PreSchool - Kindergarden Free Printables

So friends, I have been informed that I will be a head teacher this summer at the Daycare back home! I'm super excited, and I have already been working on some things to put around my classroom!
I've done a couple things so far that I thought I would share!

First, I made a great weather chart I got from http://www.firstgradefundamentals.blogspot.com! She has some super great ideas and printables on her blog, I highly recommend you check her out! Here is the link to her printables http://www.scribd.com/doc/100040698/Weather-Chart. Here is how mine turned out!

Following the same polka-dot theme, I made signs to put up around the classroom for different centers. I am thinking about printing them off double-sided that way I can hang them up from the ceiling above each center. Not sure, thought - will let you know how that goes!
Here's an example of a few of the center signs.














So here is the printable through my teacherspayteachers!! Free to join and download!
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Center-Printables-Editable

Here are the printables with pictures, which are helpful to early-readers and ESL students in the classroom! 

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Center-Printables-with-Pictures-Editable

-Liv

Solving my Cravings - Tips for Cravings (Weight Watchers)

So, Easter has come and gone! On Easter Sunday, I didn't count points because it was a holiday, which set me back a little. But I wanted to share some tips that have been helping me with my little cravings!

Tip #1: Salty
1 - If you're really craving chips, try the Special K Cracker Chips! (3 points)
I have been getting the honey barbecue flavor, and love them to death! The flavor is just like KC masterpiece chips, but the chips are lighter in texture. Super delicious. and a BONUS for these little guys, you can eat 27 of them for only 3 points!! They're not itty-bitty chips either! About the size of round tortilla chips!

2 - Another good salty treat I've found are reduced fat wheat thins. 16 pieces for 3 points! I love these with a piece of low fat cheese (2 points). Often times I only eat about 8 or so wheat things, making this little snack less than 5 points!

Tip #2: Sweet
When I am craving something sweet I have found quite a few options!
1 - The good ole 1 point chocolate chips cookies from my last post!

2 - Fiber one brownies! At 2 points each these guys are life savers!! All three kinds (fudge brownie, chocolate peanut butter brownies, and chocolate chips cookie) are super tasty, especially when you stick them in the microwave for just a few seconds! :) My current fav are the peanut butter brownies- YUM

3 - Skinny Cow anything is super great! My recent find has been the "heavenly crisp candy bar", in the peanut butter flavor, just 3 points! If you're looking for something like little debbie's nutter butters - this is it!

4 - Weight Watchers even has some good chocolates - the one's I've tested so far are the Caramel in Chocolate, 3 points. These little candies come in individual packs, and are quite satisfying!

5 - The good standby for always is sweeter fruits, such as strawberries. These are a good go-to when I've got no points left for the day, but need that late night sweet snack! I love eating strawberries, grapes, and sometimes even oranges, which fulfill my sweet cravings!



Tip #3 : The Incurable Craving
- If there is ever that ONE thing, that ONE restaurant you just have to have - do it! Find out what at that restaurant you can eat and stay within your extra points balance, and enjoy! That's what those extra points are there for! If you have a craving that you cannot fix with anything else (taco bell for me) just go for it! Small soft tacos are 5 points, and when I'm craving - I go for one of those. Its just enough to satisfy me without blowing my diet!

So these are just a few tips I have found helpful in my journey to healthier, happier living :) Hope this helps you all!
I have made a few weight watcher friendly recipes I am hoping to add here soon! Stay tuned!
 - Liv

Weight Watchers Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have recently started weight watchers, and lost around 6-7 pounds so far in two weeks! It has been going great and is super do-able! Especially with these delicious cookies I found on Pinterest! SO... I wanted to share them with you all! 


Weight Watchers Chocolate Chip Cookies -
 1 PLUS POINT EACH!! (That makes a girl smile!



Ingredients:
– 2 tbsp light butter, softened 
- 2 tsp canola oil
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, dark-variety
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp table salt
- 1 large egg white 
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- about 1/2 cup semi-sweet  mini chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375ºF.
In a medium bowl, cream together butter, oil and sugar. 
Then, add vanilla, salt and egg white; mix thoroughly to combine.
In a small bowl, mix together flour and baking soda; stir into batter. Add chocolate chips to batter; stir to distribute evenly throughout.
Drop rounded teaspoons of dough onto one or two large nonstick baking sheets, leaving a small amount of space between each cookie. ( I put parchment paper on the baking sheets). Bake cookies until golden around edges, about 4 to 6 minutes; cool on a wire rack. Makes 24 servings.

Serving size is 1 cookies
Each serving = 1 Weight Watchers Plus Point

I got this recipe from... http://www.laaloosh.com/2009/02/11/weight-watchers-chocolate-chip-cookies-recipe/#ixzz2O7xmTf4f 

I was super pumped about these, and they turned out SUPER delicious. My brother tried one and goes "How can these even be healthy!" They taste like a good-ole chocolate chip cookies! And at one point each, you can snack on these little guys without guilt!! 

