December...the most wonderful time of the year!

     It's the most wonderful time of the year!  December is a whirlwind with shopping, parties, Christmas and ending with the the BEST day of the year...my birthday!
     Seriously this year truly is flying by and I have been VERY absent from blogging.  I've had the most challenging year of my 18 year teaching career and my heart just hasn't been into blogging.  I've noticed a similar trend in "Blogland" but it seems people are getting back into their blogging grooves. Yay!  I may have been an absent blogger but I've been keeping up with blog stalking!
     I missed linking up with Farley's Currently last month and I just couldn't let another month go by without joining in.  So without further adieu here is my December Currently...

Currently and Do You Slant?

Long time no see!  Perhaps that should say long time no blog.  I'm so sorry for my long absence.  I had a challenging school year last year and the end of the year was even MORE challenging!  To say I was burnt out would be an understatement!  So I really needed to take a break from SCHOOL things. While I did continue to spend much of my summer blog stalking I clearly did not do any blog posting. I hope to turn that around beginning now!  Now don't get too excited as I'm not quite up to par of the amazing daily bloggers...but I'm going to try to blog at least weekly and there's only up from there! Without further ado... I'm linking up with my favorite link party...Farley's Currently!

I also took part in The Slantbox Exchange over on Jameson's blog, Lessons With Coffee.  Have you heard of it?  It.  Is.  Awesome!  Basically you are paired up with two bloggers, one of which you send a box of goodies to and the other you receive a box of goodies from!  Every month has a theme and this month's theme was "My Favorite Things," where you sent your partner things that they love!  I received my box from Veronica at

Veronica did an AMAZING job picking out goodies for me!  She even packed the box so perfectly! Each gift was individually wrapped in hot pink tissue paper...my fav!

Super cute pens and pencils, a pretty flower and pink post-it notes, yummy vanilla tea, super sour candy and a super adorable GIANT pink clothespin that she personalized with my last name!  I LOVE IT ALL!  Thanks SO much Veronica!

Bloglovin Blog Claim Please Ignore Post

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/5540471/?claim=rmfx58wbaaz">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

It's Currently May!!!

It's May!  I'm so excited!  I would be even more excited if it was June instead!  I'm not wishing my life away but PEOPLE I have 38 (I think) more days left of school!!!!  Ahhhh!  Okay, enough about that...I'm linking up with Farley for her awesome Currently linky.

Listening:  I love Criminal Minds or any kind of criminal like show!  Did any of  you watch this season's "The Following?"  Monday was the season finale and it was amazing!

Loving:  My family...always!

Thinking:  I have SO many new referrals and therefore their will be MANY new IEP's to write!  Ugh!  I do loathe paperwork!  Why can't we just spend our time teaching?

Wanting:  So my Spring break was last week and I spent 6 of the 9 days painting one of our bathrooms and our hallway.  Yes I really thought it would only take 2 days, perhaps 3 tops.  Clearly it did not work out that way!  Long story short we changed the bathroom paint after the first coat (the first paint choice came out way to dark) and I had to work around the fiance's work schedule.  So glad it was productive and it's done but if I ever have the idea to spend a break doing that again, someone PLEASE stop me!

Needing:  Sleep.  Who doesn't?  My problem is I don't know when to go to bed!  

Summer Bucket List:  I would like to finally open up a TpT store with all of the things I've been creating and using with my students to see if anyone else can benefit from them.  The fiance is taking two weeks off this summer and I'm hoping we'll go on an actual honest to goodness vacation (the last real vacation together was ummmmm......never).  I can't wait to sleep in and just relax (although I truly am not good at relaxing but at least I can spend this summer learning how to right)?

Teacher Talk Tuesday

So my blog feed has been FILLED for the past two days with posts about "Teacher Talk Tuesday."  After about the 100th post I had to read more about this cool idea so I headed over to Rachelle and Natalie's blog at What the Teacher Wants to read more (click on the picture below to see more for yourself). 

