It's Five for Friday Time!

I am super excited to share with you my aha! moment while I've been on maternity leave working on some new (and revising old) TpT products.  Are you ready?

Are you sure?

It's revolutionary!

It's so simple...you might read it and then think "Why didn't I think of that?"  If you say this, leave me a comment so I can say I told you so!  Just kidding...

Okay, here it is - when you are in PowerPoint simply use the bottom notes text box to type in the artist of your favorite clip art, digital papers, or frames that you are using.  

(insert aha! moment here)

This way you don't have to stop creating or figure it out after the fact (I may have been guilty of this a time or two...or ten. Use those sticky notes for something else!  I know I am always losing them.  Or wonder what it references.  This is the easy way to do it.  Especially if you are like me and take too long to finish a project or work on multiple things at a time.  Or spend what seems to be hours picking the perfect colors or frame only to forget who you used later.  Then when you create your credits page just read your notes and then delete when you have added all the appropriate artists. Super simple.  Are you in love?  Here's a helpful picture to remind you. 

And you can also use that note section to track a brainstorm for another page idea for your work.  I know, brilliant right?  How do you track what artists you are using if you are a Tpt-er?

After a very long wait (because I'm indecisive, super indecisive) my new blog design is thisclose to being finished.  It should be up in the next day - or maybe Monday at the latest.  Which means I'll have my Facebook fan page up and running too.  So all 5 of you can get lovely status posts from me and my other aha! moments as they happen...and maybe some cool freebies if I can find the time to make them.

Here is a sneak peak at what you'll find in the new design...created by my longtime friend Casey Cook.

I am moving to a new school and a new grade this year.  I was able to go check out my new class, meet my teaching partner and colleagues, and tour the school.  I know I'm on maternity leave with my oh-so-adorable baby girl, but can I just tell you I am super excited to get started?  I am a bit of a nerd I guess.  I like working.  Seeing those little kindergartners on the second week of school made me miss being in the class.  I am anxious to see how different it is teaching in KG (for the UAE) and I would love to be able to brainstorm some planning ideas.  Because I don't know about you but I don't want to start teaching after everyone else is a month in and show up on day one with no plans. Even if I have a teaching partner.  But because I have a teaching partner it makes it a bit difficult to plan with her when I am home.  Any ideas for me?

Mr. Doodlette has a mini-vacation coming up as the country celebrates Eid.  We are trying to plan our first family trip (not counting the traveling to Abu Dhabi or Dubai since that is only an hour on the road).  In the running are Oman, Jordan, or Turkey.  I'm hoping Turkey doesn't win.  It's a lovely country but I've already been twice.  I want a new stamp in my passport.  I've been to Oman too - twice as well but didn't see much and certainly didn't stay overnight.

I need a haircut.  Bad.  As in, haven't had one since December.  I know, right?  I need one bad. But how do you choose a hairstylist when the salon windows are covered over so nobody can see and the women here cover their heads? Which means you can't say, "I love your hair.  Where did you get it cut?" because, well, you can't see their hair.  Problem.  I might have to travel to Dubai or Abu Dhabi and go to a fancy-schmancy, waaaay overpriced spa just to get a haircut.  Or take the scissors to myself like I did to create my bangs in kinder. Desperate times call for desperate measures people. I'm just saying.