#EveryDayinMay NatGeo Book of Animal Poetry

Due to a series of fortunate events, I was able to place an order with Follett for a stash of new fiction books to share with the readers on my 5th grade campus next year. We have many old and uninteresting books right now in our fiction collection, so I was super hyped to grab some books that these students can get excited about!

Maybe 25% of what I ordered fell into the nonfiction category, with the majority of those being graphic novels. The purpose of this order was to really amp up the way kids feel about reading. I hope they love the books I chose as much as I think they will!


One of my nonfiction prizes is the National Geographic Book of Animal Poetry: 200 Poems with Photographs that Squeak, Soar, and Roar! Not only am I positive our readers will love this book -- it's filled from cover to cover with stunning animal photography -- I'm also excited that it will get poetry into the hands of more students!

Photo Credit

Each photograph is paired with a poem from a great contemporary or classic poet. This book is just win-win, on repeat! I am eager to share it with teachers and students, and then watch as it never touches it's home in the library.

Because I'm always searching for poems to share with students, and ways to help them feel safe to try their own poetry, I thought I'd grab a poem from this book and use it as a mentor text to write my own poem - similar to how I share poetry in class.

Choosing a poem from this beautiful collection was not easy, but I thoroughly enjoyed perusing the pages as I searched for my "just right" (just write??) poem. I considered Graham Denton's What's a Caterpillar? poem, because I love how a question and response poem might sound in the hands of a child trying it out for the first time. In the end, however, I settled on Buffalo Dusk by Carl Sandburg, which instantly made me long to be back in the wilderness and also made me think of those empty halls and homes once the Senior class moves on.

Buffalo Dusk The buffaloes are gone. And those who saw the buffaloes are gone. Those who saw the buffaloes by the thousands and how they      Pawed the prairie sod into dust with their hoofs,      Their great heads down pawing on in a great pageant      Of dusk, Those who saw the buffaloes are gone. And the buffaloes are gone. -Carl Sandburg

Youth Stampede The graduates are gone. And those who love the graduates are weeping. Those who taught the graduates each day and how they      Danced a new dream into life with their hands and hearts,      Their wide eyes open dreaming big, bright, bold lives       Of brilliance, Those who love the graduates pause and smile. And the graduates are gone. -Kelly Mogk © 2014

So after a couple rereadings of Buffalo Dusk and about ten minutes to play with my own words, that is the result. Were I working with young writers, I'd think aloud through the process and brainstorm ideas, and eventually move further and further away from this patterned writing and closer to the heart of my own voice. But it's a good exercise to begin with when you aren't sure how to get kids writing, I think.

What do you think? Do you have favorite poems to use in the classroom? For more poetry, be sure to hop on over to Random Noodling, where this week's #PoetryFriday bloghop is being hosted!

#EveryDayinMay - It's Swagurday with my GoVoxBox!

Pop on over to read the last of Crystal's blog series on New Orleans!

Influenster is the bomb diggity, you guys. I just finished up my last VoxBox, and yesterday I received a new one! If you aren't a member at Influenster, you should definitely check it out. What's more awesome than a bunch of free stuff showing up at your house? Not much, my friends, not much. A VoxBox is a collection of products set around a theme -- my latest one is all fitness stuff -- that you receive in exchange for trying out and reviewing. Not a bad deal!

So here's the scoop on my latest Influenster swag:

Not only is it a box of free goodies, it's pretty, too!

I came home from work to find my VoxBox sitting happily for me on the coffee table. I was supposed to quickly change clothes and head out for a concert, but I couldn't help but peek inside, and I am so glad I did!

Inside I found:

• a brand new Next Step shaker bottle from The Vitamin Shoppe
• three Next Step protein shake packets (chocolate, vanilla, and berry)
• Blue Diamond Blueberry flavored almonds
• Profoot Pedi-Rock (it's soft and squishy!)
• Profoot Orthotic shoe inserts (perfect for someone about to be hiking all over the place!)
• Aqua Spa Body Creme in lavender and chamomile
• Voucher for a FREE Muller yogurt product
• Playtex Sport Fresh Balance tampons

All my pretties laid out in a row!

The shakes and new shaker bottle couldn't have come at a better time. Since I was in such a hurry to make it to Turbo's spring concert, I didn't have time for dinner. The bottle is super cute and instead of the normal little metal whisk ball that is in most shakers, this has a fun purple plastic mixer that looks like an oversized jack (does anyone even remember playing jacks as a kid or am I really that old?)

