Addicted to TPT?? ME TOO!

Happy Wednesday, everyone! It's Ashley, here, from Schroeder Shenanigans in 2nd! I'm here today to share a few more organizing ideas with you that I've found useful as I've become more and more addicted to and in LOVE with all of the fabulousness that TPT has provided me in the last several months!!!

 I hope you're ready to file that endless list of TPT purchases that you made! Are your files hidden in file folders somewhere on your desktop? Did you print the entire bundle that you bought and forget where you put it? Well, I hopefully have a perfect solution for you today!

It's amazing what posting a picture on instagram can spark!  

I posted this picture above a few weeks ago and it got so many views, questions, and comments about what I was doing and if I would share! Click {HERE} to read my post about my initial inspirations for this pack!

 So, naturally, I took your requests, ideas, and suggestions and I turned it into my latest organizing resource on TPT.   Honestly, I get SO much of my inspiration from YOU ALL, so THANK you for inspiring me to turn a measly little table into my TPT Purchase Organizer!

Here are a few snap shots of the product {you can click any one of them to link to the file on TPT}  before I dive into some details about the who, what, where, when, and how!

I wanted to share with you today a closer look at this organizing set to see if it might be "just what you are looking for" as several of my bloggy - - (like, super star bloggy status bloggy . . . like Mel-D?!?) AND non bloggy friends have told me that it is this week! :)

Who is it for?!
Um - do you love TPT?  Have you spent hours and {we won't say how much} LOTS of dollar signs snagging up resource after resource, emptying your cart and wish list time after time?!?!?  ME TOO!

Now, do you know whether or not you have a set of place value activities for 3 and 4 digit numbers?!? - Yeah, me neither....UNTIL I CREATED THIS SET!!

I have SOOO many awesome purchases from TPT, and I don't even know what all I own without forcing myself to go scroll through my purchases! And, let's face it, as teachers we don't have time like that to waste!! {Don't even get me started on the freebies that I've snagged or giveaways that I've won! Those files are endless, too!!}

 WELL if that sounds familiar - you may want to keep reading to take a closer look!

What is it?
It is an organizing set of cover photos and tables for you to insert thumbnails of the cover photos of your TPT purchases, clipart, borders, freebies, and any other resource you want to see at a glance! It's perfect for the visual learner like me to be able to SEE what you own! AND you get to see at glance with a page full of other great products that you own that fit the same category!

Below you can see an action shot of me adding the cover photo one of my newest purchases from my sweet friend Angie at Mrs. Olson's Lucky Little Learners! (you have to check out her interactive notebooks!) I'm adding her Fraction interactive notebook thumbnail image to my "math resources" page!

I decided to keep all of my thumbnails of her interactive notebooks all on one page so that I can see all of them at a glance together - - - and since the file is completely EDITABLE, I can move around the other images that I already added to be able do just that!

I have a separate section in my organizer for each "category" of products that I own on TPT.
The categories and sections of this binder include:

TPT Purchases

Fabulous Freebies

Clip Art

Borders

Paper

Fonts

Reading Resources

Math Resources

Writing Resources

Science Resources

SS Resources

Fall Resources

Winter Resources

Spring Resources

Summer Resources

**AND 6 Blank Covers and file page for you to add your own categories and titles to best meet your organizing needs! :)

**COMING SOON - matching spine labels :) I just haven't had a free minute second to even think about creating those!

Then - again because I'm a visual learner - once I think I'm "good" for a while as far as TPT purchases are concerned {HA!! I KID!}, I print my TPT Purchases and organizing pages and add them to my Schroeder Shenanigans resource binder that you can read much more about {HERE!}

Where is it?
You can take a closer look at my original post and ideas about this binder/organizing tool {HERE}.

Check it out on TPT {HERE}. . . . OR

if you like my organizing style, you may like to check out the discounted bundle that this pack is a part of {HERE}!

