Friday Finds #218: Summer Repertoire

May 7, 2021
by Amy
2 Comments

Happy May! If you missed last week’s big April re-cap, you can read it here: Friday Finds #217 Best of April.

I don’t know about you, but I often struggle to remember to put in music orders far enough in advance from when new terms start to actually have music by the first lesson!

So, today, I’m sharing some resources to help you as you plan your student’s Summer repertoire. This list focuses on what I would call a more relaxed repertoire such as popular tunes, what my teens like to call “flowy” music,  and some fun and unique patterned repertoire.

You’ll also see a few favorite repertoire lists from other bloggers as well. Let me know what fun repertoire you have planned for your students this Summer in the comments!

P.S. This week, I answered a reader’s question regarding how I run my Summer lessons. Catch that post here.

 

1

Back in 2018, my studio’s Spring Recital theme was “Songs we Know.” In a follow-up post, I shared a list of some favorite books with popular tunes.

 

2

Will Bailey has a great site full of fun original music kids seem to enjoy. I especially love his Way Cool Keyboarding Books for teens who play at a mid-late elementary level.

The music is very patterned and young teens absolutely love the way it sounds. Plus, they get a taste of how to play chord charts intertwined between each piece.

 

3

Piano Music for Teens (Lauren Lewandowski)

Favorite Beautiful Modern Piano Music for Teens (Jill Ice)

 

4

Who doesn’t love fun variations on Chop Sticks? Here are a few I keep bookmarked:

Chopped Sticks Rag for Three by Joyce Grill (1 piano, 6 hands / Early Intermediate)

C.S. Theme and Variations by Randall Compton (1 piano, 4 hands / Early Advanced)

Whitewater Chopped Sticks by Calvin Jones (Early Advanced)

 

5

Summer might be a good time to explore the rote repertoire series, Blitz Books, from Samantha Coates.

 

6

How about having students spend time learning some tunes by ear and harmonizing? Perhaps better yet, have them sing the melody while chording in the RH and playing octaves or other patterns in the left.

Here are 147 Tunes to Harmonize (Piano Pantry) to help get you started!

 

7

Chrissy Ricker’s Let’s Quest! (video game-inspired music) Songbook or any of Andrea and Trevor Dow’s Classical Pop Sessions would be a fun way to change things up for students in the summer!

 

8

Summer is a wonderful time to do a studio-wide project to learn the important Happy Birthday tune. Use my new Happy Birthday by Ear teaching resources to guide both you and your students through the process!

 

 

Summer Lessons and Curriculum

May 5, 2021
by Amy
6 Comments

This post is part of a series called Your Questions Answered that highlights questions from readers just like you. If you have a question you would like to submit, you can do so here.

 

What curriculum do you teach in the summer?  Do you keep the student going in their regular curriculum or do you use something different to give them a break?

I love your idea of 6 lessons in 7 weeks and I would love more info on how you set it up.

Thanks,

PM

 

Dear P,

Those are some great questions and I would be happy to share a little more info!

I don’t have a set curriculum I teach in the Summer. For the most part, I just keep going with whatever students are working on but it’s always quite relaxed and there is no Classical repertoire involved unless the student specifically wants it.

Usually, I try to do a lot of pop tunes, Disney, chord charts, really anything the student is interested in. For several years I held a studio-wide outdoor picnic performance and it was fun to play that kind of music in that environment.

The 6 lessons in 7 weeks have worked perfectly for me ever since I’ve opened my studio. Depending on how my late July looks, I’ve even done 6 lessons over 8 weeks or 7 lessons over 8 weeks.

It’s nice to give flexibility to families in the Summer and I prefer to have a lighter schedule myself. Because of my preference for a light summer, I also do not require students to take summer lessons. I strongly recommend it for the first 3 years but don’t require it.

If they opt not to take summer lessons, however, I have a $30 non-refundable holding fee to keep their spot for fall lessons. I can’t replace my income for those two months if they don’t take lessons because I can’t take on new students for which I don’t have space in the fall. This is a great way to still have a little extra income while maintaining a lighter summer schedule.

