More motivation mojo...

More motivation mojo...

Jumping with both feet into the new school year is kicking my butt!

But it is also fun.

This week, I completed 19 items off my back to school to do list.

I worked on a few more too...like reading chapters in the 5 or so books I want to get through.

I mean, I sent a dozen productive emails and started two projects.

An agenda has been started and everyone can intend our first PLC meeting next week--which is awesome!

I edited and submitted a blog post for an individual who is amazing and who I admire intensely. (It will be published in a few months and then it will appear here, I promise!)

I provided some ideas for an article in a parenting magazine that will come out in September (with attribution to me for my input!).

I participated in a local Twitter chat and learned a lot.

But the best part was probably the shopping.


All the best school sales seem to be happening this week. You know, before tax free weekend.

And, I love to shop. Bargain hunting might actually be my favorite thing in the world.

I love it with a passion and a single-minded desire to find the best deal that few can match.

Actually, I've honed the skill to a point that it is largely unconscious...and sometimes annoys people.

Before I went shopping I made a list of supplies I might need...

and more importantly, a list of things of I am NOT ALLOWED TO BUY.

My classroom is always jam packed with supplies.

When I find a good deal, I tend to stock up (my friends might say "overbuy hoarder style"-they might be right).

So this year, I took inventory in my classroom ahead of time.

I was looking for pencils, colored pencils, markers, scissors, tape, colored card stock, and composition books.

And I was not allowed to buy lined paper, construction paper, colored paper, notebooks, pens, post its, erasers, or dry erase markers.

Mostly I stuck to those lists. Mostly.

I found Crayola markers and colored pencils for .97$ and Westscott scissors 1$ each, and composition books for .50$.

Then I also found erasers super cheap and dry erase markers for like 4$ for a pack. Oops.

There is just something extremely satisfying about finding the things you need for a price that is just embarrassingly low.

Plus I really to give stuff away.

I got a great little present for all our new teachers.

My colleagues know that if they need something, I am the person to ask: if I don't have it, I probably know where to get it on the cheap.

The point is, shopping is my happy place.

Knowing your happy place and getting to spend some time there is a pretty good thing.

Bonus: School shopping helps with the motivation mojo.