We've got a Winner!!!

This post was half done on Friday when I got an unexpected shopping trip invite.  Couldn't pass that up sooo...one day late and some shopping dollars short, here goes,

Congratulations to:

jenmaloneeJuly 30, 2012 7:50 PM

tweeted

https://twitter.com/JenniferCNP/status/230087600839458816

Jennifer Marie

for winning the Apple Pie Spice 1 Year GIVEAWAY!!!

Jen was given the exciting news via email yesterday and was thrilled! Thanks Jen!

AND a big congrats to Gabby Douglas who won GOLD for the USA in Women's Gymnastics Individual All-Around!!!

<3 - Sarah

Songs About Me #4

Waiting...waiting...waiting....sooo patiently!  We are still on our lendor hunt to get a loan for our very first home purchase and are now pretty much playing "the waiting game."  We're young, we're broke, and phone call after phone call leads to not much but bad news.  But, I won't lose hope!  And this song sums it alllll up!

Lemon Drop

Pistol Annies



While you listen...enjoy some photos of the beautiful, old farmhouse we get to rent from Andrew's family right now.  Where his mom grew up and where we would love to live forever if it were only in the Hoosick Falls school district. : (

"But one fine day I'll be drinkin' a beer in a big backyard I own free and clear.

All I know, there's better days ahead..."

But until then we'll enjoy these days we have, we'll pay our rent, and keep our dreams.

<3- Sarah

P.S. and BTW-

Be sure to enter my 1year celebration GIVEAWAY.  You could win a $10 Target gift card!  And to my new followers...WELCOME IN!!!

1 YEAR.....WOO WOO!

Apple Pie Spice has officially been up and running for one whole year!!!  As stated in my post Makeover, the blog got a whole new look and actually has gone through alot of changes in this first year.
 
    July 2011              Dec. 2011              Spring 2012                         July 2012
Teacher Blog ------> Life Blog --------> What Blog???----------> Time to Blog!!!

To celebrate hitting the 1 year mark and, to be totally honest, to hopefully boost interest in this little ol' blog, I am hosting a GIVEAWAY!!!  My first one evah!  I got this idea from all of the teacher blogs.  These amazing teachers are creating educational tools all the time and selling them on their TeachersPayTeachers sites.  Every now and then they'll host a giveaway for one of their products.  But because I am not creating my own teaching tools (strictly using everyone else's great ideas!) and because this blog has moved from strictly teacher to loosely life, I thought the perfect item to give away would be a $10 Target gift card.  Not only do teachers LOVE Target for their $ saving items in the Dollar Spot, but so does everyone else because it is just plain awesome.  You go there planning on buying a card for someone's birthday and walk out with a receipt for $100 worth of stuff you sooo NEEDED!  ha!
                                                        
There are 3 ways to enter this giveaway and you can enter ALL 3 ways if you'd like!  That gives you up to 3 chances to win the gift card!  I will use a Random Number Calculator to determine the winner. Enter by leaving me a comment below telling me that you have:

1. Shared a link to this blog on Facebook.
2. Tweeted a link to this blog on Twitter.
3. Follow this blog or have started following this blog.  (You can follow the blog by clicking JOIN THIS SITE under Followers on the sidebar. FYI: You do not need to have your own blog to follow others on Blogger.)

Please leave a separate comment for 1, 2, and 3 so that you are entered up to 3 times.  This contest will end Friday, August 3rd at midnight.  Watch for the WINNER announcement on Friday!!!

And THANK YOU to all of the Apple Pie Spice readers out there!  If you're a reader, why not become a follower and earn yourself another chance at winning that Target gift card!  Yes, I'm bribing you! It works on grown-ups too!

<3 - Sarah

Must Have Picture Books

I am linking up with Lindsey from The Teacher Wife who is asking readers to list their top five fave picture books.  LOVE it!
                                          

The new school year excitement is starting to creep in on me, so a school-related post is what this girl wants.  One of the things I love most about teaching 1st grade is that it is all about reading.  Over my five years of teaching I have collected quite a library of classroom books from former teachers, Scholastic club points, and out of pocket of course!  Here are 5 of my favorites:

1. The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton

My grandmother used to read me this story when I was little and I always loved the illustrations.  It is the story of a little house that is built in the country, but as time goes on, the city moves closer and closer and the little house is lost amongst the big city buildings until the great-great-grandaughter of the man who built the houes finds her and moves her back out into the country.  So sweet!

