It’s a brand new month, which means it’s time to look over my favorites from July. If you’re new to this series, this is where I chat about the things I love each month. Sometimes it has to do with music education, and other times it doesn’t. Also, I’m not sponsored, nor do I gain any profit from the items I’ve mentioned below. They just happen to be the things I loved last month, and I thought you might love them too!
TEEPUBLIC
If you haven’t figured it out yet, I like a lot of nerdy things. Therefore, I need a similarly nerdy place to buy my t-shirts (which I wear nearly every day). Teepublic, while far from perfect, is my favorite place to go for the niche t-shirts that I love. Do you want to see Beethoven blowing a bubble? There’s a shirt for that. Do you love friendship, loyalty, and snacks? There’s a shirt for that too, and I have it. #hufflepuffpride
The catch? You can only return items if they’re defective or if you want to exchange for a different size. In addition, you’ll have to pay for shipping. So, if you do choose to go through Teepublic, I suggest waiting for a sale (they have them often). Then, pay a few more dollars for the premium fabric. Once you find the quality and fit that you like, write it down for your next order. You won’t be able to quit them. Trust me.
FOOD
Last month, I discovered that king-sized boxes of Maltesers are being sold at gas stations (and our local Meijer). I’ve been happy ever since. Now, I’m not advocating that you go out and buy four king-sized boxes of Maltesers just because Meijer has them on sale. Nor should you then ask your husband to hide them from you, because you can’t be trusted. No, that would be insanity. So instead, I’ll tell you to eat them in moderation. And if you find that you can’t control yourself, well then, you can’t say I didn’t warn you.
TECH
My librarian friend recently introduced me to an awesome website that has music ed blueprints for 3D printers. If you have access to a 3D printer, it’s definitely worth checking out! They have blueprints for instruments, music notes, mouthpieces, and more!
MUSIC ED
Books, books, and more books! Firstly, if you’re not participating in The Anacrusic Podcast book study, you should be! The book they’re studying right now is Teaching General Music. I haven’t been great at keeping up with the livestreams (Sorry Anne), but I’ve been loving the discussions in her TAP Facebook group. Second, I recently got the book Feierabend Fundamentals, and I’m thrilled to dig into it. Though at over 400 pages, it may take me a little while to finish.
I put out a survey about my Basics Series last month, and I’d love to have more participants. In exchange for answering a few questions, you receive a free, editable lesson plan template. You’re welcome to take the survey by clicking on the image below. Also, I recently posted another free sample from the Basics Series, which may help you in better understanding what the Basics Series is all about.