The summer tuition fee is paid for in one payment (due by the first lesson) however, on occasion, if a family requests, I will let them make it in two payments. My fee is the same “per lesson” rate as the school term although I don’t advertise “per lesson” rates – that’s just how I calculate my fees.

My rates are listed as an annual tuition rate. More specifically, a school year rate and then a separate summer rate. From there, they have payment options of annual, semester, or monthly. I think it’s good to keep the focus on the big picture fee rather than on a per month (and especially not a per lesson) fee.

I hope this helps and let me know if you have any more questions!

 

~Amy

 

Experiencing the Seasons in our Studios and Life

November 19, 2020
by Amy
1 Comment

The term “seasons” to me is an encouraging word. Why?

Because whether you’re talking about it in regards to the actual weather or life in general, it means a new start, a turn of events, a change.

Today we’re going to talk about five fun ways we can boost our experience of the seasons and embrace all that they are in multi-sensory ways.

In hard times – like when you’re quarantined for days, weeks, or months on end – finding ways to relish and participate in the current season can help bring a feeling of freshness and renewal.

#1 Music in our Studios

Christmas, of course, is the main season that immediately comes to mind when it comes to music because, as piano teachers, we get to experience Christmas music for two months multiple hours a day!

(Every year I try out a new Christmas book series. Last year it was Piano Safari’s “The Joy of Christmas” and this year Piano Pronto-pictured above.)

What about beyond Christmas though? Have you ever given your students a special piece just because it had a theme for Winter, Valentine’s Day, Easter, Summer, or Fall?

Not that every student has to have a special piece of music for every holiday or season, but it’s certainly a fun way to interject something different and a change of pace on occasion.

Individual sheet music solos would be the easiest and most convenient way to do this!

#2 Our Personal Music Playlist

As far as our personal listening goes, it can be easy to get stuck only listening to our favorite type of music (or group) such as classical, contemporary worship, or folk/bluegrass (like me! :-).

What if we could open our horizons a little more by changing it up with the seasons? A couple of years ago I started using Spotify. One of the things I love about it as opposed to Pandora is that you can create your own personal playlists and not just customized radio stations.

At first, it started with an Easter playlist because at the time I was filling in as a temporary Worship Team Coordinator for my church while we were on the search for a full-time Worship Leader.

I got addicted to creating these lists though and realized that even though they were playlists of the same tunes (not a radio station), it helped me explore even more music because I would listen to one list for a month, then change with the next month and/or season.

Don’t get me wrong, these lists aren’t all I listen to, but they’re often my first choice when popping on the tunes.

All of these playlists are public on my Spotify profile so you can enjoy them as well and maybe even create your own from my list!

Continue reading

Christmas Music Videos Listening Activity

October 26, 2020
by Amy
3 Comments

Ready for a bit of joy and good cheer?

The Christmas season is just around the corner, and that means it’s time to start thinking of ways you can incorporate this glorious season into your lesson time.

We’re all a little tired, so can I help you out? 

Believe me when I say the new free Christmas Video series here on Piano Pantry is a guaranteed smile on your student’s face.

You’ll see pieces such as Silent Night, Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, Winter from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, Mary Did You Know, and Sleigh Ride, and hear from artists like Cameron Carpenter, Eric Whitacre, The Piano Guys (a lot, of course), the Berlin Philharmonic Choir, and more.

The best part?

You can utilize this video series as part of in-studio off-bench music lab time, as a digital assignment for individual students (more details on that here), or as part of group class activities.

 

Where to find this Video Series

You can easily navigate to all of the free video series here on Piano Pantry by going to the Menu > Resources.

Currently, there are five different video series available:

Christmas Music Videos

Expressive Movement Videos

Fun Music Videos

Halloween Music Videos

Music Theory Videos

 

Listening Guides

Both the Halloween Music Video series and the Christmas Music Video series have listening guides available in the shop.

