Happy Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend Friday Favorites!

Happy New Year, and welcome to Friday Favorites hosted by Erika from A Little Bit of Everything and Andrea from Momfessionals!

        ~HAPPY Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and                                          HAPPY NEW YEAR 2026~

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Craftivity

When I still taught 3rd grade, we made this adorable Dr. King craft and read about his life.  After the kids wrote an informational paragraph about him.  

I love how each student puts his/her unique touch on their Martins!

Fun With Fractions

I LOVE borrowing ideas from Pinterest, especially anchor charts. 

Click here for original Pin!

What Skills Students Need to Succeed

We had a professional development where we learned the top 10 skills students need to succeed in the future:

Being a graduate of a liberal arts college, I feel as if I was prepared for complex problem solving and critical thinking.  The speaker - Dr. Daggett - emphasized the importance of your major (the top earning profession was petrochemical engineering).  However, not everyone can be happy majoring in engineering, medicine, mathematics ...He did state that being a teacher means job security.  More importantly, being a successful teacher means you need to excel in all ten skills ~ you just won't get paid as much as a petrochemical engineer.  I don't think you could pay me enough to want that job anyway!

Click here to get a brief glimpse of Dr. Daggett's philosophy.

Adjusting to Winter

As the winter goes on, and I am adjusting to the cold weather.  I am also feeling grateful that all our ice has melted which makes it much safer to walk outside.

 

By the way, if you would like to check out an adorable book and enjoy the snow vicariously, here is a suggestion:  The Snow Day by Komako Sakai.  

 

Boston Tea Party Reenactment

This year marks the 250th anniversary of the Revolutionary War.  If you plan to visit Boston, make sure to visit The Boston Tea Party Museum!

If you love history and want to participate in a reenactment, they do this at the Boston Tea Party Museum.  If you're lucky enough to be in Boston on December 16th, the Old South Meeting House recreates the December 16, 1773 meeting in which the decision was made to dispose of the tea on the three British ships in Boston Harbor.  Before the actual reenactment, many "colonists" mingle with the crowd:

 Here are some scenes during the reenactment:

 I've attended the reenactment twice, and it is so much fun!  Of course, if you're ever in Boston, you can visit the Old South Meeting House ~ it's on the Freedom Trail. 

 Cara Cara Oranges & Good Luck

They're back!  Cara Cara oranges are finally back, and if you've never had one, please check them out!  Juicy Cara Cara oranges are pink inside.  These oranges were discovered in 1976 and weren't even available in the U.S. until the end of the 1980s.  I was so excited to find them over the weekend:

While purchasing my favorite oranges and other delicious fruit, my total purchase came to:

I'm always feeling lucky when my total purchase randomly comes to a number like this!

Book Recommendation!

Every year I taught, I prepared my third graders for our state test (MCAS).  We always read an article about Pack Horse Librarians who travel to bring books to those who live in rural areas.  While browsing through the "Books With A Buzz" section of my local library, I came across this delightful book:

Here's the synopsis from Goodreads:
Set in Depression-era America, a breathtaking story of five extraordinary women and their remarkable journey through the mountains of Kentucky and beyond, ....The leader, and soon Alice's greatest ally, is Margery, a smart-talking, self-sufficient woman who's never asked a man's permission for anything. They will be joined by three other singular women who become known as the Packhorse Librarians of Kentucky.

As soon as I realized I had found a grown-up version of one of my favorite MCAS passages, I knew I was going to read and love this book!

Cleaning

I've been cleaning and organizing a lot, especially after Christmas.  I won't bore you with the details, but I did give my younger son, Andrew, and his wife, Angelika, a Dyson vacuum for Christmas five years ago, and they still LOVE it (as do I!).  I'm always amazed at how well this vacuum works ~ especially the lower price from when I bought mine at least  10 years ago (I paid $500!).  Now this vacuum currently costs $425.  

Wow, prices that go down!  I love that!

I hope this New Year finds you healthy and happy!  Thank you for visiting the blog today!