Quick-n-Easy Storage Bin Makeover

It's that time of year when we all start reliving that nightmare.... you know.... the end of July is drawing near & you decide to take a lil peek at your classroom.....OMIword! I really want to just run away from that scary sight! Do you ever try to convince yourself that its not gonna be so bad??? I do! "I was such a better packer-upper this year so I'll have the room put back together in no time at all!" {Ha! Ha!} It just doesn't happen! I've decided this year that I'm getting rid of lots of stuff. My motto is: "If I haven't used it-LOSE IT!" So after working in my classroom for just a few hours, the trash pile is HUGE! I also want to color coordinate all of my storage and I have oodles of storage bins but they don't all match my color scheme...sooo.... I picked up some bright fun-colored spray paint at Lowes {be sure to get the kind made for plastic otherwise it peels off} and transformed some ugly REALLY UGLY storage bins into like-new cute ones!

 

Yellowing plastic....ughhhh....super UgLy right?!?

 

Just work a little magic with that pink spray paint....

 

....and that fun blue and green spray paint...

 

...and Wowza! They're like new!!!

 

Now I just need to make a few more labels for the rest of those bins! I'll be posting more pics as soon as my classroom is a little more put together! :)

 

 

Fun with Short Vowels!

Hey everyone! It won't be long until that new batch of firsties will be diving right into short vowel sounds. I will admit that I'm really not ready to give up summer just yet {although I find myself thinking about school stuff a little bit more each day!} This year our school will be making the complete transition over to the Common Core Standards. Last year I started putting together some short & long vowel activities that are aligned to 1st grade CCS. Well...I finally got the short vowel activities finished up with some cutie-patootie graphics! I'm soooo excited to have these extra reproducible activities organized & ready to use with my firsties. Some of them we do as independent practice and some are used as center activities...AND...they work great with Daily 5! I have an activity pack for each vowel...

 

 

 

 

 

I have also bundled all of these packs together at a super discounted price! Check out the previews at my lil TpT shop!!!

 

And just in case you're wondering, I am currently working on my "Fun with LONG Vowels" packs! Now if my kiddos would stop begging me to go swimming everyday, I might be able to get those finished up a lil quicker! Hope you're enjoying your summer days also!  :)