The accompanying listening sheet gives students brief and easy-to-digest background information on each piece, followed by a reflection question.

(Remember, though – the guide isn’t just for utilizing it as an assignment – you could also use this for yourself as a way of sharing fun facts about the pieces during a group class!)

The Christmas video series includes nearly 25 videos and 90 minutes of listening in a 9-page document.

Students are not necessarily asked to physically write out an answer to the reflection question (although you could certainly ask them to!); it is simply there to help guide them in active listening.

They are also asked to rate the video with 1-3 stars, which serves both as a way for students to reflect on how much they enjoyed the video and to track the pieces they’ve listened to in the lab.

Add this lab to your cart now.

 

 

Music Labs Made Easy eBook

Curious for more details on how I run my music labs? Get this 15-page eBook that is chock full of all kinds of “pro tips.”

We’ll talk about scheduling, set-up, and organizing labs. Laid out in an easy-to-read and understandable format, this book will answer all your questions regarding music lab time!

 

 

 

Favorite Sheet Music Piano Solos for Halloween

September 7, 2020
by Amy
6 Comments

This is the first of three posts highlighting some of my favorite sheet music piano solos for students.

These favorites lists are the result of a year-long focus in my studio, exploring the wide range of sheet music solos in publication. If you would like to read about the 9 things I learned from that project, check out this post.

Since I have quite a few to mention, I decided to divide the list into three posts. Today I’ll be sharing favorite Halloween-themed sheet music piano solos including the reason I love it and a link where you can purchase. I’m doing it first because Halloween will be here before we know it!

(Stay tuned for two more posts. The first will include favorite pieces at the Early Elementary, Elementary, and Late Elementary levels and the second post on Early Intermediate, Intermediate, and Later Intermediate pieces.)

Please note I am an affiliate in the Sheet Music Plus Easy Rebates program which simply means if you purchase any of these pieces using the links I provide, I will get a small percentage back without it costing you any extra.

P.S. I just saw that if you’re a member of MTNA, you can get an additional 10% off your order at Sheet Music Plus on top of their 8% Easy Rebates program!

 

Early Elementary

Halloween Costumes by Tom Gerou

Why I love it: The piece includes both the leading tone and subtonic in Am (G and G#) giving it a little more interesting flair.

Buy it at Sheet Music Plus  

 

Zoom, Zoom, Witch’s Broom by Nancy Faber

Why I love it: Its fast-moving tempo is a nice challenge for students. The piece also gives them a chance to experience the fermata, pedal, octave leaps.

Buy it at Sheet Music Plus

Continue reading

Friday Finds #161: 2020 Vision

January 3, 2020
by Amy
Add Comment

OK, I’ll admit I didn’t come up with this week’s title completely on my own. I was inspired by Seth Godin’s post “Seeing Clearly in 2020.” LOL

It was the perfect title though for the first Friday Finds of 2020.

What will you see from this weekly post in the upcoming year? 

What will stay the same… This will continue to be a Piano Pantry staple in the same format each week with around 10 good things put together in one list just for you.

What will change… In the past month, I’ve been trying to freshen things up with two small tweaks. First, notice each week now has a title. The items may or may not necessarily all fit into that theme, but it will help distinguish each week a little more.

Also, my creative flair will change up the Friday Finds image according to themes, months, holidays, seasons, etc.

That all. 🙂

Just for fun, did you know that this isn’t the first time Friday Finds has gone through small changes?

Phase one – Every week was titled by the date. The most popular of those, Friday Finds 05.13.2016 was actually the last one! That only lasted two months (thankfully) until I realized how boring it was to just use the date.

Phase two – Every week was titled from two or three items on the list to try and catch your interest. The two most popular from this phase were:

Friday Finds: Bubble Wrap Voicing and Triscuits

Friday Finds: Potato Variations and a Flying Piano…Up, Up, and Away!

That lasted almost two years to the exact week!

I found it started to stress me out a little not only having to come up with the list and meta description (blogger stuff), but also pick the items that would create a catchy list in the title. So, phase three gave me a little mental break.

