TpT Seller Challenge Week 2: Dare to Dream

I am loving this TpT Seller Challenge! I definitely experienced a severe case of TpT-burnout during the school year, but now this much-needed motivation is pushing me to revise my old products and create new products. There's nothing better than binge-watching "Parenthood" and "Orange is the New Black" while working on my TpT products. Thanks to Teach, Create, Motivate; Peppy, Zesty Teacherista; Third in Hollywood; and Sparkling in Second for hosting such a fantastic challenge!

There are many things in life that I wouldn't be able to do on my teacher's salary alone. With a lot of time, research, and hard work, my growing TpT business may help me reach my dreams. Here they are:

1. I cannot wait to finish the K-12 Reading License program at Hamline University. Earning this reading license will be the next substantial step in my teaching career. I've completed two out of the required six courses, but decided to put the rest on hold until I've saved enough money to pay for the courses in full without taking out loans or borrowing money from my sister. I still owe her money from the course I took nearly a year ago! At least she doesn't charge me interest like my credit card companies do...

2. I bought my MacBook Pro in 2009, but it's time for a new MacBook. While I love what I've been able to create with my MacBook Pro, I just want to toss it out the window every time I see this hostile wheel of death:

I added the maximum amount of ram two years ago and it helped a lot, but now creating classroom resources, polishing up TpT products, and completing homework has gotten even more complicated with an aging computer that is so incredibly s-l-o-w. Also, the battery wants to be serviced:

I suppose I could replace the battery and install a solid state drive to improve the speed, but that would cost me several hundred dollars. It's been 6 years since I purchased my last laptop, so I think it's time I treat myself to a new one. Hopefully I'll be able to purchase a new MacBook or MacBook Pro within the next year.

3. I had a great time hiking the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal in 2007 and loved every minute I spent during my 6-week trip to southern Africa in 2011 so it would only make sense to make a trip to Tanzania. I really, really, really want to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, but it would be a very expensive adventure. Perhaps summer 2016?

4. I was elated when I became a first-time homeowner last summer in July. While I love my home, I had to cut back in other areas to make financial ends meet. Before I owned a home, I had enough money to go to a very special gym, The Firm. I was addicted to their spin classes. They were so much fun and made an hour class feel like it was 15 minutes. This gym also offered yoga classes. They keep the classes pretty small so the instructors were able to connect with everyone to ensure we had the best form possible. I was really close to doing a handstand! Unfortunately, I couldn't afford the membership anymore after buying my home so I had to cancel it. I can't wait to go back and reinstate my membership so I can one day do a handstand.

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Week 1 of the TpT Seller Challenge, Makeover Madness, inspired me to update my old products. Last week's post showed my "Tally Marks" makeover. I started out with the intention of just improving the product cover, but then it turned into an all-day project. I ended up revising the format of all the worksheets, adding an additional activity and adding an answer key. This makeover madness motivated me to improve another math product, my "Counting Coins" product. I created this coin product a year and a half ago, so it definitely needed more than a cover update. Here are the changes I made:

I really need to stay away from my blog, TpT, Instagram, Pinterest, etc. for the rest of the day so I can focus on finishing my "Writing for Social Justice" lesson plan. I will be presenting it tomorrow for the last day of my Minnesota Writing Project class at the University of Minnesota. My 3rd grade lesson plan focuses in on the social justice theme of bullying. I will write about this and share my lesson plan and resources next week in case you are looking for something to do with your students in October for National Bullying Prevention Month.

Enjoy the upcoming weekend!

Ms. Mai Huynh