Back to School Shopping....great finds today!

While shopping today in the Clifton Park, NY area, I picked up a ton of great classroom goodies!  I will only be able to give a list of items and the stores I bought them at today...no pics (camera cord is at school plugged into classroom computer...pretty sure it's been there all summer!  Woops!)  Big plans to start cleaning out old supplies from my new (to me) classroom tomorrow.  So I will hopefully grab that cord and post some pics tomorrow before my PTA meeting. I know...PTA meeting already?  I can hear the summer clock ticking away! ANYWAYS...back to the back to school shopping :)

First of all.....JOANN'S was having a 50% off sale on children's decor items and school supplies.  So fashionably fab for the classroom!  I got the following: canvas storage box w/ chalkboard space to label....so cute!, 2 small plastic bins, 2 adorable composition notebooks that I'm planning on using for team meetings and possibly student observations throughout the school year, glitter alphabet stickers, warm fuzzies (great behavior management/character ed. idea from Mrs. Dillard), and fabric, of course!  The bummer part was that I didn't have my school ID on me to sign up for the teacher discount card....I would have received 15% off my entire purchase!!!  Oh well....definitely next time!

Then...BORDER'S going out of business sale.  Bought some Dr. Seuss books, Little Miss Chatterbox by Roger Hargreaves (I plan on using this to discuss chatting during listening times), and a giant floor puzzle of North American animals.  All items were 20% off and one of the Dr. Seuss books was 40% off b/c it was a Christmas book!  They even had a sign in the store that said, "Don't keep our sale a secret, spread the word!"  I immediately thought of my blog....wow I'm like a true blogger now!

And finally...TARGET dollar spot had perfect mini buckets for Bucket Fillers!!!  They were $1 each and fun colors!  I also grabbed some bookmark and sticker incentives, a plastic tray for paper organization, and sparkly warm fuzzies (see link above)!  Yay!  For all you Dr. Seuss fans, there seemed to be a Dr. Seuss theme happening at the Clifton Park Target dollar spot.

Pics coming tomorrow!  Day one of classroom declutter begins tomorrow morning!  Unfortunately, I need to clean out old first grade materials from my new classroom before I even begin to think about setting up my own supplies.  Thank goodness I enjoy organizing......or oh boy!  I'm inspired to take pics of my classroom progress as I go thanks to bloggers like Ms. Leslie Ann from Life in First Grade. 

That's it for now!
<3 - Mrs. Bushey

P.S.  I just previewed my post and this will really be so much prettier when I add some pics to my posts!  I'm sensing a pic theme in this post....really gotta get that camera cord!

Mrs. Bushey's Very First Blog!

After searching for pictures of first grade classrooms, I came across Mrs. Dillard's Blog: Oh the Places We'll Go.  I was blown away by how much first grade info I could gain thru one quick glance!  I felt like I had spent the day observing in Mrs. Dillard's classroom (I wish!) :)  This led me to other blogs just as incredible as hers and I WAS HOOKED!  Only a week later....here I am...writing my very first blog post!  So exciting!

I have named this blog Apple Pie Spice because the wonderful ideas shared between educators are the "spice" that creates a great educational system.  Let's face it....the apples and crust just wouldn't be the same without all that yummy sugar and spice!  Okay...gotta stop talking about apple pie when there is none to be eaten in my house right now!  It's leading to a major craving!

My purpose for this blog is to, hopefully, spread some creative ideas while I stalk the blogs of others and gain some new ideas for myself.  I truly believe that by sharing with fellow teachers I will be inspired and motivated to be the very best first grade teacher I can be!  We all have those days when nothing seems to work and you end up huffing and puffing as you lock that classroom door.  It is on those days especially, that I will turn to my new blogging crew and stalk a few inspiring educators' blogs.  This will be the first of many Thank You's that you will see from Mrs. Bushey!  I have another month left of my summer vaction but I am already being kept up at night with classroom ideas running through my head thanks to you! :)

Looking forward to finishing up summer vacation and starting a new school year....all while stalking and BLOGGING!!!

<3- Mrs. Bushey