my students.  


The next TpT seller that I'd like to mention is also known as the Task Card Queen.  Her task cards are UH-MAZ-ING!  Rachel Lynette from Minds in Bloom has all sorts of task cards at her store.  She recently released a handy tool called, The Task Card Handbook - Everything You Need To Know.  This e-book is a freebie and if you happen to download it, you might just end up seeing my name in a couple of her pages. I'm so honored, Rachel! Thanks....




Laura from Love to Teach is another awesome seller.  Her products are just perfect for those primary grades.  Go check out her store, but before you do, you should stop by her blog and take a peak at her cute blog design.  I just love her mini-me!  When you go to Laura's store, you'll notice that her activities cover a wide range of subjects from Language, Math, Science to Social Studies.  Laura definitely simplifies teaching and planning for us teachers!

Diane from Schoolhouse Treasures is another TpT seller that you should stop by and visit.  At her store, you'll find Scoot Games along with a variety of I Have, Who Has task cards. My students are going to have so much fun playing these games!

Next up is Kristi.  She's from Fun In First Grade and her store has a huge selection of literacy centers along with the many different math activities.  Her products are geared towards the younger grades. If you're teaching a younger grade, I'd definitely stop by her store and take advantage of the big sale.

Heather, from HoJo's Teaching Adventures, in my opinion is known to be the queen of Magic Squares.  My students LOVE love love playing Magic Squares!  Heather has Magic Squares for both Math and Language.  I highly recommend that you visit her store!  Heather's newest product is the Point of View
posters.  I can't wait to display these around my classroom!
The following two sellers are mostly geared towards middle and high school grades, but I’m sure you can find something at their store that might intrigue you for your own grade level.

Addie from Addie Education has the most cutest monster posters on Parts of Speech, Figurative Language, & Types of Sentences. These posters are definitely going to be posted around my classroom.  

Krystal from Lessons from the Middle is amazing!    Not only is she creative with her products, but she’s also kind & helpful.  You should stop by her store and take a look at her products for some inspirational ideas!  My students are going to be so engaged with her Fractions and Decimals Games & Worksheets Bundle


Well, I think, I’ve given you a MEGA list of sellers.  Now, go and start browsing their stores and wish list some of their items.  You’ll want to make use of the upcoming B2S sale!!!!   If you end up purchasing any of the items from the above mentioned sellers, won’t you please come back and tell me what you bought from them?


Have fun shopping.....I know I will!
Toodles…..

New Blog Look & Monday Made It...

Monday, August 12, 2013

Welcome back!  
Monday Made It…

Now, let me first begin by saying that this is my first MMI link up.  So, I like to thank Tara at 4thGrade Frolics for hosting this wonderful link-y party.

At the school I'm at, on the first day of school, teachers gather on the school playground and hold up a “teacher sign” {like the ones that you see at the airport Arrival section} guiding parents and students to meet their teacher for the very first time.  For the past few years, my sign has always been made out of Bristol board and some scrapbook stickers.....BO-ringgg!  This year, I thought I try something different.  I made a sign using a wooden paneled picture frame;  bought at DeSerres.
Then, I used Modge Podge and adhered the scrapbook paper and ribbon onto the wood panel.  (I don’t have a picture of the ribbon, but the ribbon goes on the seams.)
Excuse the side ways picture....I tried so many times to rotate the picture, but no such luck :-(
Using green glittered scrapbook paper I traced out the letters of my name out of the wooden letters.  Then, using Modge Podge, I glued the scrapbook paper onto the wooden letters. 
Letter "D" is all done 

Once the letters were all dry, I used my hot glue gun to glue on the wooden letters onto the wooden panel frame. 


Then, to make it more cheerful, I traced out a wooden flower onto yellow and green glitter scrapbook paper.  Using my hot glue gun, I glued the wooden flowers onto the corners of my frame.  Lastly, I tied a big striped bow. 