Enjoy!! 
 -Liv

A little Fitness Motivation

So lately I have lacked motivation for working out, (scroll on down for a little biblical motovation) mostly because every time I do I have been having back problems. Plus I really ... really ... really just don't like running! I do enjoy exercise videos, but often my back pain will be just too much afterwards it's not worth it. Well fear not, joint-pain people! There is a solution!

SWIMMING!

We have a pool here at school, but I have never used it until this semester. I began just swimming laps around the pool, but this became boring after a while and I decided I wanted to do some aquatic work outs that were a little more interesting then swimming back-and-forth.
One of the best things I have found has been simple treading water-type of exercises. After talking with many people, one treading water exercise I do is simply treading water without using my arms. This give my legs QUITE the work out! Another treading water exercise I have found is making small circles with your arms, lifting one leg up about hip level and the other leg is left pointed straight down. This is great for strengthening my arms, without the back-straining of push-ups

Another exercise I do is on the wall. One exercise I do is propping shoulders and arms up on the wall, straightening my legs with one lower than the other. I do a "scissor" move (like in pilates) through the water, which creates a great resistance. I do about 50 reps, then relax, and do it again. Another wall exercise is great ab work. you keep your legs together, and in a continuous motion bring your knees into your chest, push them out straight in front of you, swing them left, swing them right, and bring them back in. I do about 10 reps of this, and I really start to feel it. This is a good alternative for crunches that doesn't cause back pain.
These are just a couple of things I do along with swimming down and back using the different swim strokes we all learned in swim lessons.

I found many of these excercises from http://www.livestrong.com/article/110713-swimming-exercises-flatten-belly/#ixzz2LUxid4T1, and this web site was SUPER helpful to me!I am no where close to an expert, but I'm just your average joe, trying to be fit even with back pain! Hope this is a little bit of an encouragement to those who struggle with any kind of joint pain! Look up some exercises yourself, ask your doctor of chiropractor for specific ideas that might help you even more personally!

Here comes a little biblical fitness motivation... 

Keep on striving to take care of your body! Remember we are "honoring God" with our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:20) and we should strive to take care of ourselves so that we can be able to go do God's kingdom work, which is what we're called to do!

Along with this, remember, above all else "physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come." 1 Timothy 4:8Keep striving to be the best you can be! 

Don't let the devil discourage you! God made you to be an active being so that we can ultimately serve and glorify Him!


And I just love this little fitness saying... 



So go ahead! Shut down this computer and get out there and move! - Liv

Love Your Pet Day!

So in honor of "Love your pet" day, I thought I'd share a little about my pet. 

His name is Opie and he is my sweet little beagle mutt. He is two now, and lives at home with my mom to keep her company while i'm away at school! (I'm the favorite of course :) ) 

 So here's my sweet little pups. (Photo credit to David Preamjaisanchat)

So happy love your pet day everyone! 

Hope to post some new crafty blogs soon! 

-Liv

Christmas Time is Here

So Christmas time is in full-swing by my standards! I'd just thought I'd share a few of the activities that I do that make it Christmas time to me!

The first is the Miller-Scott banquet at Johnson, which is our annual Christmas dinner at school where the professors and staff serve us dinner, everyone gets dressed up, and then we go to a show put on by the professors, which is usually hilarious. 

Here is the table I sat with!

My sweet friend Maria

And here's my fella!

This always makes me feel like it's Christmas time at school! Along with the end of school, comes finals, but after that it's break! Which means Christmas is definitely getting closer!

Another thing I love about Christmas is Christmas music, and the past two years Chad and I have enjoyed Christmas music by going to Dave Barnes's "A Very Merry Christmas." This year, Chad and I bought each other VIP tickets to go meet Dave Barnes, and get 3rd row seats! It was such a fun night!

We met Dave Barnes on our way into the auditorium! 

 the stage looked so great

Dave played a song to just the VIP people before everyone else entered the auditorium. Super fun!

 And then the actual show, which was phenomenal with so many super talented special guests!

My current Christmas music playlist includes "Let it snow, let it Reindeer" by Relient K, the Peanuts' Christmas, "A Very Merry Christmas" by Dave Barnes, the Beach Boy's Christmas album, the Michael Buble' Christmas album, and I've also included the Mumford and Sons new album "Bable" to remember the Advent and the story of God's people leading up to his birth and the fulfillment of prophecies! I've enjoyed listening to music in a different way this year to remember the story of God bringing his people back to him through the birth of his Son on this earth! What an incredible story that no one but God himself could have ever orchestrated! 

I now have almost all my Christmas shopping and wrapping done, mom and I have decided on a Christmas day menu, and we are ready to spend time with family and friends to celebrate our Lord's birth! 

I hope you have a very merry Christmas and I hope you remember the story of that baby in a stable who became the Savior of the World! Merry Christmas! 

-Liv

Door Decorating with Buddy the Elf

So my roommate and I decided to have a little Christmas fun! We're having a door decorating contest, and decided to use Buddy the Elf! Although it's not perfect, we had a blast! We just covered the door with wrapping paper (which looked super cute all alone!) Then we cut out the costume (making sure it would fit with our dry-erase board). We printed off a large picture of Buddy's face and added a hat! We added cotton balls to his costume and voila'!





Merry Christmas!
-Liv