Open House.

Although I tell myself right before (pre)school starts for the new school year,  I just have to survive the first month before things start to settle down with a more consistent routine and the keiki are more used to the fact that they are in school, the first month is always so exhausting. Mentally. Physically. Emotionally. Week two down.

The first week was exhausting because first weeks always are. The second week was exhausting because I am still in the process of trying to get to know the new keiki, trying to help them with the transition that school is a sure thing, trying to work out the kinks...and also trying to make sure everything is perfect for open house.

We had our open house (for parents only) yesterday, and although it went real well, I am so tired.

The introduction cover for my open house welcome packet.

What I believe is the most important handout in my welcome packet.

I am very proud of my classroom--the layout, the management, the way that it is organized--but whenever I feel like someone is going to come into my classroom and judge and criticize it, I start to get all anxious and wonder if it is "good enough." Thus, the nervous wreck in work myself into leading up to open house. I have never had a "bad experience" with anyone saying that my classroom was not to their liking, but I think the reason why I get myself so worked up is because this is my passion. I put my everything in what I do, and it just hurts just thinking that maybe, maybe, a parent might walk into my room and tell me that they don't want their child in my room for whatever reason. Teachers, I can take...I have a reason why for everything in my classroom, and we can agree to disagree...but parents, that's something different for me because I want to make sure that everything is "good enough" for their most prized possessions. I know that if they don't like it, they can always choose to go somewhere else...but I would hope that they like...

...and like I said earlier...everything went great for open house. I have students that are enrolled but aren't starting until later (they are in the process of moving here still, or they are not yet 2 years old) and their parents still came and I was happy that they did. I had a really good turn out this year, and I liked how nearly all my parents where there, because I want them to be comfortable with me and what and how I interact with their children. And I am so blessed and happy to say that I have a great bunch of parents this year. :)

(I sent home these All-About Me Robots on the first day of school and asked the parents to do them with their children at home and bring them back so that I can display them for open house. Not everyone did one, but the majority did...and it was a fun way to get to know the children. :) I did one to so that the parents can read about me to! :))

...see! I worry about nothing when it comes to open house...and even though I tell myself that every year...I'm keeping it real. Teachers get nervous too. :)

When I got home, late, I saw that I receive a postcard in the mail and a book from a friend that was left in my porch shelf! :) 

I have the most awesomest friends! :) My friend had stopped by my house to drop this book off that she found at a bookstore. She know how much I love paper airplanes and so when she saw this book, she decided to get it for me. When I called her up to thank her, she told me that she had forgotten that it was my open house tonight, so she just left the book by my door so that I can smile when I get home. I have such thoughtful friends...and I can't wait to try out some of the airplanes! :)

I got a postcard from Netherland...Amsterdam to be exact...and I absolutely love how it's a postcard filled with pictures of the beautiful place where its from. I especially love the castles, flowers, and blue sky pictures! When I went to the postcrosser's profile, it was blank and it didn't really say much about the person on the postcard either, but that's okay...I am still very thankful for the thoughtful and picture-filled postcard!

"I'd rather have a passport filled with stamps than a house filled with stuff."

Novaturient.

This morning as I went to go place the two postcards that I wanted to send off in the mailbox, I saw that there was a postcard waiting for me! It probably came on Saturday...and when I did check the mail, I checked it to early and the mail had not come yet, or something, because I don't know why I didn't see it until today! But that's okay, because I got it and it was a super fun one that made me go back in time to my elementary years! :)

It was a "Where's Waldo" postcard! This postcard came to me from the mainland. Bronwyn from a small, suburban town north of Dallas, Texas sent me this card 6 days ago! Although she lives in Texas, she mentioned that she is from the Western part of the US...and so, I know that nostalgic feeling of your childhood home. :) She is also a teacher and she likes a lot of stuff that I do. She sounds like a fun kind of person...she sure did sent me a fun postcard that I love! :)

When I got home I found two more surprises waiting for me! One postcard from Russia and another from East Portlemouth. I have to admit, that I had no idea where East Portlemouth was located so I had to look it up and the beautiful place is "situated at the southern end of the Kingsbridge Estuary, on the south Devon Coast."...or the United Kingdom. :)

I could not stop looking at how beautiful this place is! This postcard, which took just 6 days to get to me, just held me in awe and I did spend some time looking at pictures and reading about the place online. :) The 25 year old young lady, Andromeda, seems like a real nice person who loves to devote her time to good causes. She also mentioned that she just recently baked a white chocolate and strawberry cheesecake for her coworkers. She seems like a nice person. :)

I really appreciate this fun looking postcard! It traveled 13 days to get to me and I really like the design of this postcard! I also love the fact that the postcrosser, Katerina, has jokes! :) She is a fairly new postcrosser, just shy over one month, and so I understand her excitement of being able to send postcards all over the world and then receive postcards from who knows where!

novaturient (adj): a desire to alter your life, the feeling that pushes you to travel.