This appears to be a super cool Instagram linky!  I have a personal Instagram account which I love (but don't actually use very much).  Well, I decided to jump on the blogging bandwagon and created an Instagram account for Aisforapplebisforblog because it looks like so much fun and I figured it would help me to remember to take more pictures of what goes down in my room!  I don't have any pictures yet but I will tomorrow!

If you're interested in joining in on the fun, you can follow me on Instagram {HERE}.  You can also just search for the username Aisforapplebisforblog from your Instagram account.  Be sure to look for the hashtag #teachertalktuesday to see all the pictures from your favorite bloggers!  If you have an Instagram account pllease leave a comment below so I can follow you!

Currently April or April Fools?

Well it is still technically March but I  am so excited to be linking up with Farley for April's Currently!  Love these!

Listening:  Do you watch Red Widow?  It has only been on for a month or two but I'm enjoying it so far.  I like that the female lead is a butt whooping chick!

Loving:  I have wanted a Silhouette Cameo or Portrait for quite a while (and I think I've written that on several Currently's) but I just couldn't bare to splurge on myself!  Well I don't have to now because I won a Portrait from The Idea Room (thanks Amy)!

Thinking:  I LOVE holidays and spending time with family however, my fiance and I always host these gatherings at our house (because we have the most room) which means shopping, cooking and cleaning!  It's exhausting!

Wanting:  This winter has seemed exceptionally cold and I am so anxious for warmer weather!  I'm very jealous of all of you who live where it's warm (including my snowbird parents)!

Needing:  In New Hampshire we have three week long breaks over the course of the school year.  The first is for Christmas, then we have a week off at the end of February and finally a week off at the end of April.  I have so many plans for this upcoming break (painting my front hall and one of our bathrooms is at the top of the list).  The best part of break is that when we return the rest of the year seems to fly by!  This year we're not getting out until  June 24 because we had six snow days!  Yikes!

Advice:  Yes I really think I'm the one who needs the advice!  I don't blog nearly as often as most bloggers (how some of you manage to blog everyday astounds me...you are amazing).  I still haven't taken the plunge to share some of my creations on Tpt or Teachers Notebook yet.  I'm just not sure if anyone would find them useful because I'm a special education teacher and not a classroom teacher. Maybe one of these days!  I do believe that you should share what is in your heart and continue to try, whether that is blogging, creating for your store or teaching in general!
Read what other bloggers are doing Currently or link up yourself!

Giveaways, Giveaways, Giveaways Galore!

Wow!  I can't believe all of the AMAZING and GENEROUS giveaways going on right now!  Just click on the buttons to head straight to the giveaways and enter to win some truly amazing products, gift cards  clip art and more!

Let's Get Acquainted Linky

I love linky parties so when I saw Latoya's new linky party on her blog I just had to join in!  This week's linky is to share 3 things about yourself beginning with your initials.  My initials are KJW so this should be frustrating err I mean interesting!
1.  K - This letter is tough!  I'm going to say that I am kind.  One of my favorite quotes of all time is:

I tell my students this all the time!  I truly think it's the most important character trait to have!
2.  J - is for junkie! NO not THAT kind of junkie!  I'm a blogging, Pinterest, clip art, book, shoe, and shopping-for-anything kind of junkie!  I can't get enough of any of those things!  Ha!  Now don't you feel kind of bad that you thought I had some other kind of problem?  {Teehee}
3.  W- is for wedding!  My fiance and I are having quite the time deciding on what we want for our wedding!  We can't decide if we want a huge shindig or just a small intimate wedding and so we keep procrastinating!  It's driving our family and friends crazy!  Oh and I think I'm pretty witty at times too (or is that sarcastic).
Okay that was fun but way harder than I thought it would be....I need better initials!

Head over to Latoya's blog and join in the fun!

I'm sure you've heard of Groupon and Living Social along with countless other daily deal sites (yes I'm an addict to Sassy Steals, Groupdealz, PinkEpromise, Decor Steals and countless others) but there is a new daily deal site just for teachers that begins April 2!  It's called Educents and you can save from 30-90% off educational items!  The best part is if you sign up now you will receive a $15.00 gift certificate to use towards a future purchase!  Just click on the picture below to sign up!