I grabbed the chocolate packet and the bottle and filled it with some ice and water. The packet says to use 8 ounces of water, but I normally don't like mine quite that strong. I used 10 ounces, but the flavor was strong enough that I probably could have used 12. It. Was. Delicious! Sort of like chocolate milk, but a little sweeter, and very creamy. Surprising, since many protein mixes can be sort of thin when only mixed with water - I was thrilled that this shake was so good! A lot of protein powders I've tried have a strong after taste or can be quite chalky. Next Step had none of that! I really enjoyed it.

You can almost see the cute little mixer jack in there!

 I am typically a big snob about protein mix ingredients, but hey -- this was free and my only real option for dinner, so I barely even glanced at the ingredients. I'll do a thorough check and see what I think when I have my next shake, and report back here. There was a pretty long list of ingredients, which is normally a red flag for me -- plus, the shake was very sweet, so I know I need to check what kind of sweetener is used. Since I enjoyed the shake so much, I am hoping that this will end up being a mix that I will buy for myself in the future!

My yummy protein drink all mixed up, and the Blueberry Almonds, too!

I grabbed the almonds to take with me, not sure if the shake would fill me up. I definitely didn't need the almonds -- the shake totally satisfied me! But I wanted to see what they were like, so I tore open the bag and gave them a shot. I love almonds, and typically buy them raw without any salt or extra shenanigans, so this was very different for me. If you like blueberry and a little sweetness added to your almond, you'll definitely like these. I'll probably stick to my raw almonds mostly, but when I'm craving something sweet, I would eat these again.

And because I have a serious addiction to lotions, I also opened the Aqua Spa and put some on my hands and arms before leaving for the concert. Super happy that the smell isn't overly pungent; it's a soft lavender that isn't overpowering but lasts for quite a while. The creme is thick but not oily, so I will absolutely use it again.

I'm looking forward to trying out the ProFoot products soon. The Husband and I have an overnight hiking trip next weekend, so that gives me the perfect reason to test those out. So far, everything in this VoxBox has been amazeballs, so I'm excited to try out the rest!

What about you guys? Any new favorite products you've tried out lately? I'd love to hear from you!

#EveryDayinMay - Much Ado About Nothing

Make sure you hop over and say hi to Crystal!

A short post, but a good one. I'm watching Whedon's Much Ado About Nothing, which I knew about when it was close to coming out way back in 2012, and then somehow forgot and never heard of it again! How is this possible? This is not a film that should have faded into the background.

The powerful scene of Beatrice's outrage after Hero's honor has been ruined may be one of my new favorite monologues. And Benedick's ridiculous exercise spectacle? Oh, the perfection.

Photo Credit

O God! That I were a man! I would eat his heart in the marketplace!
You tell 'em, Beatrice!

Sad for me that I had to wait so long to enjoy this contemporary remake, but happy happy day that I found it on Netflix tonight!

Filmed in only 12 days, and in lovely black and white, Much Ado is a delight. Oh! And every scrumptious word is in Elizabethan speech. Huzzah!

Still not convinced? Did I mention Nathan Fillion has a delicious little role in this film? Really? That doesn't do it for you? What kind of animal are you?

Okay, fine. Watch this and then get thee to Netflix!

#EveryDayinMay - UnBrunch

Hop on over to Crystal's blog to see
what she is up to today!

Here we are, enjoying another exciting Mother's Day -- a day filled with love and flowers and cards and mom-love flying out all over the place.

And if you're lucky -- brunch.

I have been mad excited about going to brunch on the weekends lately. I seriously heart some giant waffles and mimosas. Does it get any better than that? For Mother's Day, I thought it would be nice to take my sweet mother-in-law out for a special brunch. No, not just because I have a love for all things brunchy. Geez, I'm not that selfish. She happens to love brunch, too. It was a definite win-win situation.

After a little Interwebs searching, I decided on Gloria's in Arlington. Everyone I know loves Gloria's. I'd only been to the Fort Worth location before, and even then, only for salsa dancing at night. However, the website promised $1.00 mimosas and $2.00 mango mimosas, plus a pretty rockin' brunch menu. No waffles, but since The Husband and his mom love Mexican food, Gloria's Latin Cuisine seemed like the perfect choice. I figured I could go a weekend without a waffle. Quite selfless, I think.

Gloria's in Arlington
Photo taken from Gloria's website

I asked The Husband to call them up and make reservations. He told them we were coming for brunch on Mother's Day, and they said they don't take reservations -- which it actually does say on their website. No big deal. We planned to get there when they opened at 11am and hope there wasn't a huge crowd.

You can check out the Brunch Menu at Gloria's here. Unless I'm just missing something, you'll notice on the menu it doesn't indicate that brunch is only served at certain locations. Also, you might think, as I do, that if a person called and told you they were coming for brunch on Mother's Day, you might mention that 1) you don't ever do brunch, and 2) there is a special menu for that day.

