August Currently

Hi All! I feel like I say this every month, but I can’t understand how it’s time for Farley’s AUGUST currently. Not only has the summer flown by, but this whole year has. While the first day of school isn’t until September 8th, I am always anxious to get back come August. So here’s what’s going on around here...

Listening: There’s just something about a quiet Sunday morning. I am definitely most productive at this time of day, so I’m taking advantage of the quiet and checking some items off my to-do list.

Loving: I have a serious Michael Kors obsession. I’m not the girl with a million pairs of shoes or tons of jewelry, but put a Michael bag in front of me and I just can’t resist. I usually don’t buy myself anything during the summer because of the whole no paycheck thing, but at almost half-off, this sneaky little beauty found its way to my cart and front door.

Thinking: I have been finishing some smaller products on my TPT to-do list, but it is time to start jumping into the big things! After all, summer’s almost over (insert crying face here). I have promised myself that I will start my next product today.

Wanting: Last year, I was able to get into my classroom during the second week of August. This year, my school is hosting the summer program so my classroom will not be ready until the end of August. I tried to prepare all of my bulletin boards and do some advanced copying before summer started, but I have found so many new resources and ideas that I want to try.

Needing: Well, that one is pretty self explanatory because without caffeine nothing else is getting done today!

B2S RAK: Last year was the first year my district implemented full day K, so there were six new kindergarten teachers in my school alone. Everyone was so supportive and so helpful. I definitely want to find ways to show my appreciation this year, but I need a bit more time to figure out how.

So, that is what’s currently happening over here at Kindergarten Kisses. Head on over to 

to link up! Wishing all of you that are heading back in August a great start to the new school year! Don’t forget to take advantage of the TPT BTS Sale tomorrow and Tuesday! My entire store will be 20% off plus an additional 10% with the promo code! Happy shopping!

All About This Kinder Teacher Linky Party

Hi Everyone!

I am back from my beautiful honeymoon in Aruba and have hit the ground running this week. The end of July is typically when I feel ready to prep hard for the coming year. Today, I’m linking up with the fabulous members of Kinder Tribe. Click on the image below to learn more and to find out how you can join in on the fun! I hope you’ll keep scrolling for a little background on this kinder teacher.

That’s all I have for now!

It's Been A WEEK, So Here's a Sale

How does the saying go? The best laid plans... I began last week with the best intentions. I had my blog posts scheduled and outlined. I had new number posters to upload to my store. I outlined a completely new classroom management product and I was ready to hit the ground running and, for the first half of the week, I did.

It all seemed to fall apart last Thursday. Seven months ago, my husband and I decided to adopt two little kittens. Sisters named Luna and Noel. They were only a month old at the time and the days waiting for them to weigh enough to come home dragged on. We finally brought them home in January and since then, everything has been smooth sailing with them. 

That is…until Thursday. After waking up from an unusually late sleep, my good mood was immediately gone when my husband told me something was wrong with Luna. One quick look at her confirmed that there was definitely something wrong. Her eye was completely cloudy and her pupil wouldn’t dilate. I was baffled by how quickly she seemed to get sick. She was totally fine when I went to bed the night before. I immediately called the vet and brought her in that afternoon. It turns out she must have fallen or played a bit too roughly with her sister and had some blunt force trauma to her eye and somehow managed to get an infection from it.

My poor little fur baby had a fever and was not at all herself, but we saw the vet, got two antibiotics and that’s the end of the story, right? Ha, of course not! My adorable eight month kitten needed those antibiotics FIVE times a day! Thank goodness for summer vacation and hubs’ ability to work from home or I don’t know how we would have done it. Luckily, we started seeing some improvement right away and she seemed to be getting better. This is her on Saturday, after only two days of medication. 

Fast forward to a couple of nights ago, we notice that her eye isn’t dilating properly again. I called the vet and he prescribed more antibiotics. Another seven days of five doses of antibiotics a day. The possibility has been there all along that she would need a visit to the ophthalmologist too. Well, we are leaving for our honeymoon very early Sunday morning and the kittens will be staying with my brother who does not have a flexible work schedule or extra body to help wrangle Luna in to take her medicine. It might sound completely crazy, but I need answers before we leave or I just know I’ll be worrying the entire time. So, today we are off to the ophthalmologist. With a little more than two days until we leave for Aruba. Not a thing has been packed, but it will get done.

