Saturday, January 2, 2016

How to Make Dice Last

If you're like me you have made some homemade paper dice sometime in your teaching career. Maybe it came in a book you bought at the teacher's store, a product you purchased at TpT, or you downloaded it off the internet. No matter how you got it I would bet that it didn't last long at all! I have had the same trouble...every single time! Of course this is a pain because sometimes I need customized dice to go with a specific skill or concept I am teaching. I am happy to say after many years of squished and busted dice I finally came up with a way to create it where it actually lasts!!! I would love to share it with you!

This is a dice I need for kids to practice trigraphs. The first thing I do is print the dice on heavier paper. The paper I chose was not cardstock. It was in between copy paper and cardstock in durability and heaviness. This made it easy to fold and easy to work with. I purchased it from staples in packs that came in a variety of colors. It is cheaper than cardstock and I have used it for other projects for my students also. Once you print your dice laminate it. It lamiates great and will help it last a long, long time! Cut your dice out and you are ready to go!



Next, fold your dice into a box as shown below. Use clear tape (or strong glue) to secure each edge from top to bottom. This is really important for durability and stability.


Now fill your dice with cotton balls. This will keep your dice from being squished by your students when they hold, roll, or throw the dice. 


Make sure to pack your dice with cotton balls well. Then secure the edges with tape.


Now your kiddos are ready to play! 
And best of all the dice will last!


I hope this blog post was helpful! If you are interested in the particular product this dice game came from it can be found by clicking here or the picture below.





Friday, January 1, 2016

Sale and Dollar Days

 Happy New Year!!!
It's time for some fun to ring in the New Year! First off everything in my store is 20% off through January 3rd! Don't you love a sale? I know I do! 

And secondly, I am participating in the New Years Dollar Deals! Scroll below to see the products I have reduced to only $1.00! And if you would like to see everyone's dollar deal products just go to TpT and type #2016dollardeals in the search box. It will show you all the deals for only a dollar.



My products that are only $1.00 for a limited time are...
(click on the photo to go to that product)






My Goals for 2016


On the first of the year I always reflect back on the previous year. What were the positives? What could I have done better? Then I look forward. I always wonder what will happen this year. Will someone have a new job opportunity? Will there be a new baby in the family? Vacations? The list goes on. Of course, like everyone else, I want everything to go well without setbacks. Without failures.

Goal #1 
Unfortunately, I suffer from a lot of food allergies. All are adult onset. The postives of this is that I have to avoid the foods that I shouldn't have anyways. But I am still very limited. I am always on the lookout for new foods that my body can handle. This year I would like to find some recipes to replace some old favorites that are allergy friendly for me. 
Goal #2
Play more, work less!!! These past two years have been very heavy on me! The extra work has taken a toll on my personal life. I have not had the time to enjoy what I love such as my family, traveling, reading, and quilting. It shouldn't be like that. There should be a balance. Instead everything has shifted to one side. 

Goal #3
Clean and organize my house. Ugghhh!!!! I need a maid I think. Someone to come in once a month to clean for me. I want to simplify and look forward to downsizing to a smaller house also. Why do we feel like we need so much stuff?
Goal #4
I love creating products to help other teachers! I want to continue that for 2016, but make that even better! It warms my heart when teachers send me photos or messages telling me how much I have helped them. My goal is to improve that practice to the best of my ability.

Come link up with Stephanie from Principal Principles to share your 2016 goals.