Well friends, I am here to tell you that Gloria's only offers brunch at certain locations. I did not find this out because The Husband was told this on the phone. I found this out when I sat down and asked for the brunch menu this morning. I have no idea where those elusive brunch locations are, because I've since gone back and checked the website again by clicking on every location in search of the brunch I did not have this morning. I can't find it. Brunch menu? Yes! Brunch actually served somewhere? No idea. I consider myself pretty adept at understanding how to read websites, and pride myself on being the person in our family that makes stellar plans for parties and other events.

Today I felt like a big, fat disappointment.

Oh, the sadness. I was so looking forward to the Campesino omelette and a couple of mango mimosas! I did end up ordering the mimosa, but at $5.00 each instead of the $2.00 mimosa I read about on their website, one seemed like plenty. Plus, the reaction when we asked if we could get the mango mimosa was less than promising. Apparently this is another brunch only menu item, and I felt like I was really putting them out by asking for it. However, when they brought it out, I was happy to find it was every bit as delicious as I had hoped, and in a huge glass, so that helped me feel a little better about missing out on the brunch I had planned for my mother-in-law.

When it was time to order from their special Mother's Day Menu (this was also not mentioned on the website anywhere that I could find), I asked if it would be possible to get the spinach and chicken quesadilla without the chicken. Our waiter's eyes opened wide. He paused a moment and asked if I only wanted the spinach. Then he said yes. Then he admitted that it might not be a possibility because it was a special menu and they were being pretty strict about it. He promised to go find out and come right back with our chips and queso.

You guys, when he came back, here is what he said: "My manager was in the bathroom, but I made him come out and I asked him about your quesadillas and he said we can make it without the chicken for you!"

Um. Okay, this is great -- I really appreciate the enthusiasm in securing my order, however... I probably don't need to know that he wrangled the manager out of the restroom to find my answer.

He left the chips and queso on the table, but never gave us appetizer plates. Normally I probably wouldn't have even noticed, but I was already unnerved. There was also a spoon on the plate with the queso bowl, suggesting we serve some queso onto a plate -- which I found amusing, as I had no plate. Perhaps I was supposed to spoon my queso onto each chip as I ate it?

UnBrunch was served incredibly quick and was actually quite delicious -- portions were huge and everyone was happy with the menu choices. My spinach quesadilla was amazing and overstuffed with tons of spinach -- not the slight amount that seems typical in most veggie quesadillas I've had.

I kept most of my mumbly grumbly disappointment to myself and enjoyed the time with my family immensely. Our waiter was abundantly enthusiastic and came to the table often to check on us and refill our water glasses. Had I not been expecting brunch, I probably would have been happy with the whole experience.

Moral of the story? Don't trust everything you read online, y'all. Ol' Abe wasn't lying about that.

It's Monday! What are you reading?

After reading Laura's post over at Camp Read-a-Lot, I decided to postpone my planned post on possibility (whew, say THAT 3 times fast!) and join the fun over at Teach Mentor Texts for their weekly "It's Monday! What are you reading?" meme.

As I've done since reading Donalyn Miller's The Book Whisperer a couple of years ago, I challenged my kids to join me for a #bookaday goal over Spring Break. Some jumped at the chance, while others set a somewhat smaller goal. Today we checked in, and I was super excited to find that most of my kiddos met or exceeded their goals!

Here's what I read:

1. Lemonade by Bob Raczka
2. Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
3. Ladybug Girl by David Soman
4. Goodnight World by Willa Perlman
5. Stars by Mary Lyn Ray
6. Ruth and the Green Book by Calvin Alexander Ramsey
7. I Can Hear the Sun by Patricia Polacco
8. When I Was Young and in the Mountains by Cynthia Rylant
9. Tulip Sees America by Cynthia Rylant
10. Write Like This by Kelly Gallagher (started, not finished)
11. Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life (started, not finished)

Several of my books were narrative style picture books, since I was amping up to share some great mentor texts with my kids this week. We'll be taking our STAAR writing test next week, so it feels like a good time to munch on some scrumptious words. And I'm just loving Gallagher's Write Like This. His thoughts match my own feelings on what writing should look like in the classroom, and as I was already planning to spend the week revisiting how narrative and expository writing can be written about the same topic but in different ways, much of what I read in his book helped me decide on a new way of presenting the information. Win!

Today I shared Ruth and the Green Book with my students. Before I read the book, we made a list of our purposes for writing, using Gallagher's model. After they had a list of styles such as expressing and reflecting, informing and explaining, and taking a stand and proposing a solution, I passed out sticky notes and asked them to write words and phrases in the story that helped them to determine the author's purpose for writing.

