Teacher Gift Dos and Don'ts

I thought about not writing this post because it might seem like I am
a. a brat
b. ungrateful
c. rude

but then I realized that my intent is to be

d. honest
e. informative
f. amusing


We know it's back to school time, but let's not get too crazy with the apple/school bus/pencil themed gifts just yet.  I am here to serve as your personal teacher gift concierge, to assist you with all your teacher-gift buying needs.  Some people may not make a habit of sending a gift on the first day.  If this is you, pin this and stop back around Christmas.  If you're a beginning of the year giver, please read on.

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*Disclaimer: Teachers (Myself included) do not expect gifts from students, and are generally surprised and appreciative (myself included) when they receive them.

5 Teacher Gifts to Reconsider

1. Coffee mug.   So the teacher drinks coffee.  He/she probably owns plenty of these already.
2. Knick knacks.   How many little figurines can one person have?
3. Bath & body products.  Unless you know the specific brand and scent, this is dangerous territory. Especially shy away of the bargain ones.  We know you picked that up in the dollar aisle.
4.  Jewelry, specifically school related.  No one needs to be sporting a schoolhouse brooch.  Exceptions are fun or trendy pieces you might pick up for yourself.
5. Anything school-themed.  Just because you can personalize a tote that says "Mrs. Anderson, World's Greatest Teacher" doesn't mean you should.  We teach because we love kids, not apples and rulers and primary colors.

5 Teacher Gifts that are Fail-safe

1. A note from your child or you.  I save all of these, and they mean a lot to me.
2.  Food.  This one is tricky, so be observant.  If the teacher is health-conscious, stick with fruit or another healthy snack.  If she's into chocolate or candy, opt for those.  The key here is be observant.  Or ask the teacher's colleague.
3.  Hand sanitizer or disinfectant wipes.  Not all teachers might love this, but I'm all for killing some germs.
4. Gift Card.  This could be to somewhere for supplies or for the teacher's personal enjoyment
5. Drinks.  Again, be observant here.  Have you noticed there's always a diet coke on the teacher's desk, or that they're partial to bottled water?  Your student can watch for this too.

Goodies You've Pinned

I have completed a ton of projects.  Clothes repurposing, sewing, knitting, furniture upgrades, recipes, etc.  And then I have this here blog that is designed to feature all the goodies.  Can I get my act together to put the two together?  Possibly :)

Today shall be a Pinteresty post.  I got most of the ideas from there.  Now, before I show you these, please know that I am a finicky user in that I don't just peruse Pinterest, repin some junk then move on.  I mostly read blogs and pin from there, and if I do get an idea straight from Pinterest, I always go to the link first, check out the site and maybe subscribe to the blog while I'm there.  There's my rant.  Check the link, read the blogs.  If you don't I will be annoyed when your link from Pinterest is faulty.  But I will probably keep following you anyway because you more than likely have good taste.  Especially if you're here reading this.  On with the projects.  

First up, BBQ Chicken Quinoa Salad.  Tastier than my picture might reveal.  Iowa Girl Eats just makes her food look so much better! Love her blog--I print off and try her recipes at least weekly.  

Second, I saw this idea a gazillion times on Pinny.  It's awesome--just give your kids some glowsticks in the tub, turn off the light, and prepare to hang out in the bathroom for at least 45 minutes.  

This picture comes straight from Chef in Training, who originated the Pinterest phenom Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta.  Definitely not a light dish, but twas well received in my household.

Got water balloons?  Use em up before summer's over.  We celebrated 4th of July with a little target practice.  Draw some circles, targets, or other shape on the concrete with chalk and let the kiddies (or adults) go wild.  Good for at least five minutes of fun, and no one walks away with welts or bruises.