I will hang this on my bulletin board outside my classroom.  Do you post any name signs outside your classroom?   I’d love to hear about the different ideas in making your classroom inviting from the outside. 

Don’t forget to visit and see who else has linked up at 4thGrade Frolics.  I’m sure you will come across tons of other creative Back to School ideas over there.

Have a Happy Monday!


Come on Down! You're the Next Contestant On....

Friday, August 9, 2013

Oh my my….I have been nominated for the Liebster Award!  What a great honour it is to be recognized!   Just imagine, a few days ago, I was contemplating on “To Blog or Not to Blog” and now look at me.  {Let’s pause for a second and visualize me doing the Happy Dance….& can you also hear Drew Carey yelling “Najda!  Come on down!  You’re the next contestant to receive the Liebster Award?”}

For those of you who haven’t heard of the Liebster Award, let me quickly give you the details.  Basically, it’s an award that’s awarded to those blogs with less than 200 followers.  This award is to appreciate and hopefully direct more followers towards those blogs. 

To accept the award, I have to do the following:
1.       Link back to the blog that nominated me.
2.       Answer the questions posted for me by my nominator.
3.       Share 11 random facts about myself.
4.       Create 11 questions for my nominees.
5.       Nominate 5-11 blogs with fewer than 200 followers.
6.       Contact my nominees and let them know I nominated them.
So, let’s get the “show” started……Behind Door Number 1 is the link to my nominator and she is Sandy from Elementary Expedition.
Behind Door Number 2 are the questions posted by my nominator.
1.     Which subject is your favorite to teach?
Uhhmmm…..That’s a tough one!  Can I choose two subjects?  I’m going to go with math and art.  I like math because I love working with numbers, pictures, shapes, and all the different manipulatives.  I love art because I love cutting, coloring, and creating.  Join these two subjects together and I’m in bliss. 

2.      What gets you through the day?
Every morning, I need to do a pit stop at our Canadian coffee shop, Tim Hortons.  I don’t know what it is about them, but I’m addicted to their Earl Grey teas.  So, I have to have one cup in the morning and another in the afternoon.
3.     What is your favorite inspirational quote? 

“Live as if You Were to die Tomorrow.  Learn as If You were to Live Forever.” 

                                                                                                      -Mahatma Gandhi





4.        What kind of music do you listen to?
I listen to whatever my boys are listening or singing to at the time.  I prefer mostly Selena Gomez, Justin Timberlake, and my man Pitbull.

5.        What do you do to relieve stress?
Let me think on this one…..  I like to curl up with a good book and glass of red wine or a cup of ginger honey tea.  Sometime, I even prefer just getting lost in the world of Instagram and Pinterest.
6.       What is the distance from your home to school?
The distance from my house to my school is about a 12 minute drive.  Although at times, I try & reduce the amount of time by a few minutes…..sshhh!!!!  Don’t tell that to anyone! 
                                                         
7.       What other jobs have you had besides teaching?
Wow!  Where do I begin?  My first job was selling shoes……Yikes!  Dealing with peoples’ feet wasn’t my ‘cup of tea’.  I needed to move onto something much more cuter.  So, I moved on and worked at an Infant Department selling cute baby rattles, baby clothes, cribs, and cuddly toys.  Then, before becoming a teacher, I worked within the financial corporate world dealing with stocks and bonds.  Dealing with millions of dollars, the different company’s CEOs, and lawyers on a daily basis sure kept me on my toes.
8.       What are your favorite things to do in your spare time (not teacher related)?
This is a hard one to answer.  I think, reading books and scrapbooking would be high on my list and the next thing on my list would be to learn all the ins and outs of blogging. 
9.        Why did you start blogging?
I have learned so much from all the wonderful teacher bloggers out there, that I wanted to join in & be part of the friendly, kind, and caring community of teacher bloggers.     
10.        How long does it take you to get ready on school mornings?
Ha….I wake up around 6:00am in the morning and try & read all my emails off of my iPhone.  Around 6:30am, I jump in the shower.  Then, I MUST blow dry my hair before going anywhere.  Otherwise, not only do I scare myself, I also scare my own three boys.  Bwahaha……. 