Phase three – When I announced the countdown to the big #100, I started titling them with the number. 96, 97, 98, 99, 100! (I follow Joy the Baker who titles her weekend list this way. I figured if it worked for her, it could work for me!)

That’s lasted just over a year and a half.

It was time for a little shakeup so I started testing it out using a simple title beginning with Friday Finds #158: The Spirit of Christmas, and liked it, so here we are. What do you think?

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Enjoy your first Friday Finds of 2020, my friends!

~Amy

 

1

11 Pop Culture Predictions for 2020 (Jeva Lange | The Week)

The first one had me a little confused at first (dead movie stars will be the new (alive) movie stars) but otherwise, it’s quite an interesting list!

 

2

When I first told you about my New Year’s Spotify playlist, I didn’t have the list set to “public.” If you had a hard time accessing it, here’s the link again! Sorry!

 

3

Do you have to deal with this on a regular basis like Rebecca?

Cold church blues: practicing organ in the winter. (Rebekah Maxner)

 

4

Keep your mind sharp and take up a pastime for the winter months.

Why Jigsaw Puzzles Are Incredibly Good for You (Piece Out)

I’ve always liked the idea of doing jigsaw puzzles more regularly but it’s one of those things that always seems to remain a “desire” more than an action…

 

5

The BEST roller mat ever.

Crystal Clear Heavy Duty Hard Chair Mat, Can Be Used on Carpet or Hard Floor

 

 

6

A beautiful poem on the conversation between us and our pianos. “What Music Gives Us.” (Nicole Douglass | Tonara)

 

7

There are certain foods that I’m just weird with. Meatloaf, spaghetti, and chicken soup are the first that quickly come to mind. I’m not a big fan of any of them and it has to be pretty darn good for me to partake.

This chicken soup, however, I can handle (and it’s not chicken noodle soup). It uses Israeli Couscous!) The addition of ginger, garlic, turmeric, and fresh herbs make it rich in flavor and high in nutrient goodness. (Monique Volz | Ambitious Kitchen)

If you can’t find Israeli Couscous in your local grocery like me, get it on Amazon.

 

 

8

Casseroles in general area also a weird thing for me, but I love this King Ranch Casserole (Nealy Dozier | The Kitchn).

Traditionally made with all the “cream of” soups, they found a way to do it without those. Yea!

 

9

How Rich Is Ina Garten? Really, Really, Rich. (Naomi Tomky | The Kitchn)

I discovered a few more fun facts I didn’t know about one of my favorite chefs!

 

10

Giving up your 1st class seat on a plane? THAT’S a good deed to tell about. (The Week)

 

 

Please note that there may be links to Amazon in this post. Piano Pantry is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Simply put, being an associate allows me to make a small percentage from Amazon on items to which I link at no extra cost to you.

Friday Finds #160: Ringing in the New Decade!

December 27, 2019
by Amy
Add Comment

Happy last Friday of December (and of this decade!)

I was just looking back at old posts and realized that this is the first year I haven’t taken a break from Friday Finds through the holiday! Each year brings its own rhythm and this year I felt able to (and the desire to) keep things going.

Since I’ve been having fun adding themes to some the weekly Friday Finds recently (a trend that will continue into the new year), this week’s obvious theme is the upcoming turn into the next decade.

When I was a teenager in the ’90s, I explicitly remember not being concerned about the whole Y2K thing. However, the year 2020 always stuck in my mind as the year that was hard to fathom coming around. And yet, here we are.

 

1

Before we kick off the new year, let’s see what the best of 2019 gave us here on Piano Pantry. First off, the top Friday Finds posts from this past year:

#5 – Friday Finds #158: The Spirit of Christmas

#4 – Friday Finds #128 (April 12, 2019)

#3 – Friday Finds #138 (June 28, 2019)

#2 – Friday Finds #148 (October 4, 2019

#1 – Friday Finds #150: Top 25 and a Giveaway! (of course)

I find it a little spooky that they all ended in the number eight…what’s up guys, do you have a thing with that number or something?

