December is upon us and it is the time of giving, receiving,
baking and laughter. This holiday
season, my heart is lifted and I really want to focus on the giving aspect of
the holiday time.
I honestly am at a loss as to what to get my husband for the
holidays, but I know I will find the perfect gift between now and then (I still
have ALMOST 20 days to shop, right? LOL)… I have holiday gifts for my kids,
parents, and the rest of my family.
This season, our family has been focusing on random acts of
kindness… whether it is helping the next door neighbor carry in her groceries
(she recently had hip replacement surgery), paying for the candles for the
woman in line before us at the store, or saying hello to people while shopping. I think sometimes during the holidays, we
almost forget to go forth with a thankful heart and gratitude. People get cranky with the people in the
stores who are helping them, and we basically get rude instead of jolly. SO I
SAY GO FORTH WITH JOLLY THIS SEASON! Shed some joy on those around you, because
maybe their place is a bit darker than yours.
So, this mom of four is on a mission this year---a mission to make a difference.
It may be a small
difference, but I am going to try and make the holiday time very special for
some people in our lives that we just don’t thank enough… our kid’s teachers. Some schools in our local community actually have teacher wish lists, our school however does not!
Now, usually we give a card with a gift card in it, but
really does it reflect us? Does it reflect our children’s teacher? Or is it
just a convenience we use so we can give a gift without the thought. Honestly, I don’t know my kid’s teachers well
enough to know where they would like to eat or if they even like coffee. AND here is the thing, my kids spend more time
during the work week with their teachers versus me. Reality set in… my kids are wonderful, maybe
I need to remind their teachers of how awesome they are and thank them… TRULY
thank them for what they do… and put a little thought into the holiday for each
teacher that touches the lives of my precious children.
It has been a very fun project for my nine year old son and
I--- every day, I ask him to find out something about his teacher and report
back to me, so we can make a list of things she likes. For example, last Monday I asked him… “Find
out if Mrs. P wears jewelry.” He came back and said, “Mom, she has fancy pretty
jewelry on every day.” I was able to find a PERFECT bracelet for Mrs. P. on Facebook. Yeah, right? Whowouddathunkit. Not only can you stalk your ex, your spouses ex, your baby daddy, the drunk you went to school with, keep up with your friends... BUT you can shop. I love logging in on Wednesday nights (7:30 pm central/ 8:30 pm eastern) to find gifts on one of my favorite boutiques (since I cannot physically go to the shop itself). Jenny Boston is a fantastic place to find affordable, unique gifts. I honestly have found 4 different holiday gifts this season just from playing on Facebook. Check them out at https://www.facebook.com/events/119674798181809/permalink/146717125477576/?ref=notif¬if_t=like#!/photo.php?fbid=10152129945450582&set=a.10150264131765582.537293.213971580581&type=1&theater
Great, note one in my teacher log. NOT THAT I AM STALKING
HER FROM A FAR, but I am trying to get a sense of Kennith’s teacher through his
eyes. The next day I asked him, “Does
your teacher like candy? Find out what her favorite candy is.” He came home and reported, “MOM… She LOVES, I
mean LOVES Snickers.” SO, another item
went onto our Mrs. P gift list. If I
forget a day, he reminds me. He is
getting to know his teacher and we are getting ideas for her gift basket.
I have also been purposely picking up our 3 year old from
day care (she goes to daycare at the same school where my husband teaches) just
so I can talk with all of the teachers and get a sense of who they are and what
they like. For example, Miss Melissa
loves Scentsy and I know she likes warm cinnamon scents and needs a new pot…
WELL, I know exactly what she will get for her holiday gift! I logged into the
Macaroni Kid Cedar Rapids Holiday Gift Guide, (http://cedarrapids.macaronikid.com/#holiday-gift-guide-2012-13) and wah-lah… there was someone
who represents Scentsy. So not only am I giving a gift that her teacher will
love but I am shopping locally and giving back to my community! PROJECT GIVE BACK is fully underway!
I have also noticed when I am at daycare that the director
always has a cool scarf on! So, I went on a hunt to find a small business that
has scarves out there. I shopped on
Facebook on a random Wednesday night at Jenny Boston (AGAIN, THANK YOU JB) and found a designer scarf
PERFECT for the director! Shipped to my
door for less than $20. Another gift
that is perfect for the recipient, AND money going to a small business!
My message: Sometimes we just need to take notice of those
around us. The important people in our lives are not only our spouses,
children, parents , immediate family members, and friends… but they are also
the people who touch our lives in ways we could never imagine. Teachers.
They do so much for our children and really just ask that our kids succeed
in return. I have seen it when my
husband sees a student who is grown up and in college and his eyes
twinkle. They do their job so our kids
can have more.
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