{Disclaimer:  I will receive $1.00 for everyone who signs up using the link above.}

March Currently

It's March!  This year is seriously flying by!  I'm linking up with Farley for another fun Currently!

Listening:  Do you watch "The Following?"  It's action packed and a little on the gruesome side but I really like it!  Is it just me or has Kevin Bacon seriously not aged one bit?
Loving:  I love, love, love my new refrigerator!  Our previous fridge was ridiculously small for a four person family...you couldn't even fit a frozen pizza in the freezer!

Thinking:  So I've been thinking about opening up a TpT store and/or TN to share some of my creations that I use with my students.  Should I do it?  Is it better to use your blog name or your real name as your store name?  Any advice?  Here's a peek at what we've been working on lately:

Wanting:  I have wanted a Silhouette and an DSLR for a while and just can't decide if I should spend the money.  
Needing:  Last week was our winter break and it flew by!  I truly need another week off....guess I have to wait another 8 weeks for our Spring break!
Like:  Yes I really like ketchup!  I REALLY loved it as a kid and would eat it with just bread.  Gross I know!
Love:  Yes I love kittens....really just about every animal but especially dogs and cats!
Hate:  I couldn't think of anything that starts with a "K" except kneeling because it hurts after a bit!
If you haven't heard yet The Collaboration Cuties are having an AMAZING and HUGE giveaway to celebrate having 300 followers!  Click on the button below to follow them and enter!

The Pencil Sharpener That Takes a Lickin' and Keeps on Tickin'

I'm sure most, if not all of you have seen this fantastic pencil sharpener ALL OVER the internet and on lots of blogs!  Well there's a very good reason it is getting so much attention...it's FANTASTIC!

I was sent this handsome pencil sharpener in return for an HONEST review which is what I am going to give you!  

First, I love the way it looks (excuse the poor pics please)!  It's part retro, part modern design matches any decor!  It comes in blue (the one I received), red, black and green!  I will admit that I would NOT  turn down a pink version (hint, hint Troy).

Second it is super easy to use!   Really it's as easy as 1-2-3!  You can either attach it to a counter or desktop or just stand it on a flat surface.  To sharpen your pencil you simply:

1.  Pinch the black knobs together while extending the silver portion of the sharpener outward.

2.  Pinch the black knobs together again and insert your pencil fully into the sharpener.

3.  Turn the handle a few times until the silver mechanism moves closer to the sharpener base and you know you pencil is perfectly sharpened!  

Have you ever seen a pencil as sharp?  I know you're thinking that it probably breaks easily but it doesn't! And let me assure you the KIDS love how sharp these pencils are!  I love that it makes their writing so much neater!

Want MORE reason's to love it?  Well it's quiet!  Now it's not completely silent but it is BY FAR the quietest pencil sharpener I know of.  In addition, the shavings go into the see-through cup on the bottom so you can easily determine when it needs to be emptied.  The cup easily slides out so you can dispose of the shavings quickly and then it slides right back in.

Perhaps the #1 reason I love this sharpener is that even if it gets dropped on the floor by an overzealous first grader and gets banged up a bit it keeps working!  Granted the shaving cup has a tiny ding in it but the rest of the sharpener looks as good as it did the first day I received it and folks it fell on a CONCRETE floor! 

Now I said I'd be completely honest so therefore I will tell you I did have one small difficulty with the sharpener.  I had several pencil points break inside the sharpening device which caused it to temporarily stop working. HOWEVER, this was SO easy to remedy!  I just quickly pulled off the handle (just a half twist) and then tapped it on the side of the wastebasket and the pencil point went right into the trashcan.  I twisted the handle back on and the sharpener was ready to go!  You can't do that with those big electrical sharpeners!   I don't believe most people who own this sharpener have had this problem, I think perhaps mine may have a tiny imperfection that causes this to happen and it has ONLY happened with colored pencils.

Now seriously folks...this pencil sharpener rocks!