 

2

The Fabulous Five: Top Posts from 2019 (Amy Chaplin | Piano Pantry)

 

3

Is your belly feeling heavy already after just one holiday? Try one of my favorite salads: Seriously Delicious Detox Salad (Ali Martin | Gimme Some Oven)

Or maybe a recipe I haven’t had a chance to make yet: The Best Detox Crockpot Lentil Soup (Lindsay Ostrom | Pinch of Yum)

 

4

Since we’ve been slowly hosting more these past months, I’ve noticed a need for an ice bucket.

We’re loving this silver galvanized one from Amazon. The inner bucket comes out for easy cleaning and the scoop which hangs on the bucket is easier than using small tongs to get one piece at a time.

 

5

As you may have noticed, I’ve been having fun making Spotify playlists this year. I love all kinds of music and having various playlists to use for even just one, two, or a few weeks out of the year is a great way to change it up!

I just started a New Year’s playlist to use over the next week. It’s still in progress, but feel free to follow and see where it ends up!

 

6

10 Kitchen Resolutions for a Happy, Delicious Year (Clotilde Dusoulier | Chocolate and Zucchini)

My top ones from this list are:

#1 – Make the Most of the Cookbooks You Already Own

I’m starting this year off cooking from Amy Chaplin’s (the other one) book: At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen

#5 – Keep Your Greens Fresh

Clotilde’s tips have helped me in the past but I haven’t been consistent. It’s time.

#9 – Eat More Plants

…and also, seafood. I’ve been doing much better with this in recent months. Monday nights have generally become seafood night if possible. A few  favorite seafood recipes:

Buffalo Shrimp Lettuce Wraps (Gina Homolka | Skinny Taste)

Tilapia “Clubs” (Rachel Ray | RachelRayMag.com)

Frittata with Tuna and Tomatoes (Giada de Laurentiis | Food Network)

 

7

My Favorites of the Decade (Kendra Adachi | The Lazy Genius)

This is a fun idea for a post. So often we get favorites and top lists from the past year, but of the past 10?! Not so often.

 

8

ALL 10 are great tips:

10 Rules to Read More Books This Year: How to Make Reading Central to Your Personal Growth in the Coming Year (Joel Miller | MichaelHyatt.com)

 

9

On morning routines:

What if, instead of making resolutions to get up and go faster and faster, we resolve to think about our day “starting in the evening” and making rest a priority?

Starting the New Year with Rest (Amanda Beck | Morning by Morning)

The False Promise of Morning Routines: Why Everyone’s Mornings Seem More Productive Than Yours (Marina Koren | The Atlantic)

 

10

Thinking About the Winter of 2019 (Rachel Schultz)

 

See you next year!!!

XO Amy

 

Please note that Piano Pantry is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Simply put, being an associate allows me to make a small percentage from Amazon on items to which I link at no extra cost to you.

Friday Finds #159: Christmas Classics

December 20, 2019
by Amy
2 Comments

This week our house has been buzzing with lots of construction!

Since the weekend before Thanksgiving, we’ve been working on finishing our stairwell. This was quite an involved task!

It included building and finishing the newel posts and handrails, removing the construction step treads, building and installing the outer and inner skirt boards, rebuilding/releveling the step bases (which has sagged slightly due to a year being unfinished), building the new treads, filling in nail holes, trimming, and painting.

The carpet is being installed as we speak (our final carpet install!) then we will put up the handrails and balisters.

On top of that, our master bathroom floor and shower are also getting tiled!

Long story short?

I’m thankful a friend encouraged me to schedule an extra week’s break over Christmas this year. It would have been impossible having students around this week!

Merry Christmas to you all!

