fresh snow and rice krispies treats

This post is from forever ago...but it could have been from a week ago.  Gotta love Colorado.  Wanted to share the Rice Krispies recipe at the bottom...because it's awesome.

--written mid-March--
While I know everyone doesn't feel this way...I actually love the fresh snowfall, especially the snow that we got today both this morning and afternoon.  March is Colorado's snowiest month, and we need all that we can get this year...(I mean have you seen Lake Dillon lately?!)  Plus, when it comes after I get to work, not during lunch hour (meaning we can have an outside day for the students), and before I have to leave work but without sticking to the roads, it's definitely got my vote.

While it came a little unexpectedly and definitely was more than was expected, driving home was gorgeous.  The trees had a fresh coating, and best of all, all the old, dirty snow that has half melted, is coated as well.  Thank you Mother Nature.

And even though they have nothing to do with each other, something has me in a Rice Krispies Treat mood.  I have always loved the homemade kind, which I'll blame on my little brother since he hated cakes and for his birthdays, etc. mom would always make Rice Krispies for him.

I tweaked the normal recipe (Original Rice Krispies Treat Recipe), by adding at least another tablespoon of butter (mostly because the half sticks are 4 T of butter), another cup or so of marshmellows (I use mini's).

The most important part is adding about a tablespoon of Cinnamon and a teaspoon of Chinese Five Spice.  Lemme tell you about Savory Spice Shop, the most amazing place in the world.  (Okay, maybe not really, but it's awesome.)  They have fabulous spices, and best of all, if one isn't in your area, you can have them shipped to you.

So next time you feel like cursing the snow, remember that it can actually help to make the world a pretty place.  And remember when you are craving Rice Kripies Treats...add some extra yum and be amazed!  

My name is Ms. Book Lady, and I have a problem with Pinterest.

(aka, how I spent two nights in a row cutting out 900 construction paper circles)

The first step is admitting your problem right?  A couple weeks ago I found this:

http://kidworldcitizen.org/2011/11/26/my-place-in-the-world-project/ 

It looked like such an awesome project, and it meets standards for first and second graders about understanding their place in the world so I couldn't pass it up.  I (plus my para and a parent) spent almost a week tracing and/or cutting out circles for this project.  Plus, now that classes are finishing up, each has to be hole punched and string tied (oy vey).  Thankfully next year only 1st grade will do the project, because doing this times 200 is getting ridiculous.

(Pictures coming soon!)

Oh, but while I'm whining about Pinterest, I guess I should show you all the cool stuff I've done from it:

I've used Pinterest to do other projects for school... like this:

http://keepingupwithclass.blogspot.com/2012/03/adjectives.html (the wordle suggestion).

And this Book Fair idea (so students don't have easy access to all the 'junk')...

http://threeringlibrary.blogspot.com/search/label/book%20fair

And Bulletin Board ideas up the wazoo!

I've also found cute stuff for friends gifts/super smart ideas for around the house:

http://gadgetsin.com/tag/great-ideas

and

Seriously yos... even if it keeps you up at night cutting out circles, it's worth it.  People think the ideas are awesome sauce and your students will thank you over and over again.  There is absolutely no reason to reinvent the wheel.  None at all.

random musings on a weekend from an elementary TL...

...how sad is it that I want to listen to my "school mix" over the weekend? (It's full of children's singers and Disney movie soundtracks.)

...I probably shouldn't have left my book at school over the weekend.

...oh goodness, my to do lists were in that book...even worse.

...you know you are stressed when you are doing everything by hand and paper rather than on the computer.  Something about an actual pen to actual paper calms me down.

...Crock Pot Chex Mix (inspired by, you guessed it, Pinterest) worked!  Recipe coming soon.

...I think I may have just planned out a rough sketch for the rest of the school year (minus 3rd and 5th grade).

...DVR is one of those inventions that I love to hate...

...good friends let you disappear from the face of the Earth for some time (weeks, months, years), but still welcome you back with open arms.

But since I'm currently going through the 300+ personal emails (oops), and now have to transfer my pen/paper musings to the computer, I should get going. 

More later...