So, then I do a quick time check….. 7:00am.  By now, I’m having my fingers crossed that my husband has gotten everyone’s lunches all packed and ready to go.  So, all I have to do is come down to the kitchen, grab my lunch off of the counter, and out I go. 
11.        Where did you attend college?
I went to two different colleges.  I went to York University located in Toronto, Canada and then to Niagara University located within Buffalo, New York. 
                                           Now, progressing nicely through our Game Show……
Behind Door Number 3, you’ll see the 11 random facts about myself…..in no specific order:
1.       I love love love McDonald’s fries.  Yes, I know it’s bad for me, but I just can’t help it.  Actually, you don’t want to know this, but I think I can easily say that I have McDonald’s at least once every other week.  (I think right about now, I just lost a few of my healthy eaters reading this post.) However, I have to admit, lately, I’ve been good and staying away from the golden arches.
             
2.        I have played the recorder, clarinet, violin, and the piano.  The key word here is….I HAVE played.  I think I’m a bit rusty now on all those instruments except for the piano.  I can still play the piano.
3.       I have a leopard gecko.  Well, it’s actually my son’s but, I’m the one always having to drive out to the pet store to buy live crickets so that we can feed the little lady.

            
4.       I love to crochet and sew.    I mostly crochet blankets.  So, as soon as I know that someone is expecting a baby, off I go, on my crochet frenzy and put together a warm cozy blanket.  I also sew.  I’ve sewn many things, like:  clothes, pillows, curtains, etc., but I don’t try and advertise my skills otherwise, I’d never get away from my sewing machine.  Here’s a funny story…..One day, my mom pays me a visit and says, “Oh, Najda, I’ve brought over some of my pants.  Could you take them in for me, since I’ve lost a bit of weight?”  Here’s little old me, thinking, “Yeah, sure.  How many pants can she own that I’d have to hem?”  Well…..take a guess!   If you guessed 10, you’re wrong.  Guess again…..20?  (By the way, I feel like we're playing the "Guess the Price" game form Price is Right).  If you guessed 20....nah, you're wrong again!  She BROUGHT  over 25 pants for me to hem and/or take in!  Wow-zah!  Sure enough, I was back at my sewing machine sitting for a few more hours than I had anticipated.
5.  As a 5'0" teenager, I've played basketball, back in the day.  Oh, ..... how I loved dribbling and shooting hoops!  I was no Harlem Globetrotter, but I was a good little Spud.




     

6.     Dentists scare me!   When I was 8 years old, I’ve had all of my 18 teeth pulled out.  Yup!!!!  That’s not a typo.  You read that number right.  Boy, let me tell yah……it wasn’t fun!  Those gums of mine were pretty sore!


7.       I love the Smurfs. I grew up with these little blue guys.  I wish I could have a Smurf with me right now!  You should see the look on my boys’ faces when I talk about the Smurfs.   I get all giddy.  By the way, you’ll have to stay tuned and see my Smurf project.  I can’t wait to post about it in the near future. 
           
8.       My favorite holiday is Christmas!   I love the spirit of giving and decorating.  I love how the malls look and feel.  I love decorating my house.  I go cray cray with the décor.  I place Christmas string lights along the base of my baseboards, then cover it up with white tulle.  Then, it gives the effect of snow.  It’s a fun season! 
 9. My dream vacation is Dubai.  I want to visit this man-made city.  I think it’s mind boggling as to how these infrastructures have come about. 
                           