 

1

Despite the busy week of construction, I still managed to make:

Poached Cod in Tomato Sauce (Michelle Tam | Nom Nom Paleo)

Seriously Delicious Detox Salad (Ali Martin | Gimme Some Oven)

Raspberry Orange Almond Muffins with Sprouted Wheat Flour (Amy Chaplin – the other one)

 

2

While we’re on the topic of food…

As far as baking goes, cookies are definitely my favorite (to eat and to bake!). You may be shocked then, to hear that the whole Christmas cookie “thing” has never been a “thing” in our family.

I think it’s because we already have way too many sweets as it is in December. The thought of baking 12 kinds of cookies just seems like a sugar-overload disaster waiting to happen.

This is more my language: My Favorite Christmas Cookies Aren’t Cookies at All — They’re Candied Orange Peels (Christopher Michel | The Kitchn)

 

3

CBS This Morning hosted a nice segment on Mariah Carey’s 25-year old Christmas classic, “All I Want for Christmas is You.“ Songwriter Walter Afansieff shares the story of their collaboration while sitting at the piano.

 

4

I’ve been working on two Spotify Christmas playlists.

The first one I shared in my last Secret Letter (and maybe in another Friday Finds? I can’t remember…) It includes all of my favorite Christmas songs and albums from over the years (including said song above).

The second one is more of a Christmas worship-focused playlist. Feel free to follow either one. You can even use them to start your own playlist!

 

5

In the hustle and bustle of the season, don’t forget the people that are right in front of you.

THAT Person is More Important than Your Phone (Joshua Becker | Becoming Minimalist)

 

6

Last week, I shared a delicious Cookie Butter Puppy Chow one of my students gave me. It currently ranks as my all-time favorite, but in a close second is this Peanut Butter Brownie Puppy Chow one of my husband’s co-workers made last year. (Lizzy Cox | Your Cup of Cake)

Do you have a favorite puppy chow recipe? Share it in the comments!

 

7

This SNL children’s clothing ad is absolutely hilarious!

 

8

Five ways Emily P. Freeman experiences sacred moments around the table. [The Next Right Thing Podcast, Ep. 104 Make Soup (And Eat It Too)]

 

9

Public libraries scraping late fines – now THAT’S a gift! (Emma Bowman | NPR)

 

10

I absolutely LOVE this mindset for giving gifts shared in this article by Christine Bailey on The Art of Simple.

“For gifts, we follow the plan of each child getting three gifts from us: Something you want, something you need, and a surprise.”

Since Drew and I don’t have kids, we don’t really have a special “rule” like this, but if I had children, I would definitely keep my gift-giving process along these lines.

Does your family have a special “rule” for gift giving?

 

Please note that Piano Pantry is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Simply put, being an associate allows me to make a small percentage from Amazon on items to which I link at no extra cost to you.

Friday Finds #158: The Spirit of Christmas

December 13, 2019
by Amy
2 Comments

Can I tell you guys how much I enjoy writing these weekly finds? I don’t know why, but it often feels like therapy. Perhaps because it’s almost a way of recapping my own week – things I’ve found interesting, cooked, and discovered?

I was really dragging last night and this morning so, I decided to go out of my normal routine, stay in my P.J.’s a little longer, drink coffee, and write my weekly finds. The coffee in my cup is generally black, but a twit of cream felt like what my soul needed this morning – and it did.

Sometimes just a little change of routine or rest is all we need to give us the energy to do the next task. I’m ready.

 

1

One of my students gifted me with a bag of Cookie Butter Muddy Buddies (Bake Me Some Sugar). That night, I emailed the mom and asked for the recipe – it was that good. #bestpuppychowever

Here are her notes to me:

I always use rice Chex and white chocolate chips, but think cinnamon Chex and/or cinnamon chips would be good, too. It says to shake in a ziploc bag and dry it on a cookie sheet, but I always just do it all in a big bowl and it works just fine. I tossed in some broken up biscoff cookies for something extra, but that’s not necessary. And I’ve tried the generic brand of cookie butter and it doesn’t taste quite as good, in my opinion.

The addition of the biscoff cookies was brilliant and reeeaaaally tasty.

