Chasing after a two year old, teaching full time (in a relatively new grade level- a return after an absence!), and being pregnant have made my organizational skills not so hot.  As in in a BIG, FAT mess.

I was joking with a friend yesterday at a meeting, Britney, that we were both awesome at getting started but the whole follow through is not quite as hot!  All I can say, is we try real hard!  I really need to take a photo of my desk.  it will give some people the shivers.  And the storage closest (how lucky am I that I GET a storage closest!) might eat someone in the next few days. It is about two steps away from being condemned! THAT is what people really want to see!

I have been struggling with balancing everything, and blogging has (obviously) fell by the wayside. I have seen all these nifty planners for blogging, but I am too cheap to pay anything. I liked the idea of it to help get me on track , but it also seemed like many of the planners included pages that were just more work for me.  And really, do any of us NEED anymore paper work in our lives?!!?

Gina from Third Grade Tidbits shared this FREE planner in a group we are both a part of!  I loved this simplicity and the minimal paperwork it created. I have never even heard of the blogger Mama Jenn and I am so grateful that Gina shared her blog! Since I have never used a planner before I only printed of the pages for March though May as a trial run. I figure if I can keep it together that long, I might invest in something more permanent, fancy, or even create my own!  Who knows?!

I simply printed the pages off, hole punched the pages, and put them in a binder.  I (really quickly during nap time!) whipped up this cover and I am DONE!

Here is a sneak peek inside mine:
It might shock people that in the past I have also kept a small blogging/ TpT notebook with me.  I use it to jot down ideas for blog entries and products.  I am thinking it will turn into just TpT ideas now that I have this new, nifty binder!
My ,err, chicken scratch may give some people heart failure though!
Here is my latest product, my Guide to Guided Reading.  I jotted down ideas and scratched them off as I added them ot the product (left side). Nice, right?!?!
Speaking of my newest product, here is a sneak peek of the rough draft (yellow highlights included to show where to add more!).  I am hoping to get it out within the next week or two.  It is almost 100 pages of photos, printables, and practical ideas on how to organize guided reading in the 2nd- 4th grade classroom.
Blood, sweat and tears.  Sniff. I have been working on this since September!
PS- Anyone see the irony in the fact that my BRAND NEW, lovely planner is blank?  I guess I better start using it now!!!