Throwback Thursday and Photo Challenge Day 11

It's that time again (I almost forgot it was Thursday...egads!... and I did forget last week...sigh)...

What is Throwback Thursday? How does it work, you might ask? Simply look through your PURR-fect Previous Posts, perhaps a particular favorite of yours, and re-post it! Then add the TBT badge to your post and include your link below! Purr-fectly easy and simple! Your post doesn't have to be from LOOOONNNGGG ago; it can be from last month or even earlier this week. And if you don't have a post to share, perhaps an old photo or two from WAY BACK will do! Even a favorite pin is PURR-fect! Just join in the Throwback fun!

This blog post originally was posted on Aug. 13, 2013, my first ever company freebie that I received just because I am a blogger.

I had heard about it! I had seen pictures of it on blogs! I had read teacher testimonials about it! Really? A pencil sharpener, I thought! What could possibly be so exciting about a pencil sharpener?

Now that I've had the chance to try it... WOWZA... never, mind that it's the quietest pencil sharpener, ever... it's REALLY the BEST pencil sharpener EVER!!!!!! My pencil sharpener arrived in the mail last Friday and I couldn't wait to try it out! I quickly opened the shipping box and found...

a nicely packaged green (my favorite color) pencil sharpener. OK, nothing extraordinary yet. The next step was to remove it from the box. I found two pieces: the sharpener and a clamp.

I did not want to take the time to use the clamp since my sharpener is intended for my classroom and I am test-driving it at home, so I dived right in. The sharpener has four small grips on its bottom and does not slide on a smooth surface. I figured I could just hold it with my left hand while cranking it with my right.

It took me a moment to figure out that I had to use the levers at the top of the sharpener to allow the pencil in. Once the pencil is in the sharpener, it is held securely by the sharpener itself. You do not need to hold the pencil.  The crank turns easily and stops when the pencil is completely sharpened. Here's where the pencil sharpener gets extraordinary!

Tell me... aren't these the sharpest pencils you've ever seen?

And the sharpener is indeed the quietest one you'll ever use. How do I know? Because the nosiest, most curious cat who comes running at every new sound slept through the entire process of me sharpening my pencils, and she was not four feet away. It will be GREAT to have no pencil sharpener noise in the classroom! I can't wait to show off my new sharpener and have my kiddos try it!

To learn more about this terrific teaching tool and order your own just visit Classroom Friendly Supplies online.

This same pencil sharpener is STILL going strong in my classroom more than a year later. It gets a real workout each day. Although a little worse for wear, suffering a severe fall on the first day of school this year, a little duct tape in a coordinating color is keeping it in tip-top working order. LOVE my pencil sharpener, today's Instagram September Teacher Challenge photo topic.

Now it's your turn!