When should I use it?
There are certain things that I can "put off" or procrastinate on, but getting something like this taken care of was high on my priority list - - -THEN the secret is to keep up with it once you do get it all organized!

Even though I have my purchases pretty well organized and ready to go, now - EVERY TIME I check out at TPT, I download my new purchases into a folder called "FILE THESE PURCHASES"  that is on my desktop.  Then, when I have insomnia get the chance, I update my purchased files by putting them into my purchase organizer! I foresee SUMMER being the perfect time to get started on this, friends! Say - on the plane ride to Vegas, perhaps?! :) :)

HOW to do it!?
 The main reason that I decided to post about this this week is that I got a LOT of questions about how I insert the thumbnails into the file itself! So I wanted to take a few minutes and share that secret with you!

**Disclaimer - you may have or know a much fancier way to do this, but screen shots and I are like BFFs soooo I go the screen shot route! :)

1. Open up your purchases page and find the product(s) you want to insert.

again - a little Angie Olson fabulousness :)

2. Take a screen shot of the cover photo thumbnail!

I'm a MAC girl - - - so I hit and hold COMMAND+SHIFT+4.

This brings up a cross for me to drag over the image to take a shot or a picture of it!

3. The screen shot will be saved to your desktop...

Then, I open up the page in my TPT Purchaser that I want it to be on, choose to insert an image and then insert the screen shot that I took!

*I usually take screen shots of a whole bunch of covers that will go on the same page in my purchase organizer. Then you can insert several at once right into the page you want them on.  

You can also "drag" the screen shot thumbnail into your open TPT Purchase file, too! Whatever is easiest for you - go that route.  

I won't lie - it takes TIME!!! - but my sweet friend Allison said it best this week when she left me the best feedback ever on this pack . . . .

WHEW! Thanks for sticking with me, friends! I truly help that this helps you to organize your piles and purchases and more! :) Thanks for stopping by our blog, today!!

Creating Printables

Hi friends
I have been asked several times how I create things for my classroom. I thought I would give a couple tips on what I do. First, let me start by saying if you hope to be great in a week, think again. I still have so much to learn from the great creators.

Here are my biggest tips for you.

1. I use powerpoint. I used to use Word, but let me tell you - word is frustrating. Word, in my opinion are for papers, not creativity. I like it because wherever you want to have information put, you can do it. I love that you can make things editable (a future post) and you are able to save them securely.

I am a MAC user, so these are things I do on my mac, so if you have a PC, hopefully it is the same, but I can't say for sure.

I will give you some basics and some do's and don'ts that I have learned along the way.

I am all about short cuts.
I use the command button on so much.
command A makes it highlight everything in your text box
command e centers everything in the text box
command L left justifies things
command R right justifies your text
command c copies everything you highlight
command v pastes

This has made life a lot easier for me.

2. Content is key - make sure you know what you are making and that you have double checked it. Have someone look over your work, or be prepared to fix it if you make a mistake. I made about ten last night making my last product!

3. Borders matter - invest in borders they are worth the money and make your products stand out. Start with free ones, but as you make money, invest. I invested even before I made money because everything I create, I use in my own classroom so I wanted quality products.

4. The same goes for digital paper - I love having them for a flashy title page. Nothing makes someone stop faster then to see bright titles!

5. In my opinion this is the most important because it is what your kids will see and use and what makes other teachers buy your products! Invest - it will pay off.

6. Be creative - nothing is better than seeing something that hasn't been done before. If you are going to do something similar give credit where credit is due and make it your own.

7. If you make something, use it in your own classroom before selling it so you can share real pictures of it in motion. It will also let you know if it works, or if you need to adjust something.

I made a video that shows you live and my step by step process so you can follow along as you move through the powerpoint process.

These are some of the video stills you will find in the pack you will buy! :)

I hope you find this helpful! :)

It will be on sale for only $5.00 for 48 hours. 

I hope you enjoy it! :) 

Mrs. H.