2. Pete the Cat by Eric Litwin a.k.a. Mr. Eric

I was just introduced to this book this past school year by the teacher blogging community.  When a fellow 1st grade teacher and I saw it at our school's Scholastic Book Fair, we both added it to our teacher wish lists and we both GOT A COPY!  After reading it to my class, I realized what all the hype was about!  Pete is such a cool cat and the kids couldn't get enough.  We even went on the website to hear the song that goes along with the book.  I'm looking forward to using this story in September with my brand new firsties to review color words.

3. The entire Bear series by Karma Wilson (I can't choose just one!)

The same forest friends make an appearance in these adorable stories and your kids will love them all!  I think its the beat of the story that pulls me in every time.  Each story is written in a similar fashion with a repeating line that you class will quickly be reciting with you on each page.  My firsties this year knew these are my faves, so when they spotted one, Bear's Loose Tooth,  in the Scholastic book order catalog they were sure to point it out to me.  I think it was our best-selling book all year!!!  So many of them had to have a copy of Mrs. Bushey's favorite book....too cute!

4.  First Day Jitters by Julie Danneburg

I love this one because of the truth behind it and how reassuring it can be to first graders on their first day of school.  The story plays out as if a girl is getting ready for her first day of school and she is very nervous.  She doesn't want to go and she tries to get out of it.  At the end of the story the readers find out that this girl wasn't a student, but is the teacher.  I am always pretty nervous on the first day of school and it's nice to let the students know that grown-ups get the jitters too!

5. The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn

This is a very popular back to school book and one of my faves because my mom gave me a copy of it when I went away to college.  When I taught Pre-K I would assign family homework, after reading this book, for the parents and students to each trace their hand and bring it into school.  I would place a red heart sticker in the middle and the students would keep their parents' hand(s) in their cubby in case they were ever missing mommy or daddy at school.  Last year, I made my firsties hand-shaped hearts with a red sprinkle heart in the middle to celebrate the first week of school.  They loved 'em!

You can find all five of these books at Scholastic.com. 

<3- Sarah

Five Senses Friday



Long ride to Howe Caverns...



HEY....TGI5SF!!!

1. Sight
My 6-year-old cousin, Peter, and I have spent a week together.  What his mom and I would like to call, "Adventures in Petersitting!"  Today's adventure was a trip to the Bennington Monument.  We rode an elevator *almost* to the top (Peter will quickly correct me if I say we went to the top!) and we had a panoramic view of the brilliant green mountains.  We saw the hospital where his mom was working and I spotted Andrew's mill from up there.  Peter was adorable when telling the elevator operator that we had gone 165 ft below ground a few days before at Howe Caverns. :)

2. Smell
Pulled a pair of jeans out of the trunk in my bedroom and got a fresh wiff of fabric softener.  Love that!

3. Taste
The best thing about these past few rainy days is that HOT coffee has made a return in the Bushey house.  I've missed it!

4. Hearing
Andrew said, "Good bye" and headed to Newport, VT for the weekend for softball states.  Triple sad face!!!

5. Touch
Because I am currently only a mommy to fur babies, I just love getting to push a baby in a stroller.  It is just fun...for now. :)  A shopping trip with Shannon and Cole gave me the opportunity to stroll him around Walmart today.



Lovin' the ride to Howe Caverns....



What have your five senses picked up on today?

<3 - Sarah

Makeover!!!

                                                   

July 30th will = one year since my first post on this blog!!!  And to celebrate, I've given Apple Pie Spice a little makeover!  Don't you just love a good makeover?  I am constantly changing and rearranging everything from my hair, wardrobe, perfume, furniture, even my handwriting!  I have never gone back into my classroom in September and set it up the same way as it was the year before.  I suppose when you are only 27 and have been with the same guy for 14 years, you'll change whatever you can!  <3 Love him =)  And I hope you are lovin' the new look for this little ol' blog.  It was a pre-made design from DesignerBlogs.com.  Check them out for blogs and other websites.  The circles at the top kinda, sorta remind me of sliced pies and the colors are happy.   

