Must Have Mondays- Water Bottle Edition

Hello all! I am back from my wonderful two weeks at the cottage which means I can start to catch up on the Building Mathematical Comprehension Bookstudy...I am dreadfully behind! I can post more frequently! I can make more freebies! And I can read more of your blogs!

All good stuff.

I am jumping in with Sabra from Teaching with a Touch of Twang this week and her Must Have Monday linky party. 

One of my must haves for school is a good water bottle. I drink A LOT of water during the day so I need one that can stand up to that and won't empty too fast. On the other hand I don't want it to be so heavy that I can even lift it either. This past school year I was in a portable, which means I had access to water only during my prep periods or recess. If I had been in the building, I would have had water in my room. Sigh.

There are a few things I have come to realize that I don't like in a water bottle ...

1. I refuse to drink out of a plastic, throwaway bottle. They cause way too much damage to the world. Reusable only, and if I forget mine then it's a mug or glass for me.

2. I don't like having to unscrew the lid to drink. I know it takes very little effort but I want to drink with one hand. So that means these types don't work for me, but they might work for you. 

Photo via Amazon

Photo via Amazon

3. I don't like drinking out of metal bottles. I think I can taste the metal, but maybe I'm crazy? I do like the sleek look of the above bottles and it seems like they wouldn't leak all over my bag.

Photo via Amazon

4. No spouts please! You could drink this with one hand but I hate feeling like I am always in the middle of a soccer game.

Photo via Amazon

Okay, so what do I like?

I like to be able to drink with one hand. I want a bottle that doesn't leak all over my bag. No metal.

My water bottle of choice is.... a Contigo Autoseal bottle.

They come in a wide variety of colours and options.

Insulated- double wall 18 ounces

24 ounces- my personal choice!

They even have them in kids!

All Contigo photos via Amazon.

I will drink 3 full 24 oz Contigos of water a day while I am at school. I love that I can grab it with one hand, unseal the spout and drink away. I can throw it in my bag, or if you get the one with the attached carabiner it'll clip to your bag and it'll never spill or leak.

They even make coffee cups!

Photo via Amazon

(Yes, I know it's metal...somehow a metal cup for my coffee doesn't bother me the way it does for water! I weird. I've learned to live with it)

I purchased my Contigo cups all at Costco where they usually come in a variety pack (2-3 cups/bottles) for a very good price. And a wide range of colours. They are also available on Amazon...just click on the pictures of above.

Should any of the other water bottles pictured interest you, click on those pictures to connect to Amazon as well.

What's your Must Have??

Must Have Monday- 3M Command Hooks

I'm linking up again with Sabra's great linky party...

This week's must have is 3M Command Hooks! I use these babies for EVERYTHING!! At home and school. 

Photo via Amazon.

I use this size hook for chart paper. I don't like writing on chart paper on the easel, too low and writing while sitting sideways in a chair is just awkward. I hang the hooks on a wall the borders my carpet area and stand to write whenever we are creating anchor charts. This way my students have some variety in how we sit on the carpet too.  We can face the easel, the board or the chart paper!

Here's a post with some pictures to show you what I mean. 

I also use the small hooks to hang anchor charts to cover my book shelves and to gain more wall space in my small classroom!

Photo via Amazon.

Here's a link to a post that shows the anchor charts in action! (It also has some math- data management and a freebie!)

Other classroom uses:

- hall passes

- student work

- classroom job rotations

- sight word organization

Here's a great post on Scholastic about using Command Hooks. One of my favourite organizing blogs, Org Junkie has a great post too. 

At home I use the hooks for my daughter's coats near the door- so she can reach it and we can easily change it as she grows. I hang our lunch bags and reusable grocery bags on 3M Command hooks. In the past I have hung plastic file folders to collect papers and mail, pot holders, the dog leash...basically, I believe there isn't anything these hooks can't do!

Must Have Monday (ahem...Tuesday)- Coloured Pens!

So many possibilities to blog about....must haves, wow this is a great idea for a linky Sabra!

My must have is coloured pens! I love writing in colour and it keeps me happy and interested in whatever I am doing. I am also very picky about the size of my pen tip and the thickness of the pen (OCD? yes, I know). Here are some of my faves...

Papermate Flair (Papermate is my go-to pen brand!)

Photo via Aamazon.com

These are my marking pens, my day book pens (yes, I write in ink! gasp), my note to self pens, everything I write is usually done with these pens! They are all over my classroom and my house.

Photo via Ilovepens.wordpress

Staedtler is also a good option although I find they don't stand up to the amount of writing I need to do during a day and dry out quickly. Still fun colours though.

Lastly, if I am going to write in blue then it better be these pens...

Photo vis Amazon.com

They are getting harder and harder to find in stores here in Canada so it looks like online shopping for me!

And that's that! Head over to Sabra's blog to read about other teacher's must haves and to link up with your own.