Teacher Appreciation Gifts: Favorite Things & Free Printables

First off, thank you so much for all the kind, encouraging comments about my last post.

When I hit the "Publish" button, my stomach did a little somersault, knowing that I was exposing some very private moments from our lives.

But God has shown me time and time again that exposing my faults, and sharing my story, helps others who are experiencing the same thing. It gives a tremendous amount of comfort to people knowing they're not alone in their struggles.

So, thank you again for embracing our story and giving me the courage to continue to share so openly here on this blog.

.............................................

Now on to a much lighter topic... Teacher Appreciation gift!

I don't know that we officially celebrated "Teacher Appreciation Week" when I was growing up. But I am so glad that we do now.

Teachers are one of the most important people in our children's lives. They often spend more time with the child than the parents do on a daily basis, and they do so much more than just teach our children "book knowledge."

They show our kids how to socially interact with other children; how to express themselves when they have an idea; how to foster that idea and create something wonderful from it; how to take pride in their work and excel at things they never knew they could do. They are the cheerleaders, the counselors and the hug-givers. They are often times a role model and a superstar in our child's eyes.

I could go on and on, but I'll save my "Love Thy Teachers" speech for another post.

Today, I wanted to talk about what I'm giving my kids' teachers next week.

I am very fortunate to be friends with all four of our teachers. I really, truly like each one of them and have gotten to know them well throughout the year. So instead of just giving each of them a Target gift card (which all 4 of them requested) I thought I'd add a few more goodies to the bag and share with them some of my go-to favorite things.

These items don't cost a lot, but are such fun little things to receive.

First up, snacks and treats!

Emerald almonds are my all-time favorite nuts. They are a healthy snack and they taste great. I always have a couple containers of the "Dry Roasted" almonds in the house, but for a special treat, sometimes I'll get the "Cinnamon Roast" almonds. They are so addictive! These little boxes have (7) 100-calorie packs in them. So I bought both the Cinnamon and the Dry Roasted and I'll include a couple in each bag.

All of our teachers also like "Sweet & Salty" so this "Monster Mix" from Target was perfect. It has nuts and M&M's and chocolate chips. The perfect blend. And I thought it was just too perfect too pass up considering the teachers have to deal with my little "monsters" sometimes. :)

I also purchased two bags of these Dove chocolates. One dark and one milk chocolate.

I am a choc-o-holic. I love chocolate. And I've tasted a LOT of brands. Dove always reigns as my favorite. And it's on sale this week at Target!

Next up, some practical everyday items:

 How cute are these travel Kleenex? I love the new designs they have come out with, and I am never without a travel container of tissues. Especially during this horrible allergy season!

Another item you'll rarely ever find me without is Wet Ones. I'm kinda obsessed with them. They're great for cleaning little hands after the park or before a snack; they remove stains from clothing; they work well in a pinch if your kids are at a public restroom and there's no TP... the uses are endless.

I particularly like these Citrus-scented ones. They smell amazing...like pineapple or something tropical like that. Try em, you'll love em!

Then last but not least, I wanted to share a couple fun beauty items with my favorite teachers:

This Aveeno hand lotion is amazing. It's the perfect size for a purse or desk drawer, it doesn't have a strong scent, it gives you great moisture, but doesn't leave a greasy residue behind (gross!). I love it.

The little pot of rose-colored Vaseline is just too cute not to share. It's literally smaller than a golf ball, so it can travel with you just about anywhere. It has the slightest pink tint to it, but not so much that it looks like lipstick.

And finally... my little beauty secret...NYC liquid lipshine in "Nude York City." I'm telling you, this is the most universally-flattering lip gloss out there. It's not sticky, it's not wet, it's not too much color, it's just all around perfect. And the real kicker...this baby only costs $1.67!!! Can you believe it?!? SUCH a steal! I've only ever seen this NYC brand at Target though, so I'm not sure if it's available anywhere else.

And of course I'm also going to include little Target gift cards as well. Our teachers deserve to be recognized for all of their hard work throughout the year, and I intend to do so.

As for packaging all these little goodies, check out these adorable free printable tags:

This one is available at Dimple Prints:

 

  These cute apple ones are available at Tip Junkie:

 

These fun bright ones can be downloaded at My Frugal Adventures:

 Or maybe you prefer a softer pastel palette? You can snag these cute flower tags at Diva Entertains:

 

Whatever you choose to do - even if it's the sweetest handmade card from your child with a sincere note from you as well - please be sure to let your precious teachers know how much you appreciate them next week.

Deals & Steals

Stop what you are doing and immediately go to your nearest Target Dollar Spot. I'm serious.

I made out like a bandit there today and I feel like I'm giving away a secret that should be kept all to my greedy little self. But...I like you guys, so I'm willing to share my good deals when I find em!

