Liebster Awards

Wow! I feel so honored to have been nominated by 5 of my blogging buddies for the Liebster Award!!

The Liebster Award is an award given by bloggers to newer bloggers with less than 200 followers as a way to highlight them, love on them, and bring new followers to their blog. Isn't that so fun!?

Here are the rules:

1.You must post 11 random things about yourself.

2. Answer the questions the nominator has set for you.

3. Create 11 questions for the people you nominate.

4. Choose 11 blogs you love (with 200 followers or less) and link them in your post.

5. No Tag back (But please leave me a comment on this post with the URL to your Liebster post so I can learn more about you).

11 Random Things about me:
1. Baking and cooking are stress relievers to me-I love being in the kitchen!
2. The Voice is a must watch show for me! Is anyone else hooked this season?!
3. Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers is one of my all time favorite books! I've read it many times!
4. I could eat Chick-Fil-A seven times a day! lol Has anyone seen that Tim Hawkins Chick-Fil-A song? Ok, not really 7 times a day, but gosh I do love it!
5. I've taught 2 weeks of English classes in both Ukraine and Macedonia.
6. I'm a check list junkie. Sometimes I add regular tasks like "brushed my teeth" to the list just to check something off on days when I'm not feeling accomplished! {Please tell me I'm not the only one that does that! :)
7. Thank you Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco is my favorite children's book. Even though I know how it ends, I still cry every.single.time I read it!
8. I LOVE creating things from scratch--there is something so satisfying about starting with a blank page or slate and making something out of it!
9. I had the stomach flu the day before my wedding. True story.
10. My husband and my new favorite game is Ticket to Ride.
11. I am married to my best friend: a man who loves the Lord with all of His heart and with whom I am so so very blessed to do life with!

11 Questions from my Nominators (Since there would have been 55 questions to answer, I tried to pick a couple from each person that nominated me)
1. How long have you been blogging? I started blogging in July!
2. Why did you start blogging? I had a lot of friends tell me that I needed to start a teaching blog and share some of the things I was doing in my classroom. I also LOVE collaborating and have been so inspired by so many of the UH-MAZING teachers that are online-truly I am a better teacher as a result from collaborating and connecting through blogging!
3. Favorite drink? Pumpkin Chai Latte
4. What do you pack for your lunch every day? You will always find a couple of water bottles in my lunch! But usually there is also a sandwich, fruit, and yogurt. I feel like I get stuck in a rut packing my lunches...I'm a creature of habit I guess!
5. What's your favorite thing to do in your spare time? Spend time with my hubby!!
6. What's your favorite Christmas read aloud? There are so many good ones, but it would probably have to be The Polar Express!
7. Coke or Pepsi? I'm one of those strange people that will drink both, but I'd definitely pick a Coke over a Pepsi.
8. You have the change to appear on your favorite show, currently on air or past, what show would I see you on? My hubby and I love watching reruns of the Cosby show and I think it would have been a lot of fun to be on that show!
9. What led you to decide you wanted to be an educator? I've always wanted to be a teacher for as long as I can remember! My mom said that even before I went to school, I would teach not only make my brother play school, but I would also set up all of my stuffed animals and "teach" them too! I think the Lord put it in my heart from a very young age and from that allowed me to have wonderful teachers and teaching experiences to grow in!
10. What kind of technology do you have available to you at your school? Last year I about fell over when I walked into my room at the end of the year and saw a SmartBoard hanging in my room! Oh SmartBoard, how I love thee! I can't imagine teaching without it, now that I have one! I also have 3 laptops for students to use and this year first grade each got 7 IPads that we are having a blast using (so if you have any good App recommendations, I'm all ears!!)
11. How many hours, on average, do you spend each day devoted to your job? Wow...it's alot! I don't think I always do a very good job balancing, although I'm really trying! I would guess, maybe 10-12 hours a day on average? I don't know...I guess I should ask my hubby! One thing is for sure: I have teacher brain ALL the time! Even if I'm not "working" on school work my brain is constantly thinking, reflecting, and the ideas just never seem to stop. A blessing and a curse at times. lol

11 Questions for my nominations:
1. What was one of the first blogs that you started following?
2. What is one of your favorite times of year to teach?
3. Who is a teacher that you have had that has left lasting fingerprints on your life?
4. What word or phrase do you say to your class the most?
5. What is your favorite candy?
6. Polka dots, stripes, or chevron?
7. What movie could you watch over and over again and it never get old?
8. Favorite author and why?
9. What read aloud book do you get excited for each and every year?
10. What is your favorite part about the beginning of a new school year?
11. What is one invention that you wish you had come up with?

11 Blogs that I have nominated: (click on their name and go check them out!!!)
1. The Wise Owl
2. Classy Classroom
3. First Grade Crusade
4. First Grade Carousel
5. First Grade with a Twist
6. RAM Designs
7. Mr. Giso's Room to Read
8. Keeping Up with First Grade
9. Love, Laughter, and Lesson Plans
10. Learning is for Superstars
11. Learning with Mrs. Leeby

For all my nominees, please copy and paste the above instructions, questions, and such to your blog. And don't forget to comment on my post when you are done, so I can check out some new interesting info about you!

Thanks again to these 5 great bloggers for the sweet nomination!

Have a wonderful weekend!