Anyway, if you stuck through this incredibly long story to see where the sale part of the title comes in, here it comes. Five of my best selling products in my TPT store will be on sale for only one dollar through Saturday.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Kindergarten-Kisses

You can also enter below for a chance to win my top selling product, my Oral Language Prompts. These are great prompts to get your littles talking, sharing, and justifying their ideas. I use these during every single morning meeting and my kids just can't get enough!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday Tips! Let's Have Fun Linky

Happy Tuesday! The weather in NJ is hot and sticky today, so I’m staying indoors and being productive buying all the school supplies from Target. I know, I know! It’s way too soon, but school supplies are a hot commodity around here and if you don’t act fast (and I mean within 48 hours of the products being set) you don’t get anything. 

As part of Brigid from Bits of First Grade’s link up for Vegas week, I will be sharing some tips. This is quite comical for me since I’m very new to this whole world and I’ve been blogging for less than two weeks, but I have already learned a lot and what kind of teacher would I be if I didn’t share? J

TPT: Become a Premium Seller right away! When I first started posting products on TPT, I was excited just to see things sell. My profits were, and still are, very modest but I would still beam every time an email popped up with a “product sold” message. I couldn’t justify spending money to upgrade my membership without making steady money. What I didn’t realize then is just how quickly you make up the money you spend on upgrading your status...even if you only sell one 5 dollar product a week. Sometimes you need to spend money to make money and I have found that to be true for me in setting up my TPT store for success.

Blog: Wait until you are ready! Really, truly ready. So here’s a little confession for you, I’ve tried starting a blog two times before this. The first time was my first year of teaching. I was a new graduate with an hour and a half commute each way and a brand new teaching position that hadn’t existed before in my school. I thought a blog would be a way to document my adventures, but it was just daunting. Two years later, when I felt more settled into teaching, I tried again. This time, I was beginning a new job in a new district and planning a wedding. I couldn’t commit the time and energy that my blog deserved and I ended up feeling worse trying to keep up. Fast forward another year, I am finally ready. Ready to devote the time and resources needed for a *hopefully* successful blog.

Classroom: Save your lunch break for you. When I first started teaching, someone gave me this advice. I honestly thought the person was crazy. How could I give up precious alone time in my classroom? It was much easier to eat lunch while doing a million other things. Except...it’s not. Head into work early or stay late, work like a horse during your prep or take work home, but give yourself 30 minutes to eat, use the bathroom and be human. You will be a better teacher for it.

Social Media: Get involved! Again, I am in the beginning stages of turning my selling “hobby” into a business, but I have seen so much success as I’ve ventured into social media. You might be thinking you don’t have much to offer to those who are achieving wild success, but if you don’t put yourself out there you’ll never know. It might be scary for someone like me who is on the shy side, but I promise it’s worth it!

So there you have it, my tips as a relatively new teacher and a brand new teacherpreneur. What tips/advice do you have for new teachers and sellers?

Let's Gamble and Have Some Fun! Monday Edition

Hi Everyone! It’s been a busy few days, celebrating the 4th with friends and family! Now it’s time to get back in to the swing of things just in time for Vegas Week and while I would love to be there, I’m going to have a bit of Vegas themed fun at home. This week, I will be linking up with Brigid from Bits of First Grade. Each day, I’ll be posting something new. Here’s what you have to look forward to for the week...

Are you looking for a way to celebrate from afar? Be sure to link up and to check back throughout the week for new posts and products! 

July Currently

Hi All! I’m finding it so hard to believe that it is July already! In honor of the first full month of summer vacation, I’m linking up with Farley from  Oh Boy Fourth Grade for her Currently link up. Read all about what I’m up to!

Listening- When the show first started, I was a huge Army Wives fan. After a couple of seasons, my teenage interests got the best of me and all I watched was reality TV. With Hubs gone for the night, I decided to start season one all over again on Netflix.

Loving- You guys! Today was the first day where I actually sat down at the computer and got things done. *Sooo* many things. I’m hoping to keep it up and bring you some new products soon!

Thinking- It usually takes me all of half a day after summer vacation starts to start planning for the next school year. I thought I loved my classroom layout last year until I started moving things just to play around. Now I’m thinking about the space, sketching some maps, and trying to come up with some possible layout ideas.

Wanting- In the last four months, we have had five leaks in our house. Five! Luckily, only one caused serious damage. Two of those leaks have been from the washing machine and now we’re waiting on another part to hopefully fix the machine once and for all. Thank goodness for my amazing mom who took three loads of our laundry to her house to do. Love you, Momma!

