TpT Conference Orlando 2016... The Best Lesson I Learned

Last year when I found out that the Teachers Pay Teachers conference was going to be in Orlando this year, I was beyond excited. TpT has been a huge part of my life the last 3 years. There was no way I was going to miss the opportunity to learn from some of TpT's greatest teacher authors when they were practically in my own backyard.

I would have to say my favorite part of the conference was getting to be with some of my most favorite people in the world, my SLP blogging tribe. I love these girls more than I can express. We are spread out all over the country but these ladies have helped motivate me and have molded me into the therapist I am today.

 If I were to write a blog post about all the amazing things I learned at the conference, this post would be 500 pages long. But there was one thing that a certain speaker said that really spoke to me. I was sitting in Shelly Rees presentation about product planning. She shared a personal story about her TpT journey and her success. But then she added... "This was my season. Today isn't everybody's season." Amen. Isn't that the truth? I am constantly trying to keep up with crazy successful sellers. I feel guilty when I only blog once a month (If I am lucky!) But I have two small children at home. I work. I mentor. I am a soccer mom. A dance mom. A baseball mom. I have a full plate. I absolutely love every part of my life, but maybe this time isn't my season on TpT. So I decided to stop pressuring myself to be one of the best (I think perfectionism comes with an SLPs personality type!) My time will come. I think this is something we can all carry into our lives. Don't compare yourself to your coworkers, other moms, etc. We all have our own story and our own busy lives. Embrace what's going on in your life right now and be the best at that. The rest will come later.

...and on the note, the baby is up from his nap. I'm coming Kameron! :)

Psst... one more thing. I am still on a conference high and want to share the love. I am giving away $10 TpT gift cards on my Instagram (@simply_speech) right now. Go enter, winners will be announced Tuesday!

Pin of the Week: Holiday Stovetop Potpourri

What in the world did we do before Pinterest? I don't know how I was able to plan my wedding without it! Have you seen those quizzes out right now that shows your most used words on Facebook? Pinterest was one of mine. I think it's safe to say I have a healthy addiction. So with that being said, let me introduce you to this week's Pin of the Week!

Are you hosting any holiday parties at your house this year? Put away your candles and plug-ins… this recipe for stovetop potpourri will make your whole house smell amazing! You can find dozens of different recipes on Pinterest, but this one is my favorite for the holidays. This specific recipe was found on the I Heart Naptime blog.

Here is what you need:

• 1/2 cup fresh cranberries
• 1 orange (sliced)
• 4 cinnamon sticks (broken in half)
• 1 TB cloves
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 2-3 cups water

Here is what you do:

Combine all of the ingredients in a pot and simmer on low for as long as you have guests over. It is very important to remember to continue to add water to the pot as it gets low. Burnt cranberries and cinnamon sticks just don't smell as good :)

Need a quick holiday gift for a friend, co-worker, or your child's teacher? Bag these ingredients up and gift the holiday smell! I found a ton of cute labels on Pinterest but you can find a few of my favorites here and here. 

I love this so much that I used this pin for my latest segment on Gayle's Guide to Pinterest, check out the video below. 

Pin of the Week: How to Make a Burlap Wreath!

Last month, I helped film a news segment at my favorite place, Aerie Lane! If you aren't local to me, Aerie Lane is an adorable craft bar where you can take classes to learn how to make those adorable crafts you have been eyeing on Pinterest and Etsy. And yes, you can even have a a glass of wine with your best friends while you do this. The news segment featured that oh so popular burlap wreath you see on so many festive doors these days. After I created mine, I shared a picture of it on Instagram. I had so many of you request a tutorial, so here it is!

 You all weren't the only ones requesting a wreath tutorial. My friends and I often host Pinterest Parties (this is the perfect way for me to still see my friends and hang out with two babies at home!) A Pinterest Party consists of each of us bringing a yummy dish we have been eyeing, drinking some wine, and making a craft together. After my friends saw the picture of the wreath, they decided that would be our next craft. So all of these pictures are from me teaching them how to make one. It's actually very easy once you get started. I hope I can explain well enough on here, if not, check out YouTube for some video tutorials. Here we go!

What you need:
- 1 metal wreath frame (any size you want, I used 16")
- 2-3 rolls of 5" burlap ribbon  (It just depends on how full you want your wreath)
- 1 pipe cleaner cut in half
- Ribbon, a wood letter, flowers or anything you want to personalize your wreath

First step, turn the wreath frame over and tightly loop the burlap around the middle wire. Some people prefer to tie it in a knot, I like to use a pipe cleaner to secure the burlap to the frame. This won't be seen so it doesn't have to be pretty. Then, pull a few inches of the burlap ribbon through the top row of the frame. Keep it loose like in the picture above. Hold it with your thumb and index finger while you loop the burlap through the second row of the frame. It should now look like the picture below. 

Do the same thing for the bottom row of the frame. At this point, your wreath should look like the picture below. 

After you have your 3 rows of burlap loops, slide it all the way over to the right so the burlap scrunches and looks fluffy! 

See how the frame is divided into sections? You will complete these steps twice in each section. Then, do just a single loop through the middle before moving on to the next section of the wreath. Does that make sense? So you will have a row of 3 loops, a second row of 3 loops, a row of 1 loop in each section of the wreath frame. 

If my directions were clear enough, your wreath should start to look like the one pictured above. You want to try to make sure the back isn't super fluffy- it will make the wreath harder to hang. 

Once you are finished, secure the end of the burlap to the frame with another pipe cleaner. Then, decorate your wreath! I had some help with my bow, but here is a tutorial I found on Pinterest. 

Check out my adorable friends and their fun wreaths! I am super excited because 3 of these ladies are expecting little girls in the next few months so I see lots more Pinterest Parties in our future (probably with more tutus and bows!) 

Below is the video of the WFLA news segment we filmed for Gayle's Guide to Pinterest on burlap wreaths. 

Happy crafting!