Sending 'em off!

I just got finish preparing two more postcards to send off to two of my fellow postcrossers. One will be going to Poland and the other will be on it's way to Finland.

This vintage postcard will be on it's way to Tuuli, a 14 year old girl from Finland. She didn't really have any request of what kind of postcards that she would like to receive, so I decided on this fun vintage postcard. She wanted to know other people around the world, what their hobbies, pets, favorite food and/or favorite place was. So I told her her a little bit about me. I hope she likes it!

This other vintage postcard will be going to a couple in Poland actually! The fellow postcrosser that I received the address of had a special request. Her brother and friend will be getting married. So she wanted all the postcards that she would have received to go to this couple with words of newlywed advice, something about marriage, or something about wedding traditions in "your" country. I think that is a fun idea...and a wonderful surprise to both the bride and groom. She said that the bride is also a postcrosser.

After choosing a postcard that I hope the couple will like (she mentioned that she liked vintage postcards of the ocean), I decided to go on pinterst to find some fun quotes to send to the couple. This is the two quotes that I chose:

"Real Love is the real life that starts after the bouquet is tossed..it's the caring and sharing that comes when life gets busy, bills need to be paid, and errands need to be run. It's laughing and teasing and working things out. It's learning and knowing what your partner needs--even without asking. It's the little jokes that only you two understand."

"Love is knowing someone's weakness and not taking advantage of them. Knowing their flaws and accepting who they are."

And then I added a personalized message of congratulations. I think that this is a very cute and fun idea from the soon-to-be sis-in-law.

I hope both parties like the postcards that I chose for them! :)

I made it!

I made it! It is the end of the week and I am still alive and I still love my preschool job! :) I have to say that it was a hard week to get through: emotionally, physically, mentally. But I am still here and I survived the first week of school. This next week now I have to concentrate on getting Open House ready...oh my. I can't wait until this first month is over (school-wise).

As I was changing out the water in my pineapples on my windowsill in my classroom, I was surprised to fine a pineapple flower in one of the pineapple!

I have to admit that I was in denial at first because I know that it takes a while for the pineapple to grow it's fruit...but no, there it is! I am soo happy and my keiki loved seeing it!

When I got home I was in for another surprise! I got another postcard!

This time it is a postcard from Germany! This postcard took 9 days to get to me from a small town in Germany North Rhine Westphalia.

I know that I say this nearly every time that I get a postcard, but I really do love receiving all these postcards from around the world! It's so exciting and I love how friendly everyone is! :)

New Subscription: Pipsticks!

I had to sadly say goodbye to Birchbox here, however that allowed me to look around at other subscription boxes (since I enjoy getting things in the mail, and what better way then having a monthly subscription box every month filled with things that you love?!? :)) And since we all know that I love Planners and Journals, I decided to look for a subscription that would support my hobby...and after searching for a bit I decided not to go with a box per se, but more of a cute, adorable envelope filled with STICKERS and other goodies! I decided to do that since I can then use the stickers for not only my planners and journals but for other things as well...if I so wanted to. :)

Pipsticks is "a company founded on the idea that little things can make a big difference....[they] are IN LOVE with stickers and understand their power to make you smile." They "connect and collaborate with thousands of amazing sticker lovers all over the world...[their] stickers are selected by designers and sourced from around the world." They do an amazing job at making sure that you will get a HUGE variety of stickers each month. You will also get an pre-stamped postcard to decorate and send out and other "paper goodies" in your awesome envelope packet. And it's sent like a regular letter with a cute stamp on it!

There are four different packages that you can choose from. There are two packages for kids and two for adults. For kids, there is the "Kid's Club Classic" for $14.95/month which will get you 15+ sheets of stickers, 1 postcard, and 4 sheets of craft paper. And the "Kid's Club Petite" for $9.95/month and that comes with 7+ sheets of stickers and 2 sheets of craft paper. For the adults, the "Pro Club Classic" for $14.95 will get you 15+ sheets of stickers, 1 postcard, and 1 quote card and the "Pro Club Petite" for $9.95 will get your 7+ sheets of stickers and 1 mini quote card. Shipping is free within the US, but there is an additional $3/month for international subscribers.

I subscribed to the Pro Club Classic and I just got my first one in the mail today when I got home from work! And I am excited show you and review what I got!

This is what I found waiting for me when I got home, and I have to say that I was super excited to open it!

A velum envelope came inside a see-through plastic envelope. I like that. The fonts they are super cute and the print/pattern on the velum envelope is super cute as well!

