How to Instagram Without Instagramming

Did that post title intrigue you?  I'll get down to that in a minute.

But first... here are a few of my purchases from today:

READ letters and some pretty fabric.  The letters were 25% off at JoAnns.  One of the fabrics was on sale, and I got 15% off the other two using my teacher discount.

 How gorgeous is this fabric?  I am going for a calming, beautiful environment this year.  Bye, bye primary colors.  Hello gorgeous, sophisticated patterns!

Next I hit up Staples.  Markers were $2 a box (I got six boxes).  Prismacolor Magic Rub are my FAVORITE erasers (I used them like crazy when we made our chicken book)... they were 50 cents each!  The post-its were a little more expensive at $5 but I love these big lined ones (they are 4 inches square).  Last but not least wite out is 50 cents per two pack so I had to scoop those up too.  They also had tons of 1 cent deals (glue, pencil cases and folders) but I somehow managed to restrain myself.  Why are back to school sales so dangerous?

************

Now on to the second part of my post... Sometimes I want to have the awesome effects that Instagram can have, but I don't necessarily want to publish it on my Instagram feed.  Like, for example, if something is personal, or boring, or if I just don't feel like bombarding my Instagram photos with dozens of photos.

Do you know that you can use Instagram to edit your photos WITHOUT publishing them?  I do it all the time and it's super easy, so let's get crackin'.

 1. Open your photo in Instagram.  Crop your photo, as usual.

2.  Edit it, just like you always do!

 3.  Click the little green sideways v arrow thingy in the upper right hand corner.  Instagram will process it.

4.  DO NOT type a caption, add people, or share.  Especially DO NOT click on the green arrow in the upper right hand corner.  All you need to do is close out the app.  Did you catch that?  Don't do anything, just bail out!

5.  Now check out the Instagram gallery in your phone {NOT the gallery in your Instagram app}.  See?  The two photos I faux instagrammed are right here...

But NOT in my Instagram feed.  Now I can post them on my blog without sending them out to everyone who follows my Instagram.  Ta da!

***

Update:
This tutorial was done using my phone, a Samsung Galaxy SIII.  I just tried it using my fiance's iPhone and... it works.  Kind of.   

As far as I can tell, the iPhone does not save the photo to a gallery unless you share it.  My crazy solution was to click share, then right away I deleted the post on Instagram.  It still saved it to his photo gallery, but didn't show up on anyone's Instagram feed for more than ten or fifteen seconds.  I would love to know if anyone has a better way to do this on an iPhone!

Here's my proof that it worked:

Sunday Smorgasbord

I'm linking up with Fabulous in First for my most favorite {and most random} linky party.

{ONE}

The highlight of my week BY FAR was seeing Beyoncé.  The only word I can think of to explain it is UNBELIEVABLE.  I laughed, I cried {honest to God... she did a Whitney tribute and I couldn't help myself!}.  I had SO much fun with my BFF and my Beyoncé obsession is at a whole new level.  I am saving up all my pennies for when she comes back in December!

 

My BFF and I right before the show started rocking fierce Beyoncé inspired outfits.

 We were THISCLOSE to her!

I loved her outfits during this number.  I think she changed 8 or 9 times (diva!) and all of her outfits were gorgeous!  I also loved that her whole act was female centered... ALL of her backup singers and musicians were female, plus most of her backup dancers (a pair of twins were the only males in sight).  Very cool!

We were SO happy, and completely hoarse at the end of the night!

{TWO}

Today marks the one month anniversary of summer vacation!  My district is by far the latest one I have heard of.  The silver lining is that I have over a month left of vacation.  Yee haw!

In spite of still having a month left, I am starting to prep for next year.  I am reading Working in the Reggio Way, and rereading Spaces and Places.  Both are great so far!  

If you have to do school work, what's better than doing it in a bathing suit outside on a gorgeous day?

Here are a few more things on my Back to School To Do List...

A Teacher Binder to combat the dreaded paper pile.  How nice would it be to have all of your assessment data, student info and important papers all at your fingertips?

Prep this adorable magnet for students to hang their best work up on the fridge.  I want to get them all ready so that all I have to do is glue their pictures on.  I am thinking about even dying or painting the clothespins to get REAL fancy!

Make this adorable "It looks like I'm playing BUT..." book by Dr. Jean.  I want to get the text and book all ready, so that all I need to do is put pictures of the kids in.  I would love to add this to my collection of send home books... they are always my students and their families favorites!

{THREE}

I just had three days of giveaways over on my Facebook page.  It definitely pays to be a fan!

You can become a follower {HERE}.

Happy Sunday, all!

Throwback Thursday - How to Have Portrait AND Landscape in One Word Document

   

I'm all about Throwback Thursday.  This week I am bringing you my most viewed post of all time.  Maybe because Erica Bohrer linked up to it!  She had asked on her blog if anyone knew how to have portrait and landscape orientations in one Word document, so I whipped up this tutorial.  You can see the original post {HERE}.  

**************************

I just saw a post by the fabulous Miss Erica Bohrer where she was wondering how to change the page orientation within one document.   I FINALLY figured this out myself a few months ago and it totally changed my life.  It is so much more convenient to have pages going both ways!

I whipped up a little tutorial for you:

I used my Plants and Seeds unit on TPT to demonstrate.  Also, I use Word 2010.

Click on the images to enlarge them.

 1.  Highlight the text on the page that you want to change the orientation of.

 2.  Go to the Page Layout Tab.  Click "Margins" then click "Custom Margins" on the dropdown menu.

 3.  Click "Landscape," then "Selected Text," then "OK"

 Here is the closeup of the most important step!

Voila!  