Ruth and the Green Book is an excellent resource as a mentor text! Although the style is narrative, all the students noticed that Ramsey also informs and explains, as we learned many facts about life as an African American in the 1950's and how the Green Book came into existence. Some of my students also felt that the story had elements of the take a stand model as well, since Ruth definitely takes a stand of her own in the story. Wonderful mentor text, and a Bluebonnet choice for 2012-2013, as well! Double win!

After we read, I asked my students to come up with possible prompts for writing that would result in a story like Ruth and the Green Book. They came up with several prompt ideas, including:

• Write about a time you were left out
• A time you felt afraid
• A time someone was mean to you

And more! We made a list and they each chose the one that spoke to them and began writing their own narrative that matched their chosen prompt. An excellent writing day, to say the least.

I'm eager to continue reading Write Like This and start working on my writing plan for next year! It never ceases to amaze me how much a good book can change a life, a day, or even a moment in one person's life. 

Finding Beauty

If Indira means Beauty, then Beth Ash Ayrton has done an amazing job matching the environment of her Carrolton salon to its namesake.  I walked into Indira a little frenzied from the usual stress of traffic and searching for a place I've never been before, but within minutes felt relaxed and at peace. Part of this is due to the invigorating scent that fills the salon and the rich, earthy decor, but Indira is a place of great beauty because of both the aesthetics and the people.  There is a friendly, comfortable vibe that flows through the salon and invites you to stay a while.

The Aveda concept salon has tons of product with testers so you can sample to your heart's content. I wasn't familiar with Aveda, so it was pretty interesting to find out about this innovative company. Besides the amazing products that are made from naturally-derived plants, they really strive to give back to the economy and ecosystems where the plants are harvested.  I love this dedication to being eco-friendly, and was amazed by how well the products work.

After being offered a drink (white wine, anyone?) and an iPad to play with, Beth and I took my "before" pics:

Needless to say, I was definitely ready to meet Nina, my stylist for the day.

It didn't take long for me to realize that Nina is a true artist at heart.  She took time to sit with me and discuss the look I was hoping to achieve, then added her own creative insight and launched into a plan. I was treated to a to-die-for neck and shoulder rub before we began the process of lifting my bland mousy brown locks into the gorgeous blonde I wanted for the summer.  The shoulder rub might be worth the visit alone -- Nina, watch out, I may come back just for a quick mini-massage!

I don't know about you, but often the time spent with a stylist (which can be hours, right ladies??) is sort of awkward.  Not this time.  Nina and I chatted about music, design, art and more, all while she kept me informed about why she was choosing certain techniques and products. She was consistently focused on my comfort -- did I mention the neck and shoulder rub? Or the arm and hand massage while my toner was setting? Oh, or the hot towel wrap?  One of the things we talked about was Sanskrit, and how the word "bliss" in Sanskrit can be said in more than 30 ways. My experience with Nina at Indira is a perfect example of why people need more than one word to describe things like bliss. 5 letters just doesn't capture it!

Next, LaToya and I sat down to look at the Aveda makeup. LaToya is the first face you see when you walk in the door, but she is also the resident makeup whiz. I think it must be pretty difficult to meet her and not instantly feel like old friends. She is just another reason going to Indira feels like an afternoon hanging out with your besties. After I chose some colors (you know I went all bright and colorful, right??), she set to work on making my eyes really pop. In just a few minutes, we were done and ready to take my after pics!

So, here's what you've been waiting for -- the final product AND the rules you need for the giveaway one of my lucky readers is going to win!

Rules For The Awesome Indira Summer Giveaway (rules must be followed correctly for entries to be counted!)

1. Follow Indira on Facebook and leave a message on their page about my makeover! Then post about the giveaway on your own FaceBook page. You can use this message, or make your own: "I just entered the Indira Summer Giveaway at http://www.projectchameleon.blogspot.com to win a complete makeover!" (mandatory entry)

2. Follow this blog (one entry)

3. Follow Indira on Twitter and tweet this message about the contest: I just entered the @indirasalon Summer Makeover Giveaway at http://www.projectchameleon.blogspot.com! #indiragiveaway (one entry)

4. Blog about this giveaway, and link back to this blog and the Indira FaceBook page (3 entries!)

5. Leave a comment on this blog telling me exactly which entries you have completed, tallying your points, and leaving links to the FaceBook, Twitter and/or blog posts you made. Don't forget to leave an email address so you can be contacted if you are the winner!! (mandatory entry)

On Tuesday, June 28, we will use Random.org to choose the lucky winner!!

All winners will be chosen via Random.org. Winners will be chosen within one week of the giveaway closing and will be posted once the prize is claimed by the chosen winner. If the person(s) chosen do not respond to our contact within 72 hours a new winner will be chosen.