 

2

So, I had a dream two nights ago that included a few colleagues from the piano pedagogy world coming to my house for dinner…

 

3

Shopping local and supporting your local small business? This touching video by a family-owned hardware store says it all. #bestillmyheart (CNN)

 

4

Keeping up with “The Spirit of Christmas” is this one minute peek into this year’s White House Christmas decorations. (American Military News) Beautiful!

 

5

Add this Cranberry Mulled Wine to your holiday recipe list. (I haven’t made it yet myself, but I’m looking forward to it!) (Gimme Some Oven)

 

6

I’m generally assigned the meat for any of my family’s holiday dinners. We like to do turkey for Thanksgiving and ham for Christmas.

If you have a fresh ham, I like Paula Dean’s simple recipe.

If you have a cooked spiral-sliced bone-in ham, I like Cook’s Country’s Maple-Glazed Ham

 

7

I haven’t answered my phone in years. My voicemail states that I do not answer due to spam. Yes, I’m on our state’s do-not-call list, but it doesn’t make a difference. It’s not just me: How Robocalls Became America’s Most Prevalent Crime (The Week)

 

8

Recent winning recipes from my table to yours:

Ground Beef Taco Casserole (The Kitchn)

I would call this the best recipe I found this month! We used it on top of romaine lettuce as a taco salad and it was absolutely delicious. I will never make taco salad again simply using taco-seasoned ground beef. The pinto beans in this recipe really add a nice thick and creamy texture. It would be good as a hot dip as well!

Maple-Mustard Chicken (Mother Thyme)

Two tips: First, I would just mix together the chicken marinade then toss the chicken it rather than putting the chicken on top of the veggies then pouring the marinade it on top and turning to coat. Also, I would cut the potatoes into smaller sizes – like a 1/2 inch dice. They were still a little crunchy by the time the chicken was done.

Baked Chicken Thighs with Brussels and Sweet Potato (Skinny Taste)

The Best Energy Bites (Mel’s Kitchen Cafe)

 

9

The tile work is finishing up in our master bathroom so we’re getting ready to finally move out of a basement bedroom and into our master suite!

I’ve been on a heavy lookout for decorations and furnishings for the house in general (finally, the fun stuff!) and am loving these websites:

Overstock.com – Duvet Cover

Hayneedle.com – Card Display Holder

HobbyLobby.com – Gray Wire-Lined Basket Set

Wayfair.com (has several sites under its umbrella):

Joss&Main.com
BirchLane.com – Peachy Queen Upholstered Standard Bed
AllModern.com

 

Please note that Piano Pantry is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Simply put, being an associate allows me to make a small percentage from Amazon on items to which I link at no extra cost to you.

December Fun: Christmas Games and Activities for Your Studio

December 5, 2019
by Amy
2 Comments

Are you looking for ideas on fun “off-bench” activities to use in this Christmas season? Look no further! Today, I’m going to share some of my favorite games and resources that I return to year after year, along with tips for each one.

First, let me briefly share how I store my holiday games. We have to stay organized, right?

 

Storing Games (Both Hard-Copy and Digital)

Inspired by Nicola Canton I’ve started storing my holiday-themed games in these clear plastic document folders.

(P.S. The A4 size is nice because if you laminate a letter size sheet, the lamination makes it larger.)

It’s not a cheap way to store games as they’re almost $1 apiece, so I’m currently only storing my holiday-themed games in these. The rest of my games are stored in hanging files in a file drawer. (I’ll write a post on that another day!)

The digital files are stored in my cloud file manager.

From there, I name files for what they are. This allows me to see how many games, for example, I have, how many worksheets, etc.

 

Favorite Christmas-Themed Activities

In no particular order…

Holiday Rhythm Cups from Wendy Stevens at Compose Create.

This is a great way to have fun with rhythm in a unique and collaborative way. The set includes three songs in three levels: Deck the Halls, We Wish You a Merry Christmas, and Joy to the World.

Check out a clip of my students having fun with “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.”

Continue reading