I had a few items on my shopping list today that spanned from Contact Solution to bananas, so where else do you go, but Super Target, of course? They draw you in with the idea that you're saving time by being able to buy your groceries and your toilet paper in one place, while really tricking you into spending more money that you would normally spent had you just gone to Publix and bought their generic brand of Contact Solution.

Phew...sorry, I guess I have a little pent up angst there.

Moving on...

So, after hitting the conveniently located Starbucks right when you walk in the door (hey, I had a gift card, so technically it was free), I was headed to the Dollar Spot to find a set of the plastic kids bowls that come 2 to a pack, but only cost $1 (love that!). 

But what to my wandering eyes should appear, but a miniature sleigh and 8 tiny reindeer! I'm not kidding. The Dollar Spot has been totally taken over by Santa's elves. And there are some amazing deals right now!

I got $1 stocking stuffers, $1 advent calendar goodies, $1 teacher gift pails, and other Christmas-themed items for handing out baked goods, etc. when the time arrives. Just look how cute:

Imagine these adorable burlap-wrapped gift pails stuffed with the red filler along with a tiny picture frame ornament (also $1) that will say "Miss Tina, World's Best Teacher" and a little gift card... PRESH!

I would show you said picture frame ornament too, but I may or may not have purchased a few extras for the grandparents to be filled with our most recent pictures that my talented photographer friend, Jen Bravo, took of the boys. I can't wait to see how they will turn out.

Did I mention we're on a really tight budget for Christmas this year due to our house leak & having to replace all the floors in Parker's room (and the irrigation system and install gutters...)? Well, we are. So truly, I cannot tell you how relieved and happy I am to have found $1 items that will fulfill a lot of gifts that need to be purchased.

By the time I was finished with the Dollar Spot I was almost done with my Chesnut Praline Latte and was all hopped up on caffeine. So I raced to the back of the store hoping to locate the kids bowls that I had originally been looking for. Sadly, no bowls. BUT... I did discover all of the Halloween stuff was 90% off! It was very picked over, I'm not gonna lie, but luckily for me, my little guy loves to play dress up. And look at what I found:

The cutest cowboy and Planes costumes!

Originally, these two costumes would have cost me $50. But guess what I paid for them...are you ready? Drum roll please... 

$4.80!

These will make wonderful Christmas gifts and will provide so much dress-up fun in the coming year. (Oh, and that item below the costumes is the Multipurpose Contact Solution that I originally came in for. It did actually make it home with me.)

As if all of my great finds weren't exciting enough, when I checked out, the cashier handed me a bunch of coupons, one of which is for a FREE photobook on Shutterfly. FREE! Can you believe that?

As I said, head to Target immediately.

In other "Steals & Deals" news...yesterday I headed to my favorite consignment shop to bring in some of Parker's Christmas pajamas and outfits from last year. They are very particular about what time of year they will accept seasonal items, so I've been holding on to these for months. I was thrilled to hear that I had a $25 credit on my account. And I was even more happy to find these amazing steals for my constantly-growing-can't-keep-up-with-him, 8-year old. He doesn't fit into any of his jeans or coats from last year. But check out what I found...

A perfect Florida "coat" that will get him through the colder 50-60 degree days we rarely ever eventually experience here in Florida. Guess what I paid for it? $9.00! It's in perfect condition, I couldn't believe it.

They had a huge selection of jeans in his size as well. Again, excellent condition.

Okay so there are some of my best savings ideas for early Christmas shopping. Now it's up to you to take advantage of them. Be creative. Visit your local consignment stores, Dollar Stores and Dollar Spots. You just may be surprised at what you find.

 Best of luck out there my shopping friends! May the discounted force be with you!

Favorite Things

Just got back from spending 3 fabulous days in Long Boat Key with one of my besties and her daughter...oh and my two kiddos. It wasn't exactly days spent lounging by the pool alternating between napping and reading gossip magazines. But we did manage to have tons of fun and slip in plenty of relaxation in between judging pool jumping contests, collecting shells, and many, many games of Candy Land (Parker's newest obsession).

I'll post some fun re-cap pictures later this week, but first I wanted to post a new list of my "Favorite Things." All of these can be found at either Target, online, or your local grocery store. None of them cost more than around $10, but they are all fabulous, at least in my opinion...and lucky for me, that's all that matters on this here blog. :)

Without further adieu...