One year ago, I spent the summer guh-lued to every teacher blog I could find and thought, "I want one of those!"  But with little time during the school year to snap pics and post about all that was happening in my first grade world, my everyday life started creeping into Apple Pie Spice.  It all started strictly as a teacher blog but moved quickly into an "anything goes" blog and then into a "this girl doesn't have time to post a thing" blog and then finally into an "oh wait, it's summer and she's back!" blog.  There are times when I am so pumped about posting and get into it and then there are times when I can't imagine even opening the laptop up to get started on a post. 

If you've been here since the beginning or found this blog along the way I want to say THANKS (Thanks fb friends!!!) for taking what little time you have in your busy day to read whatever it is I'm talking about at the time!  I hope you've smiled, maybe laughed, and possibly even cried (tears of joy of course!), but mostly I hope you've enjoyed.  When I read some of my favorite blogs it just seems to transport me into the writer's world for 5-10 minutes.  Sometimes it even motivates me to get up, get going, clean my house, bake something yummy, try an activity at school, or just remember how much someone means to me.  Blogs do that for me....and I hope this one has done that for you!

<3 - Sarah

Linking UP!

I am linking up with Mrs. Lemons from Step into 2nd Grade!  I'm pretty sure I was a linky party virgin up until today. Sooo here goes....her linky party is all about sharing those little quirks about yourself that people may not know.  And because I literally have NOTHING to blog about right now, I thought this would give me a fun excuse to get a post out there.

1. I have a little sister who always has been thought to be the older sister whenever we are introduced to someone.  Here is my LITTLE sister Shannon and I when she came to visit me in college.

2. My fingers and toes are abnormally long and I have been called E.T. in the past.

3. I really don't mind doing laundry or baking, but you would never know based on how little I do both of those activites.

4. I am LOVING the Laguna Beach and The Hills reruns that have been on this summer.  (Seriously, watching The Hills right now!  Kristin was with Justin Bobby so Audrina is pissed!  BUT now Brody and Kristin are "hanging out" and Jayde is pissed!)  My sister-in-law is sooo jealous that she has to be at work and miss out on these classics...Ha!  Don't worry Jenna, I'll catch you up on what's goin on with our friends later. :)



                                         

5.  I have a tiny obsession with Tori Spelling.  I can't really get my finger on why, but when she is on TV with Dean, Liam, and Stella I just can't help but be entertained.  I honestly cry at least once during every one of the episodes of Tori & Dean: Inn Love and Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood.  I'm really hoping there is a new season so I can meet little Hattie.  A little embarrassing....I know!  I used to love to watch one of those recorded episodes with a glass of wine.  I also watched every episode of sTORIbook Weddings and now I'm lovin her new show, Craft Wars!  Oh and I've read her books...don't judge!

                                                    

6. I love fall and can't wait for it to arrive!!! All of August I spend just getting excited about cooler weather, changing leaves, apples, pumpkins, sweaters, cute boots, pie, coffe, Halloween, Thanksgiving, etc. etc. etc.  Sorry summer lovers but I just can't wait!

Last year's Halloween costume....The Crazy Cat Lady!

7.  Lately I have been so into painting my finger and toe nails.  I do think it may have something to do with me being a Pinterest addict and all of the adorable nail ideas floating around on there. 



  



8. I still sleep with my stuffed animal, Max,  I've had since I was little.  Andrew has never said it was weird, I swear!

9.  I have two guinea pigs living in my sunroom.  I can't wait to get those girls back into the classroom....they better be ready to entertain a whole new group of firsties!

Vera + Janie = BFF's  and there's Max!

10.  And finally, in an attempt to get rid of the many home magazines I've been collecting, just this week, I've gone through all of them and ripped out any pages that I want to keep for inspiration.  I plan on starting a home binder that is full of magazine clippings.  I'll label each section with a different room and add all my faves for that room.  Things like this are enjoyable to me and my Type A personality.  I did this for my wedding and felt like it was a huge help and fun to look back on now that I've been married a year!    

If you're a blogger link up with Mrs. Lemons and the other bloggers who've joined the party!  If you're not yet a blogger, sign up!  You can start your own blog or just follow lots and lots of other inspiring and entertaining blogs out there.  Make Apple Pie Spice the first blog you follow...puhleeeze!

<3 - Sarah