As I’ve reflected on my last two years, I have to admit, it has been more than I could have ever imagined!

I started this blog for fun.  I’ve always been a “helper” at heart and thought it would be a great way to help teachers become inspired and add some “HAPPY” into their classrooms.  I knew that I had been given a gift and just wanted to share it with whoever needed it. 

I never knew it would turn into THIS.

I am amazed.  I am grateful.  I am thankful for all of YOU!

I don’t feel like I’ve taken anything for granted and feel a sense of purpose more than I ever have.  After reading your sincere emails and feedback, I began to realize that teachers NEED to feel inspired.  With all of the negative press about teachers, the enormous responsibilities, pressures, and stress, teachers need a morale boost. 

My blog is meant to take you away from all of the day to day pressures of teaching and give you a dose of inspiration and FUN!  Forget standardized tests, forget the mounds of paperwork that should be graded, forget all of the lesson planning, teaching objectives, disgruntled parents, report cards, conferences, etc. 

My hope is that you can come to my blog and feel good.  I want you to get excited about your job again.  I want you to love what you do and recognize YOUR purpose. 

I truly believe that we don’t choose to be teachers, teaching chose US!

We are all special group, united by a common purpose; making the difference in the lives of children.

I didn’t leave teaching to crank out a bunch of junk to make a dollar.  I left teaching because that strong sense of purpose became evident when I started blogging about classroom decor.  I realized that décor and your environment can renew your passion and love for teaching!

When I stage a room, that’s for you.  When I create a coordinated décor collection, that’s for you.  I really want to give you the tools you need to walk into your classroom and feel good.  I know you don’t have a lot of time, so I try to make it easy by showing you pictures and doing the work for YOU.

I made a vow to myself when all of this started.  This wasn’t going to be about me.  I know that I am in this position to help teachers as much as I can.  I have a strong desire to give back.  This last year, I have really made an effort to give as much as possible.  I have actually given away so many classroom collections for free that I’ve lost count.  I’ve also given away numerous classroom accessories to teachers, volunteered for Teen with a Dream, donated 85 classroom collections to teachers that were affected by the tornadoes in Moore, Oklahoma, and I am decorating Moore, Oklahoma teacher, Karen Marinelli’s classroom this week.

So many of you have asked if I would come and help you decorate your own classroom.  I wish more than anything, that I could do that.  Just recently, I put my “thinking cap” on and tried to brainstorm ideas as to how I can help the most people.  Then, I came up with my idea…

Hmmm…what can it be?!?

(I consulted my friend, Abby, and shared my plan with her.  She thought I was C.R.A.Z.Y.!  Yes, I probably am.  That craziness is what caused this whole blog thing in the first place!)

SO…

I’ve decided to let you go shopping at some of my favorite places and I will pay for it!

Since I can’t decorate EVERYONE’S classroom, I would give you the money to purchase everything you need for a beautiful classroom environment!

We all like money, right?

My hope is that you can use my photos as inspiration, then take your gift card and go shopping!

I may not be able to personally decorate your classroom, but at least you can get a lot of stuff from my FAVORITE places to shop for classroom accessories!

I plan to run my giveaway for an entire WEEK!

Each day, you will have the chance to win a $100 gift card to one of my favorite stores.  Each night of the giveaway, Kandin will announce the winner.  Stay tuned because the last day is so so AMAZING, you don’t want to miss it!

How do you enter, you ask?  No Rafflecopters this time.  We are doing this the old fashioned way…

1.  “LIKE” the post on Facebook

2.  Click “SHARE” and share it on your Facebook page

3.  In the comment section, let me know that you “liked” and “shared” (just so I can get your name entered) and you are DONE!

Kandin will announce the winner at 11:00 p.m. EST each night on Facebook!

Today, you have the chance to win $100 to my absolute favorite store, Target!

Head on over to my Facebook page and make sure you enter!

Stop by tomorrow to see another one of my favorite places to shop and for your chance to win a $100 gift card!

Good luck!