There you have it... one page that is rotated while the rest remain the same.  I hope that this helps you as much as it did me!



UPDATE
You can also rotate one page orientation using Word for Mac (my version is 2008).
I am using my Color Word Cards & Word Walls (in English & Spanish) to demonstrate.

Here's how:

 1.  Highlight the text you want to change the orientation of.

 2.  Go to the Format dropdown menu, and choose Document.

 3.  When the Document window pops up, choose the Page Setup button on the bottom.

4.  When the next box pops up, choose the horizontal page layout button (the little man icon on the right).  Click OK.

5.  Next, choose the "Apply to Selected Text" option on the dropdown menu.  Click OK.

 6.  If this warning box pops up, choose Ignore.

 7.  Stand back and admire your handiwork!

Weather Words, a {FREEBIE!} and a GIVEAWAY!

I have been typing and clip art-ing away (is that a word?) like a busy little bee and am finally done with Weather Words, Worksheets and Fun!

Let me break it down for you real quick...

 

 These are word cards that can be used in tons of ways... as word rings, on a word wall or as word cards.  They can be used for word work activities like building words with magnets or writing with dry erase markers.  I love to have my kids put them in ABC order (there is a recording sheet included) and I especially love to have them use it to encourage emergent writing.  

I have also included two colorful posters that can be used to display what the weather is each day.  Just print out an extra copy of the word cards and have kids stick it on with velcro or a thumbtack.

 Mini word walls can be printed out and popped into an 8 x 10 acrylic frame.  Voila!  A mini-word wall that can be displayed on any table - all in less than a minute.

Weather worksheets supplement the word cards and word walls.  They include a bubble map, ABC order activity, fill in the missing word, today's weather worksheet and adjective worksheet.

Last but not least, two different weather books.  The first is a weather report book.  After learning about each type of weather, children will complete one page of the book.  By the end of the unit, they have a gorgeous keepsake!

The weather tracking journal encourages students to track the weather each day by drawing the weather and writing about it.  They can also track the changes in temperature over the course of ten days using the temperature graph.

You can check out Weather Words, Worksheets and Fun {HERE}.

I am also throwing in a freebie so you can check out what this unit is all about.

This worksheet allows children to be meteorologists... they simply draw and write about the weather they observe that day. 

To download the freebie, click the picture above!

Last but not least, I would like to give away a copy of Weather Words, Worksheets and Fun!

For a chance to win, leave a comment telling me your favorite type of weather with your email address.

I will choose a winner at random.  This giveaway ends tomorrow at 6pm.  

Good luck!

Sunday Smorgasbord

Is it just me or is it extra hard to come up with good blog posts in the summertime?  I think because I'm not in school my brain just blanks when I try to think of something new to write, which is why I am LOVING linky parties this summer.  I am joining up with Fabulous in First forSunday Smorgasbord.

 Stacy and Desiree won their choice of my Word Card/Word Wall Products.  Congratulations, ladies!  I have emailed you.  

I was super excited to hit 200 followers on Facebook.  I know that's not nearly as many as some bloggers have, but I'm happier than a witch in a broom factory.

If you're not already a follower, click {HERE} to become one.  I smell a 200 follower giveaway coming soon {VERY soon... hint hint!}.

My BFF and I are going to see Beyonce in TWO DAYS.  I COULD NOT BE MORE EXCITED!  Last night I dragged my poor fiance to Forever 21.  "Why are you even picking up that shirt?  It has studs and a freaking tiger on it!" He asked.  "I need to be FIERCE.  It's BEYONCE!" was my answer, of course.  Don't worry, I didn't end up buying the tiger stud shirt.

 We have tons of grocery stores around, and I go to them all...  BJ's, Stop 'n Shop, Whole Foods and Shaws.  My favorite one of all though is Trader Joe's.  Cheap, delicious and wine in the store?  Sold!

Here are a few of my favorite things to buy (from left to right)

Large frozen shrimp... I feel so fancy making myself a shrimp cocktail for lunch!  Their cocktail sauce is delish, too.

2. Pink moscato.  My two favorite things.  Enough said!
3. Triple ginger snaps.  YUMMM!

4.  Just grilled chicken strips.  Toss these suckers in the microwave for a few minutes, then add them to a salad, use them to make quesadillas or throw them in pasta.  Easy peasy!

5.  Baby beets.  I love beets but hate prepping them.  Last time I did it legit looked like someone died a very painful death on my kitchen counter.  These little suckers are already peeled and cooked, ready to eat.  

6.  Last but not least my new very favorite: Reduced Guilt Guacamole.  It is regular guac mixed in with nonfat Greek yogurt.  It is still creamy and delicious, with half the fat and calories.  Win!

I even bought myself this gorgeous bouquet of peonies there for $6.  So worth it!

These are some of the best ways I've been relaxing this summer (again from left to right):

1. Date nights!  Last night we went to the cheesecake factory and split this Dulce de Leche.  I DREAM of this cheesecake!

2.  US Weekly is my favorite guilty pleasure.  It gets me through long workouts on the elliptical and entertains me the whole time!

3.  I love to read, and especially love doing it on the beach or in my backyard in the sun.  Right now I'm reading Let's Pretend this Never Happened.  My friend lent it to me... so raunchy and hysterical!

4.  What's better than going to the movies in the summer?  The Heat was HILARIOUS!  I think it was extra funny to me because of all the Boston accent jokes, but this is a definite must see.  My stomach hurt from laughing so much.

5.  One of my new favorite things is going for a walk in the morning when it is quiet and not scorching hot out yet.  I throw on my sneakers, put some good tune on my ipod and walk for about 30 minutes.  I feel so refreshed afterwards!