Beautiful Blogger Award

Sara from You.And.Me.Are.We nominated me for the Beautiful Blogger Award.

Sara is an amazing woman and a great bloggy friend. She's so sweet, kind, and caring. Make sure to head over to her blog & check her out.

The rules for this award are as follows:

-Thank the ravishing, wonderful, amazing woman who nominated you. (Thank you, Sara! You already know I think you're amazing, fantastic, beautiful, and wonderful!)

-Post a picture of the award (like above).

-Share 7 facts about yourself.

-Nominate 15 blogs to share the love.

So here we go - 7 facts:

1. I love all animals. If I could save each and every one, I absolutely would.

2. I have two tattoos that have sentimental meaning to me. I'll be getting a 3rd and 4th within the next 2 months.

3. My family is my world. I would drop EVERYTHING to do ANYTHING for them. No matter what.

4. I love the beach. I would live on the beach for the rest of my life if I could afford it. But, I've always been a water baby so it makes sense!

5. I've never moved except to go to college. I could walk around my house with my eyes closed and know exactly where I'm going. This is what makes me nervous to be moving to Alabama.

6. In high school, I wanted to be a dentist. So, I checked out colleges for dentistry. Then, I wanted to be an interior designer, which is what landed me at UC. Then, I wanted to be a teacher. So no, a teacher was not my first job choice, but it's absolutely where I belong.

7. I have the biggest pet peeve - when people don't have manners. Do not expect me to be kind if you don't say "please" "thank you" "excuse me" or anything else along those lines. Drives me nuts!

Now, the 15 bloggers I nominate. Each of these bloggers are FANTASTIC women. They have been some of the most supportive mentors and those that I look up to each and every day. Each woman has their own strengths and this is what makes them all beautiful.

Laura from Love to Teach :)

Maria & Em from Curious Firsties

Jenn from A Pirate's Life for Us

Katie & Lisen from Second Grade Smartypants

Lisa from Learning is Something to Treasure

Sara from Miss Elementary

Tanja from Journey of a Substitute Teacher

Storie from Stories by Storie

Corinna from Surfin' Through Second

Kate from EduKate and Inspire

Liliris from Fourth Grade Garden

Shanyn from Coffee, Kids & Compulsive Lists

Ang from Juggling Act Mama

Tiffanie from Life with the Little Man

Mel from Frog Spot

Don't forget about the giveaway going on & the Advent Calendar Swap sign ups!

Have a beautiful day, y'all!

tried it tuesday: fail - giveaway help??

GIVEAWAY PARTICIPATION
I'm participating in a giveaway at Lisa's Learning is Something to Treasure blog! Click the picture below to be linked to her giveaway - you could win a $10.00 Target gift card from me, and many other fabulous prizes! What are you waiting for? Go, now!

So, we're not doing Tried It Tuesday today - instead, that will be Thursday! Things popped up today (broken windshield getting fixed, broken iPhone 4S screen getting fixed... notice a GLASS theme here???) so instead, I'm packing!

I really don't have anything to update y'all with except that I'M OVER 100 FOLLOWERS!!! Never in a million years did I think I'd make it to this number in such a short time. Thank you to everyone that follows me. I will eventually be making my own documents (once I learn how and get the time) and will be doing a GIVEAWAY!!! Yayyyy! SO, if you are interested in helping me with my giveaway, please e-mail me at ventrellasara@gmail.com. I'd totally appreciate it!! (The giveaway won't be until AFTER my vacation... I need a break!!)

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

One more thing, I was nominated by Candace at 005 Watkins' Way for the Liebster Award! Candace, you are such a sweet woman!! Thank you so much for this!! This award is given away to highlight those blogs with less than 200 followers on their blogs. I'm happy that Candace chose myself as one of those blogs!

There are rules to this award, though, so here they are:

1. Copy and paste this award on your blog.
2. Thank the giver and link back to them.
3. Reveal 5 other bloggers and comment on their blogs.

So, here's my five bloggers that I'm nominating!

Katie & Lisen @ Second Grade Smartypants




Ms. Walter @ Hoot Hoot Hooray!




Sara @ Miss Elementary




Kate @ EduKate and Inspire



Cassandra @ Adventures in Room 5

Stop by these amazing blogs and say hello - they're all super friendly ladies that are willing to help anyone :]



Giveaways UPDATE
Going to be a GREAT giveaway!! At Mrs. Sykes' blog, she's doing a one year bloggiversary giveaway! Stop on by and enter yourself into this great drawing - there are SO many nice things up for grabs! Click the picture below :]

There's also one at Elisabeth's blog! Stop on by and check it out. You will NOT want to miss it :]

Have a good day, y'all!

thank you, giveaways, July currently!

