Tried it Tuesday in the Tundra

I am home today because it is freezing cold outside. Being in the South, cold temperatures are serious business. As a former New Yorker, it is still hard to comprehend a snow day without snow. But seeing as our temperatures dropped to the single digits, then when you factor in wind chill it really was potentially dangerous to send the kids out early this morning, especially kids who aren't used to temperatures below the low 40s. In our county school is rarely cancelled, so you figure the tundra conditions must be pretty serious for school to have been closed. 
Nonetheless, I am really thankful I have today to recuperate. We will make this day up in February, and although I will miss that day off, it seems that this was the best thing for me today.
Where have I been and why do I need to recuperate? 
Well, turns out I overworked myself in December and my body decided to send me a huge wake up call. Message received - I am not going to put things off and I will take better care of myself. 
It seems that I caught some nasty bacterial thing and it wreaked some havoc on my system. I ended up with a skin infection (nasty!) and a sinus infection. I was so tired over break that I spent a lot of time laying around. I watched a ton of TV and did not have the energy to do the things I set as goals during my break. I had big ideas for teaching packets and lessons. Wanted to write some entries for the blog. Planned out some clean out the house projects. And then the biggest sign I was under the weather, I got a Silhouette Cameo for Christmas and I did not make anything with it. 

Hubs got an awesome deal on this beauty on Amazon. Can you believe it sat unused for 2 weeks?

My energy level was zapped and what little energy I could summon up, I used visiting family sporadically during the break. 
Not the most exciting break, but I did get a break and that was obviously what I needed. 
I did spend a little time at the urgent care and the pharmacy, and have since learned that my body is not in love with antibiotics. Even though, I am recovering from the sinus issue and the infection has cleared, I am now battling with awful side effects to the medicine. Perhaps even a mild allergic reaction? Oh the fun of aging! Like I said, lesson learned, pay better attention to the signals your body is sending. Yep, consider that one of my resolutions for 2014!
Today my energy is still pretty low, so I am moving mighty slow. I am taking advantage of today's day off to catch up with you and link up with the Fourth Grade Flipper for the Tried It Tuesday. 

Despite having produced very little with the Silhouette over my break, I am super excited about it. I tinkered a little with it on Sunday and some more today and know that it is going to take some time to get up to speed. The options are endless and it is going to be fun creating things for school and home. 
I was also thrilled to learn they offer an educator discount in their online store; I will be taking advantage of that. 

This was the second attempt - the thinner font ripped when I tried to peel it from the mat. The letters are not adhering great, but I had to create something! 

Our Hobby Lobby does not carry Silhouette products and had a limited collection of materials. I need to order some vinyl since the brand I bought at Hobby Lobby tore really easily and does not adhere well. Thank goodness for mail order and Amazon! 
I created a BINGO behavior board for my classroom, but did not get a picture of it yesterday before I left the building. I am excited about the board - I am going to offer coupons as prizes as incentives for those making good choices and to entice those who might not be as motivated. 

I also made a motivation picture based on the cover of the book, Wonder. My class loved the book and I loved the themes. (I also forgot to take a picture of that.)
Today, I played around with a bunting I purchased from the Silhouette design studio. My 4 year helped me peel the papers after they were cut, he thought it was super cool. 

Bunting I made using scarp book paper. I did not have to do the cutting! 

One of the really neat features of the Silhouette is you can cut and make perforations. This bunting was easy to create because the top of the pieces were perforated, all I had to do was fold over the top on the string. 

Easy with the perforated top!

You can also cut fabric, for those with little girls they have designs for American Girl Doll clothes for 99 cents! I cut a piece of fabric that I plan to sew on a t-shirt to make myself a new spirit wear shirt for school. I need to work a little more with the fabric though, I don't think I attached it to the mat correctly, so the cut is not perfect. I have learned quickly that although the machine is amazing, it is not something to do in haste. If my patience is low or I won't be able to work undisturbed, it is best for me to wait. This will be one of those things that I will gradually learn, but the end products will be worth it!  

If you have a Silhouette, what are your favorite projects? If you have tips, unsolicited advice is more than welcome! 

Check out the other Tried It Tuesday posts on Fourth Grade Flipper. While you are there, check out the awesome giveaway going on. There are some awesome writing packets as prizes, so excited to see Bethany's packet.

Also check out the 1000 Followers for Head Over Heels for Teaching and Fourth Grade Flipper raffle is nearing its end. Thanks to Holly for hosting today's party! 

Hope you are keeping warm in your neck of the woods and if you missed school today, hope you had a wonderfully relaxing day. I am anxious about getting back in the groove and am hoping my kiddos are ready to finish out this year like champions!