Blog Button, Linky Party, and a Giveaway!

After creating my signature last night, I got a bit ambitious and decided to make a blog button.  I followed Leslie's tutorials at Teaching Blog Addict.  Now I know it's not the best, but I am proud of the work that I did.  I'm really taking to this blogging thing and am excited to get my creative juices flowing again.  Back in grad school I felt so energized and creative, and I'm starting to feel that way again!

And now my first linky party!  Sheila at 

is having a Keep Calm and Blog on! Linky Party.

To link up you just need to tell the blog world about your personal blog journey and post about it.
You can use these questions just copy and paste them in to your post:
1. Why did you start blogging?
2.  What blogs do you stalk?  What blogs inspire you? (These blogs can be teaching blogs, non-teaching related or both.  Make sure to link them so we can check out your blog favs!  Hello!?!?! We will certainly all need new blog reading material this summer)
3. Blogging tips, tools, and great ideas you have learned along the way
4. Blogging and balance
5. What are your blogging goals for the summer?

Here are my answers:

1. Why did you start blogging? I wanted to start blogging after seeing all of the fun and interesting ideas teachers had on pinterest.  From there I began blog stalking and thought to myself, "I can do that!  I want to do that!"

2.  What blogs do you stalk?  What blogs inspire you? (These blogs can be teaching blogs, non-teaching related or both.  Make sure to link them so we can check out your blog favs!  Hello!?!?! We will certainly all need new blog reading material this summer) The blogs I stalk are my favorites listed to the right.  I also stalk the blogs that are their favorites...it's a never ending cycle of blog stalking!

3. Blogging tips, tools, and great ideas you have learned along the way.  Being such a newbie, I don't have any tools, tricks, or tips.  I did learn how to make a signature and a blog button.  Leslie from Teaching Blog Addict put together this tutorial on a variety of things that I have found extremely helpful

4. Blogging and balance. Seeing that I just started, I think I've maintained a good balance.  I will revisit this in the summer :)

5. What are your blogging goals for the summer? This summer I want to keep up the creativity in terms of adding to and enhancing my blog.  I also want to get my blog out there more!

Sprinkle Teaching Magic is also doing an $80 giveaway to Cutest Blog on the Block.  I'd love to have a blog makeover.  Wouldn't you?