First item up is one of my most exciting finds. I love the "Connoisseurs" brand jewelry cleaner. I've used it ever since Brian proposed and I had a reason to actually clean my jewelry. I went to buy a new jar of the liquid "Precious" jewelry cleaner for my rings and other precious stones, when I stumbled across this:

Connoisseurs Dry Jewelry Wipes

I was skeptical at first, but willing to give it a try since I often wear silver necklaces that tend to tarnish after a few wears. I was SO thrilled when I first used it on my silver monogrammed necklace. One quick wipe, and BAM! it was shiny silver again. I was shocked! I grabbed another favorite silver necklace that is not sterling silver, but has held up quite well over the years. I swiped that wipe across it and again - BRILLIANTLY shiny!

Now, I keep this little case stored right next to my jewelry box and anytime I put on a necklace that looks a little dingy, I just give it a quick wipe, and it's back to it's original shiny goodness!

And since we're on the topic of great Target finds, I'll share a few of my latest Target favorites (by the way, when you read the word "Target" on my blog, I love to think that you're actually pronouncing it "Tar-jaaa" all fancy-like.)

I found these beauties in the Dollar Section last week:

Two fully-lined zippered bags. 

Perfect for my purse to hold makeup, gum, etc. ($3 )

 Beautiful Chevron Thank You Notes with contrasting fuchsia envelopes. LOVE! ($1)

Not nearly as cute, but also a new favorite is this water bottle I found on clearance at Target:

Britta Kids' Bottle Water Filtration System ($3.94)

 

I wouldn't have paid $7.99 for it, but for $3.94 it is a good deal for a self-filtering water bottle. Parker loves it and I can fill it up anywhere and know that he's getting clean, filtered water.


And check out this adorable wall calendar I got on sale!

 Blue Sky Monthly Wall Calendar, Dabney Lee Designer Series

 I am so excited to start filling it up with all sorts of fun things we have coming up! (Yes, I'm a bit obsessed with chevron lately, but who isn't?) Plus new calendars always make me feel more organized. Is that strange??

Okay, leaving Target to share some other great products that have become my all-time favorites.

My sweet sis-in-law sent me a tube of this lip gloss from Bath & Body Works a few years ago:

C. O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Tint in Magenta Mint

 

She swore by it and said it was one of her favs. Now, I can officially say I am hooked! It's a bit pricey at $7.50 a tube, but you can get it on sale (right now it's buy 2, get 1 free) and it lasts forever!! It's the perfect shade of pink and the perfect amount of shine, and has an amazing mint taste to it. I wear it every. single. day. Seriously.

Another product I swear by is this detergent:

Dr. Bronner's Castile Lavender Liquid Soap ($6 for 8 oz)

Both of my boys have sensitive skin. Payton breaks out in eczema every winter when the humidity drops and the weather drys out. I finally took him to my dermatologist last year and she told me to immediately start washing all of his clothes in "free & clear" soaps. She said anything with perfumes or dyes will continue to irritate his skin and truly are not good for anyone's skin. So, of course I immediately switched all of my detergents when washing the kids clothes. However, I missed that "clean" scent. Enter: Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap!

I just add a tiny bit (and I'm talking maybe 1-2 Tablespoons) to the detergent section of my washer when I'm washing towels or sheets and they come out smelling so wonderful with the tiniest hint of lavender. The best part is, that it is super mild and doesn't contain any harsh chemicals (particularly Sodium Lauryl Sulfate) that irritate my boys' skin. It's a win-win for everyone! Oh, and it's got 18 other uses aside from laundry detergent. Pretty snazzy stuff.

And my final product, which I'm sure is not new to many of you, but worth mentioning just in case you haven't tried it:

Neutrogena Wet Skin Sun Block ($8-10)

This stuff is amazing. I say it makes my kids skin seem like duck down...the water just beads up on them. It can be applied on wet skin and will still work just as great as applying lotion to dry skin. Since it is a bit pricey, I usually only use it as a "re-apply" sunscreen when we've been at the pool or beach for a few hours. If you have kids who hate to sit still for sunscreen reapplications, try this product - it's worth the $!

Okay, that's all I've got for now. I hope some of these products become your new favs too! And I'd love to hear about any of your favorite items as well. Please leave me a comment or email me anything worth giving a "shout out!"

Oh Target...

Why, oh why do I go into the "Dollar Spot" and seasonal aisles at Target when it's getting close to a holiday? WHY?!?!

My heart started racing when I saw all of these fabulous stickers, card-making items, buckets, pencils and PINK GLITTER GLUE! I can already imagine the fabulous grandparent and teacher Valentine gifts that the kids will make with all of this!

Of course I picked up a couple of fun items for the boys' Valentine mailboxes too. Remember these from last year? Brian was so happy when I pulled them out of the Valentine's decoration box (NOT!).

 I have some fun plans for these little babies this year! I'll update you on them with a full Valentine's post soon.

Until then... stay away from the Target Dollar section if you don't want to be lured into buying adorable Valentine's stuff for your kiddos! :)