Y'all, I talked my husband into taking me to IKEA and I found all kinds of goodies! There was ONE main reason I went to IKEA in the first place.... PENCIL PILLOWS! I just love them! They are pretty tall (long?), and absolutely adorable. I wish I would have gotten two, one to decorate with and one to let the kids ruin, I mean, use. They are also just $14! My goal for this year is to make my room more homey for my students. Fake plants are great for giving a space a cozy feel. I grabbed 3 fake plants, and I don't even have to worry about watering them! #bestpart I'm sticking the plants in these metal tubs, but these would also be amazing for pencils, markers, pens, clips, anything to help organize your classroom! They are also just 99¢! Another of my favorite finds was the Torsby frame! They are only $1 and so versatile. I spray painted mine to match the colors in my classroom. Some I am using for posting directions for groups (and open house), others I am taking out the plastic holder using a loose leaf ring to hold flash cards. Students can easily flip through the cards for practicing our sight words. OHHHH this was a great find! These chair tops (SNILLE) are like scoop rockers for bigger kids. I actually got these for our 3rd grade teacher, but they are too awesome not to mention. They were $6 and feel very sturdy and durable. The only part that isn't my favorite is the white color. I'm sure with the group we are handing up, they will have very pretty crayon decorations through the year. ;) Book boxes! These are 4 for $1. They are so cheap so you won't even feel bad letting students decorate their own and then taking it home at the end of the year! This is another storage tub that I just love! They are adorable and come in different sizes. I can put these in cubbies, on the counter, bookshelf, or use them on my desk to help keep me organized! These markers were just the coolest! They are stamps, and could be used for younger grades for patterns. For 2nd, we can stamp out our spelling words with fun shapes. We can make addition and subtraction pictures with them. There are so many possibilities! If you have an IKEA nearby, GO, RUN, NOW! I got a cart full of things, and still spent less than $100. Even if you don't want to buy anything, go look around, it's worth a drive. -Aimee