I received another bloggy award! This time, I received my "The Versatile Blogger" award from Kelly over at I'm Not Your Grandpa, I'm Your Teacher, Michelle at No Monkey Business, and Storie at Stories by Storie! Thanks SOOOO much Kelly, Michelle, and Storie :] I truly appreciate it and couldn't be happier to have received this award from anyone but you all!

So, there are rules that go along with this award! They are listed below:

1. Thank the blogger who nominated you - Thank you, Kelly, Michelle, and Storie!!2. Include a link to their site - they're above in blue!3. Include the award image in your post4. Give 7 random facts about yourself5. Nominate 15 other bloggers for the award6. When nominating, include a link to their site7. Let other bloggers know they have been nominated

So, here goes my 7 facts:


1. I have two tattoos on my body. On my front left hip, I have "Live Laugh Love." On my right shoulder blade, I have "Strength & Courage." I've always loved the saying live laugh love, so I wanted it on me to remind myself each and every day to do those three things. Strength and courage is for my Daddy. He passed away in 2010, but I got this tattoo to remind myself to have strength and courage in everything that I do.

2. I got into blogging because of Pinterest. I kept getting linked to so many different blogs that I decided I wanted to start my own and begin creating my own things for my future classroom. I love being creative and need something to do ALL the time, so blogging is the perfect filler.

3. I graduated from the University of Cincinnati this year with my Bachelors in Early Childhood and two certificates, Deaf Studies and Child Abuse Recognition, and I'm getting my Generalist Endorsement AND will be going to Bowling Green State University for my Master's degree starting August 20th!!!! (Just found out!!!) Man... I'm a school nerd!

4. I have an obsession with anchors or anything nautical. My boyfriend is in the Coast Guard so I've gotten into the whole fad of anchors, sailboats, ropes, knots, etc. I love it!

5. When I was little, my parents pulled my arms out of their sockets by swinging me by my arms to do a "helicopter" while we were playing outside. I also got poked in the eye by my mother when she was flying a kite - I think they're abusive.... :]

6. I really think I'm a hoarder... my family and friends joke that I am a hoarder but I really do have a TON of stuff! I just can't help it... if I see something cute, I go for it!

7. I am scared to death of bees. I have been stung more times than I can imagine - on my hand when I was throwing trash away, on the corner of my eye to the point where my eye swelled up on the first day of Kindergarten, between my toes running around the backyard, and more beyond this! So, if you're around me and I see a bee, I turn into an instant sprinter and ninja master.So, that's a little about me .. nothing ecstatic but that's me!

So now, I have to choose other bloggers to give this award to! Congrats, y'all! My list is below, but in no order:


Moe @ Uniquely Monique
Krista @ The Second Grade Superkids
Candace @ 005 Watkins' Way
MrsMc @ Buzz Buzz Buzz!
Stevi & Tamara @ 2 Crazy Texas Teachers
Kristie @ Learning with Mrs. Chavis
Kate @ EduKate & Inspire
Kelley @ Teacher Idea Factory
Liliris @ Fourth Grade Garden
Corinna @ Surfin' Through Second
Hooty @ Hooty's Homeroom
Cassandra @ Adventures in Room 5
Terri @ First Grade Princess
Vicky @ Traditions, Laughter & Happily Ever After

This weekend has been no fun - lots of DRAMA. But I'm looking at it as a bump in the road and that's all it'll be!

GIVEAWAY UPDATES
These lovely ladies below are holding giveaways! They have all reached a specific milestone in followers. Make sure to stop on by, follow their blogs, and enter yourselves in their giveaways! You will NOT regret it :]

This is the giveaway going on at Mrs. Stanford's Class. Click the picture above to be linked to it.

This is the giveaway going on at Liliris' blog, Fourth Grade Garden. Click the picture above to be linked to it.

Click here to go to Mrs. Shelton's giveaway at Kindergarten Korner!

Click here to go to Cassandra's giveaway at Adventures in Room 5!

Click here to go to Donna's giveaway at Peace, Love, and Learning!

JULY CURRENTLY


It's time for the July Currently with Farley over at Oh Boy 4th Grade! Here's my currently for the month of July - stop on by and link yourself up, too!

So, I didn't follow the directions so I updated my Currently! Farley has asked for the last group to be 1) book that you enjoy reading out loud the most and 2) a go-to professional development book.

1 - I LOVE Shel Silverstein. You can do so many things with his poetry, and I love poetry as is. Children love the poems, too.

2 - I'm loving this book by Donalyn Miller. She's such a sweet, kind hearted lady, and she has the cutest Southern accent. She also has some amazing ideas surrounding literature.

