Giveaway and Linking Party!

I have so many things to do right now but wanted to share these two very fun things.
First:
Over at The Teaching Thief there is a giveaway for these great expo markers:

While you're over there check out her blog she has some great ideas.

The teaching thief is doing this great linking party!
Here are my Top 10 Teacher Must Haves for Back to School:
Number 10:

I absolutely love sharpies - at the beginning of the year I always buy my own personal set and put my old ones in a bin for the kiddos to use on projects and such.

Number 9

Yes that is a box of Cheerios.  This is an easy way to provide snack to my kids. I usually keep a box of Cheerios or Kix underneath my desk all year and no one goes without a snack. 

Number 8

I love new colorful paper! 

Number 7

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE paper clips and these clips above... I call them banana clips.  The best thing about the beginning of the year is the paper clips container is always full!

Number 6

A new outfit... this dress is from Lane Bryant and I have already gotten it for the first day of school.

Number 5

I love this calendar.  I get it at Walmart each year.   Mine has polka dots on it!

Number 4

Library Pockets - I use these for everything!  It's nice when I can find the colorful ones, it makes my classroom more fun!

Number 3

I love new pens, especially colorful!  I also like the felt tip ones!

Number 2

This I already have but I had to list it.  I cannot live without my net book.  It is the best purchase I've made and it goes to and from school with me!

Number 1

My alarm clock is so important.  It is going to be so hard to get up come Friday morning, so a good alarm is a must!

Hanging out in my classroom!

I went into school today, which is nothing new, I've been in there a few times the last few weeks.  We have about two weeks before we start and I'd rather mosey in later in the day and enjoy that "getting ready time," rather than be running around when we have meetings and other things going on.  My classroom is almost set, despite a few planning things and writing names on things. 

The best part of my day was meeting a colleague that works in a school across the county.  She wanted to see how I did centers in my math class.  I was excited to share, but it was also exciting to get her great ideas as well.  As a teacher I wish we had more time to do this, I guess that is what blogs are for!

Anyway, I wanted to share some of the things that I did today:

This is a chair that I had from a previous year but it was all ripped up.  I recovered it, I am pretty proud of it!

These came from Target.  One of the blogs I had read (if it's you take credit) went shopping at Target in the $1 section.  I usually don't think about Target in my school shopping, but this was a great find.  The buckets were $1 each and the stickers were a $1.  Total cost of this adorable little holders $3! 

Here are my clothes pins.  I use these clips for attendance, and drawing names for different things.  I still have to write their names on them, but this year I added a fun pom-pom!

Hope everyone is enjoying those moments in their classroom before the students get there!