10.   I am a nut bar when it comes to organizing my closet.  I have to have all my colors coordinated.  All my blue shirts and sweaters are folded in one pile, all my black ones in one pile, all of my red ones in another pile……you get the idea.   Yes, you can call me…..freak-ey!  I just like my clothes organized so that way it looks neater and I can easily find the color I’m looking for, that’s all! This isn’t my closet, but here’s what I’m talkin’ about.

11.   This year, my school is implementing the International Baccalaureate Program and I’m extremely excited about it.  New program means new teaching lessons! 
Alright, now let’s see what’s behind Door Number 4…..Ahhh!  Questions for the Nominees:
1.       What are 3 things that are in your teacher bag?
2.       Why did you start teaching?
3.       What’s your favorite part of your classroom?
4.       What’s your biggest pet peeve?
5.       Name an accessory that you cannot live without.
6.       What is your favorite pastime or hobby?
7.       What was the last movie that you saw?
8.       Do you have a TpT store?
9.       If you could have anyone in the world to teach your class for a day, who would it be?
10.   Do you prefer sweet or salty foods?
11.   If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
And nowwww…….We have the Showcase Showdown! 
                       
Now I’d like to nominate the following blogs for the Liebster Award.  If you like to participate, answer the questions listed above and link back.  What a great way to connect with new bloggers! 
Rachel at La Senorita Creative
So…..”Come on Down!  You’re the next contestant on the Liebster Award!”   Hope you'll accept!
Toodles......
Najda            
                                                                         

I'm One Lucky & Thankful Gal...& some Giveaways!

Monday, August 5, 2013
Hope you've had a wonderful weekend!   The weather here has been great, so my boys and I have been enjoying BBQ'd dinners and some fresh air.  
 
I'm about to share some unbelievable news with you.  You see, I've hit the jackpot!  Well....., not literally, but it sure feels like it!  I have WON, NOT 1,... NOT 2,..... but THREE amazing products from these wonderful TpT sellers.  So, before further adieu, I'd like to thank Susanne from SOS-Supply, Hooty from Hooty's Homeroom and Fern from Fern Smith's Classroom Ideas for their creative and wonderful products!   Thanks so much ladies!!!   If you haven't visited them before, I highly suggest that you give them a visit.  These ladies are very inspirational and creative!  I'm sure you won't be sorry to have stopped by their blogs! 

Now, speaking of giveaways....there are some wonderful giveaways happenin' right now!  Both  Growing Firsties  and Secondgradealicious  have wonderful news and they are celebrating their good news by hosting these amazing giveaways!  So, I'm going to stop here in order for you to go and give these lovely ladies a visit! 

While you're off visiting, I'm going to get myself busy with a project that I've had in my head.  Hopefully, I will be able to bring it to life!  Stay tuned...... 





    

My Very First Blog...

Sunday, August 4, 2013
Yey!!!!  This is my first blog EVER!!!  I can't believe it!  I actually really really did it!  I am so very proud of myself.  Let me tell yah though, I have been up all. night. long. trying to figure out how to set my blog up.  I think I have almost got it. I'll still tweak it as I go along.  I'm sure I've missed a few details along the way.  In the meantime, if you have any suggestions or friendly advise, I'm all ears.   I need to give credit to Julie at Leelou who has a wonderful blog with step by step  instructions on blogging.  

Let me briefly tell you a wee bit about myself.  My name is Najda Zada. I am a wife to a wonderful caring husband and a mom to three wonderful boys.  Living in Ontario, Canada, my boys love playing hockey.  So, majority of our winter evenings are spent at the hockey rinks.  Every once in a while, I might squeeze in some hockey updates.   As for teaching, this is going to be my fourth year of teaching.  In all those four years, I have been teaching grade 3.  I love third graders.  They are wonderful.

I am sure you have already figured out why my blog name is Garden Full of Knowledge, but in case you did not, it is because as teachers, we place a little seed of knowledge in every child and every child is unique like a flower.

Time check now:  4:15 a.m.  I am now going to call it a night and hope that you'll come and visit me again real soon.

Cheers!
Najda



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