Needing- I love crafting! I find it so therapeutic and fun. During the school year, it’s hard to find time for all the projects I want to complete. Now that it’s summer, a new wreath for the front door is in order. The bow on this one has just about had all it can take!

All Star- While I enjoy cooking, baking is my true love. My Kitchen Aid mixer is one of my most prized possessions...after my home laminator of course J While I have a few “go to” recipes, my oatmeal raisin cookies are the best!

So, those are my thoughts at the moment. Have you started tackling your summer to do list or are you easing into it like me? Be sure to check back tomorrow for a new post and a freebie!

3-2-1 Teacher Bio

I've decided to have some fun and link-up with the Weekend Warriors this month to share my 3-2-1 Teacher Bio. Today I'll be sharing a bit about myself and I hope you will too! 

The Teacher Me

1. Somehow, time has managed to escape me and I will begin my fourth year teaching in September. While I have been teaching kindergarten since I graduated college, I began my career as an ESL teacher. It wasn’t until this past year that I moved into a general education position in my hometown with my older brother’s kindergarten teacher just across the hall. This year, I am thrilled to be putting those skills to good use again as I will have English Language Learners in my class.

2. I am completely, one hundred percent, obsessed with addicted to school supplies. My mom just happens to work at Target and I literally hound her the minute the school year ends to find out when Back to School will be set. I find that some of my best ideas come while looking at every shiny, new supply.

3. You know your organized when…your super organized principal tells you that you are the most organized person she has ever met. I absolutely hate wasting time looking for things. So in my classroom, everything has a container and every container has a place. You can bet that there is also a label to match each of those containers and that everything is color coded and coordinated. Few things give me more joy than organizing a giant mess.

The Regular Me

1. Maybe it’s my love for organization pouring out in a different direction, but I love interior design and real estate. I could spend hours looking at homes and imagining all kinds of potential. Currently, I am getting my interior design fix by renovating my entire home with my husband. Check out one of the most finished rooms in our house...the dining room. Please excuse the poor lighting since this was taken at 11:30 at night.

If I ever did anything other than teaching (not that I ever would), it would definitely be in decorating or real estate.

2. I am ashamed to admit to this one. A kindergarten teacher with bad handwriting? I feel like beautiful handwriting is a requirement for teaching. Whenever I come across pins or blog posts with elaborate and amazing anchor charts, I secretly cringe a little knowing that no matter what I do, my handwriting will never be neat or pretty. 

My Answer

My bucket list is ever changing and evolving, but there has been one constant. Since before I decided to be a teacher (at the ripe age of six), I knew I was meant to be a wife and a mom. While there are so many things I hope to do, raising a family with my husband is the number one item on my bucket list.

So there you have it, my 3-2-1 Teacher Bio. Do we have anything in common? I would love to know!

TPT Seller Challenge: Dare to Dream

Hi Everyone!

Thank you so much for stopping by my new blog! I am just starting to branch out into the TPT world and thought a new blog would be the perfect accessory. What better way to start than the TPT Seller Challenge?

I had all intentions of beginning my blog with last week's challenge--- Makeover Madness. However, the end of the year chaos festivities got the best of me and I lost all sense of time. I did manage a product update though. Check out my completely overhauled product here.

Anyhow, I am super excited to be linking up with the amazing hosts of this challenge, Third in Hollywood, Teach, Create,Motivate, Sparkling in Second, and Peppy Zesty Teacherista. This week we were challenged to dream big. 

Aside from helping other teachers to spend a little less time planning and a little more time on other things they love, here are my dreams for my TPT Store...

Renovate my Kitchen- My husband and I would like to move out of our one bedroom condo as soon as possible. We have already done a lot of work on our house, but the kitchen is original to the early '80s. By participating in this challenge and continuing to build my brand, I am hoping to attract enough new business to at least make a dent in our kitchen remodel dreams.

Travel- My mom was a stay at home mom for practically my entire life. My parents made sacrifices for that to be a reality so travel was never huge in my family. As a matter of fact, my first time ever leaving the country will be in a few weeks when my husband and I visit Aruba for our honeymoon! I know there is so much world to see out there and I would love to see with my best guy by my side.

Pay off Student Loans- If only I realized then what I know now! Graduating from a private university in four years with a dual major and two certificates left me with a lot of loans, especially from summer classes. While paying them for MANY years to come is a reality right now, I would love to be able to chip away a little extra from time to time.

Thank you for stopping by my new adventure! Without this wonderful little community, my dreams might never come true!