Without really looking I took out everything from the envelope and at this point, I am bursting with excitement to look at each and everything! :)

This printed paper is the first thing that caught my attention. Pink and yellow, one of my favorite combinations of colors and hearts! Who doesn't love hearts?!

 

This subscription comes with a monthly newsletter filled with a Pipstick's surveys, activities, and welcome. I think this whole pack is the welcome pack (different from what other subscribers will get this month), so I am guessing that this is the welcome newsletter. I love the layout of the newsletter, the different colors and how fun she makes it!

Although I do love a lot of color, I love the design and simplicity of this postcard! I know exactly who I am going to send it to!

On the back of the postcard it looks like a promo code for the person I send this to. I love how that it is pre-stamped and all I have to do is write the address and send it off! I was just talking to my cousin and how she was telling me that she loves planners and stickers like me and so I think that is who I am going to send this postcard to! :)

Included in my envelope of awesomeness is this simple, black & white quote card. It is on sturdy card stock paper and look at the back!

...a fun print! :) At first glance it looks like a bunch of (eeeeeek!!!!) spiders...but lets just say it's a bunch of dandelions in in an abstract aerial shot!

And now to the stickers!!!! :)

I love glitter. I love shiny. And I adore these glittery, shiny, sticker flags! They are small enough to use them in my planner and they are so fun!

I also have a love of Popsicle (too bad I didn't get this packet in July since it would have been PERFECT for my July summer theme in my planner...but NO COMPLAINTS! I live in Hawai'i, I can eat Popsicles year round! :))...The glittery rainbow and the fun bumblebees are cute too!

The Wedding Story sticker collection...now, that is too adorable!! :)

 

Super cute stickers that I know will make my planner/journals really look fun!

I really love and adore this big washi tape-like sticker thingy! The print is something absolutely love! And it's gold and shiny!! You can either use it it as a big piece or cut it up and use it as smaller strips/pieces.

Oh my goodness, the nesting dolls are the cutest! And I love the see-through window stickers! That is just too cute! Ahhh! Cuteness overload!

Definitely can use these stickers in my planner! :)

And lastly, I love this idea!

In the newsletter they explained that they will be giving a ticket in your packet and with next month's delivery, they will post the winning ticket for more fun prizes!

One thing that I love about this subscription, I feel as if they are NOT stingy with what they like to share with others. There are plenty different opportunities to get free stickers and prizes through them! I did sign up to receive their enewsletter and in there they also have a lot of participation surveys and they really do make you feel like you are a part of something fun and "club-like" when you sign up. They make you feel like they do care about their subscribers and that they really do appreciate you and everything. I like that.

I am glad that I found this monthly subscription...and I can't wait until next month, that's for sure! If you want to be part of Pipsticks club, I urge you to check them out and see for yourself how much you are going to love this place!

Oh, and I don't know for how long this promo will last, but if you sign up now and use the code PICNICTIME you will save 10% on your first month's subscription!  So, what are you waiting for!? Go to Pipsticks now and join me in this awesome sticker/paper goodies fun! :)

Away it goes.

This is the postcard that I sent off to Paula in the Netherlands earlier today. She mentioned that she loves "being creative with plants and flowers" and that she enjoys receiving cards about "your city...nature...mountains, oceans, light..." and so I chose to send her this one as it shows a little bit of all of that. :) I again decided to write one of my favorite flower quotes by Emerson since she did say that she likes to be creative with plants and flowers. And of course, I couldn't help but add the flower stickers! :)

I hope that she likes it!

SURPRISE!

Today is over. Yes! Today is over and I survived the first "First Day" of school. One more to go...tomorrow. But for now I will relax in the fact that I made it through the first day.

When I got home, I noticed that I had a package waiting for me on my doorstep. It is from my cousin from California! I quickly snapped a picture of it...

and sent her a picture of the box to let her know that I received her package (of course the picture I sent her did NOT have the hearts and shells covering the address! :)) And when then I flipped the package over and opened it from the bottom since I didn't want to ruin the front part of the box. :)

It was filled with carefully wrapped tissue paper...and when I opened each one up, oh my goodness! I my heart will filled with happiness and nostalgic feelings of how much I miss my family back in California! I know I didn't take a picture of everything one by one, or we would be here for DAYS...but here is everything that was in it:

It was choke filled with makeup and jewelry and a postcard. And I love every single piece of all of it! I then called her up and I didn't even know what to say because I was so full of happiness and thankfulness that I was actually speechless! And this is the cousin that I like to say that we are the same where we talk a lot and we talk super fast to each other. Like speed talking, no joke! And so we ended up talking for more than an hour and I am so thankful that she is in my life and that she thinks of me. I miss her and I hope that she knows how much this package meant to me.

It really is hard being away from family, home...my comfort zone. I love it here in Hawai'i, but I hate that I'm so far away from family. And I love my family. :)