Bouquets, Box Tops, and Back-to-School!

Back-to-School Prep Can Be Easier (and Prettier)!

Budget-Pleasing Deals and Clever Teacher Gifts
 

Any parent of school-age children knows how stressful the beginning of a new school year can be. And as if adapting to a new schedule and organizing the house isn't enough, back-to-school shopping is a serious undertaking. Because getting prepared for the school year isn't just about pretty folders and pencil cases.

But I've figured out a few ways to stream-line the process and make it easy for my family of six. And of course, I couldn't stop just at the deals... I had to incorporate a little crafting too ;)

Thoughtful (yet inexpensive) Teacher Gifts

Quick Teacher Thank You Gifts

...that show you pay attention!

Nursery schools in CT (and I'm sure other places, too) end pretty early... last week was their last day! In that end-of-year scramble that includes celebrations and ceremonies, I was delayed in posting about these quick, inexpensive, but thoughtful tokens for teachers.

So here goes: My girls have 3 main teachers between the two of them, and I happened to know what 2 of them liked to drink, so I did some recon to figure out what the 3rd one liked, and voila: the gifts of OJ, seltzer, and diet coke were imagined! All I did was add some scrapbook paper & ribbon, and they were sufficiently dressed up to become gifts.

I was really happy with this idea, because I felt like I had my bases covered: (a) I know they like it, (b) I know they'll use it, and (c) it seemed like a really reasonable amount to spend, because, let's face it: kids are expensive. 

The girls also have different teachers they interact with on a regular basis (e.g., science teacher, nurse), and I wanted to acknowledge them too, so I got these cute magnetic notepads from Joann's ($1/each) so they would know they weren't forgotten!

With these gifts I felt like I could really show my appreciation for these amazing people whose creativity and patience grace my children day-after-day (in a way that was reasonable for my budget).

Check out another quick and thoughtful thank-you idea here.

Ridiculously Quick Thank You Gifts

It's the Season to Say "Thank You"

Very Quick and Inexpensive Gifts for Teachers, Caregivers... anyone!
 

It's just about May and I'm already starting to stress about end-of-year teacher/caregiver gifts. I want to genuinely thank these amazing people, but I don't want to just give something for the sake of giving it. As a teacher myself (taking a mommy hiatus), I know how much I've always appreciated someone simply remembering me with a handwritten card or thoughtful gift. Those sentiments have always meant more to me than a gift card or candle (unless it's a lavender candle, JK). But one problem I always run into is time. The kids have a lot of teachers who interact with them, and taking the time to make something for everyone just isn't reasonable (time-wise) for me. Add to that the expense of finding something for everyone... and in that rush, I sometimes get caught up in that "buying something for the sake of buying something" trap. So hence the panic, but now I've at least got one done.

Thankfully, I know that my son's Wednesday morning babysitter loves flowers (she told me that when I gave her a petunia at Christmas) and tomorrow is our last day. So, there it is, flowers for Ms. E. I originally wanted to get a hydrangea, but I couldn't find one, and these petunias were smiling over at me, so I went with them. I wanted to make it a little prettier without having to buy a pot, so I used this burlap ribbon, which also allowed for the drain holes in the bottom to remain unobstructed. Tied it together with twine, used a popsicle stick, scrapbook paper, and stamps (all of which I had in my craft room) to create the card. In the interest of time, this popsicle stick card could be modified by simply handwriting or typing the note. Also, a skewer or even a branch could replace the popsicle stick. 

There it is, my project for today. Quick, easy, and the right price.