Have a good rest of the night, y'all!

PS. I leave a week from tomorrow for THE BAHAMAS!!! :] And a week from yesterday to Rosemary Beach, Florida! Wooohoooo for summer time.

ahhhh... UPDATED

Ahhhhhh! I'm writing this from my phone because my home Internet is broken! My mom was on the phone with our Internet company for literally two hours and they have no idea what's wrong so they're sending a technician out tomorrow to figure it out. Why am I telling you all this? Well, I'm supposed to have posted about my Thoughtful Thursday but that's going to have to wait until tomorrow! Thanks for hanging in there with me! I'll be back tomorrow to update you on Thoughtful Thursday and Fun Friday!
Have a good night, y'all!
PS. My mom and I went to play Bingo tonight at our local Parish... well, she won $200 and I won $100! Wooooo hoooooo! Talk about lucky ducks :)


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

First thing I want to say is thank you to Katie & Lisen at Second Grade Smartypants awarded me with my first bloggy award - One Lovely Blog Award!! I am sooo excited to have been nominated for this award and I could not be more delighted that I was nominated by these two lovely women!

But, there's more that goes along with the award!
1st - Follow the person who gave you the award (that was easy - I've been following Katie & Lisen for a while.. they're both awesome ladies!)
2nd - Link back to the person who gave you the award
3rd - Pass the award onto 15 other bloggy friends!

So, I created my list of bloggy friends that I want to pass this along to:

Monique at Uniquely Monique

Tanja at Journey of a Substitute Teacher

(no button.. but visit her!!)

Jennifer at Kindertrips

Emily at Remarkable Home

Denise at Yearn to Learn

Heather at Heather's Heart

Christina at Mrs. Bainbridge's Class

Candace at 005 Watkins' Way

MrsMc at Buzz Buzz Buzz!

Kristie at Learning with Mrs. Chavis

Amanda at Teaching Maddeness

Selina at Classroom Magic

Wahoooo - so happy!!

Anyway.. now that I'm back on the computer and our Internet is running smoothly, boy what a long day it has been. I was with the Internet technician from 8:30 AM until about 11:00 AM this morning.. trying to learn what was wrong and what we need to do differently and all that. Basically, I had us upgrade to wireless so that all our issues would be fixed. Welp, so far so good!

I've done NOTHING fun today (for Fun Friday with my SUPER SUMMER SCHEDULE!) so I really cannot update on that.. instead, I got ahead on work for summer classes so that way when I go to the Bahamas in two weeks (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!), I don't have to do work and can enjoy my vacation!

So, for my Thinking Thursday, I was thinking about where I want to go for my Master's. So, here's my list with pros and cons:

University of Cincinnati
PROS
Familiar with the school
Familiar with the workings of the professors
Know how to navigate the websites
CONS
Programs offered only on campus
Must have a job in order to participate in the programs
Only have a few different Master's programs that I can get elsewhere

Ohio University
PROS
Love the atmosphere of the school
Easy website to navigate
Helpful workers that know what they are talking about
Online programs available
CONS
Must have a job in order to participate
Not familiar with the professors
Only have a few different Master's programs that I can get elsewhere

Bowling Green State University
PROS
Website navigation
Helpful workers
Diverse program offerings (Classroom Technology)
Online programs
Do not have to hold a full time job in order to participate
CONS
Not familiar with the professors

Wright State University
PROS
Friends attend here
Close to home
CONS
Programs only offered on campus
Must have job in order to participate
Not familiar with professors
Very few choices to choose from
Website is somewhat confusing

Soooo... as you can see. My reasonings are very general but it's because I've already made up my mind before I posted this list: BOWLING GREEN STATE UNIVERSITY! I applied and have had a great experience thus far. The directors of the program are both very helpful and nice, and they also know what they are talking about. The only thing I'm waiting on is my references to get there and for them to review my application! I applied for the Masters of Education in Classroom Technology program because it's ALL about technology. I am obsessed with technology and learning new things about the different websites and programs out there available to people, especially teachers. So, I decided that this would be a great subject to get my Master's in. What do you all think?

I'm excited that I'll be journeying into this new chapter of my life because after that, I'll likely never attend an institution or get "formal education" again beyond professional credits! I'm nervous that this is almost like the "last" chapter of my education, but I could not be happier with where I am going.

So, that's all I've got for ya for Thinking Thursday on my SUPER SUMMER SCHEDULE!

This weekend, I'll be working all weekend on schoolwork to get ahead (again) and going to the St. Peter's Festival (our local Parish's festival) and playing quarter bingo for 2 1/2 hours on Saturday! Maybe I'll win again! Wish me luck.

Have a good night, y'all!