Don't just take my word for it...go check out this sharpener for yourself!  I KNOW you will LOVE it!

Just click the picture below!

February Currently and I'm NOT last this time!

Unlike last month I am right on time linking up with Farley for the February Currently!  Yahoo!

Listening:  Have you seen the Paranormal movies?  They are pretty much all the same but my fiance loves them and hey, at least they are WAY better than the Blair Witch Project.

Loving:  I'm having lots of fun making new fonts!  I showed my coworkers the program today and I think they are now hooked too! The font I used on my Currently is my handwriting.  So fun!

Thinking: This winter has been so unbelievably cold.  Believe me, I understand cold since I've lived in New Hampshire for most of my life but the older I get the less I can tolerate it!  I need a Florida vacation!

Wanting:  I really need an ink friendly printer.  I  have an HP all-in-one that prints probably about 100 copies or less per ink cartridge.  I just spent $140.00 tonight on 4 cartridges.  Yikes!  If you have a great printer I would seriously appreciate a recommendation!

Needing:  I've started making a lot of things for my classroom but I haven't finished any of them!  I've been creating a little bit at a time and using them with my kiddos.  I need to get ahead of the game!

Pet Peeves:  It drives me crazy when people take credit for something that someone else has made or an idea they created.  Give credit where credit is due!

I'm off to finish the rest of the movie and comment on the other blogs who have linked up!  Don't forget to join in the fun!

If you haven't checked out Khrys' super cute blog you should head right over!  She has an amazing 100 followers giveaway going on right now!

Late to the Party

I think I may be the last person to link up with Farley but since I missed December's Currently I had to make sure I didn't miss January!

Listening:  Did you watch the new show that premiered yesterday called Deception?  I watched it as I blog stalked/started this post last night!  I like it!  It reminds me of a cross between Missing and Revenge.
Loving:  I love my IPad Mini that my fiance bought me for Christmas!  I've already downloaded iFontmaker and have played around with it a bit.  Fun!!!!  I'm also loving the amazing banner that I won from Christi Fultz's craft blog  Little Apple Cuties who also blogs at Ms. Fultz's Corner .  She created this for me using my classroom colors (mostly pink and green and dots on chocolate). I chose my soon (October of this year hopefully) to be married name for the banner.   Isn't it beautiful? I can't wait to get married so I can hang it up in my classroom!  She is one truly talented lady!  If you don't already follow BOTH of  her blogs you really should!  Thanks again Christi!

{Source:  Little Apple Cuties}

Thinking:  How glad I am that we finally (with voter approval) have a 3 year teaching contract in my district.  I was a part of the negotiation team and it took us two years to reach this agreement (we went "without" a contract, i.e., pay increase this year).
Wanting:  I really think I want a digital SLR camera.  I have a regular SLR but since no one uses film anymore it's pretty useless.  :o) I'm thinking I might use the extra money I earned negotiating our teaching contract to buy myself one.  I'm having a hard time not using that money to pay a bill though.  If I do splurge I'm leaning towards a Canon T3i.  Anyone have any advice?
Needing:  I truly don't need anything.  I'm very grateful for what I have; a loving family, a job that I love, and amazing friends.  I do NEED to be a more consistent blogger!  I find myself reading SO many blogs that I run out of time to post on my own blog!  Does this happen to anyone else?
OLW:  Prioritize.  It seems like a silly word but I couldn't think of a better word for what I want to work on (I wanted to choose "Let it Go" but unfortunately that's three words).  I want to blog more which requires that I read blogs less (not something I want to do).  I want to share more of my creations with the 100+ followers I have (how did that happen by the way? ).  I want to spend more time with family and friends and less on school work.  I want to find time for hobbies (like photography and crafting) and less on cleaning (I'm a ridiculous clean freak and feel like I can't accomplish anything if everything is not clean around me).  I want to be healthier.  Yes that means eating better and exercising regularly like I used to do.  So what to tackle first?
I hope you all had a wonderful break and a great start back to school!  And if you haven't already linked up with Farley for this month's Currently....go now so I'm not last!