Teacher Gifts

I think that it is just perfect to do a blog post on teacher gifts since the year is about to wrap up and summer will be here (woohoo!!)
Being a teacher, I have seen some fantastic and not-so-fantastic teacher gifts. Don't get me wrong, but we love anything that is heart-felt, however, several things always end up in the BC pile!

What is the BC pile? Why it is a collection of all of those great gifts that teachers just don't quite have room for in their homes. I collect all of these items throughout the year and then donate them to a charity garage sale. It is a wonderful event, and it makes us love every gift that we get even more! And trust me--we have seen GREAT gifts come through--PLENTY of thematic apples, funeral flowers, fake jewelry, old boxes of candy, etc.

However, here are some gifts that you CAN NOT go wrong with in the opinion of a teacher:

1) gift cards!!! Gift cards are probably the most appreciated gift that a teacher can get. Whether to a restaurant, a spa, the mall, or even to Target, we get SO excited when we open those!

2) Bring them lunch! Have you seen what some of these cafeterias serve-BLECH! You are sure to see a teacher's face light up if you swing through a drive-thru and surprise her at their lunch time with a yummy meal!

3) And personally speaking---I love ANYTHING PERSONALIZED!!! Get cute stationary, anything fun and monogrammed--totes, towels, travel mugs, picture frames, etc! There are SO many cute websites out there full of this stuff-just google it!
I used to have a TON of websites saved for cute personalized gifts, but after the computer crashed, I lost them all.
Here are a couple off of the top of my head though!
http://www.shophollydays.com/large-jute-tote-p-643.html cute bag-ready for those beach vacations!
www.thepolkadotprincess.com They have precious notecards, recipe cards, mousepads, frames, etc for great deals!
http://www.thepreppypolkadot.com/

Things not to get:
Please don't get something just to get it. Somethings out of the $1.00 bin are GREAT, but not all. We really are not all about apples, supplies, everything "school cliche.
Also, while some candles and lotions/body wash are GREAT, it gets a little overwhelming when that it all that you are getting. We see so much of this stuff that we don't know what to do with it all. Plus, some people are funny about what scents they like in their homes and on their bodies.

A great idea is to have your teacher fill out a little info sheet at the beginning of the year: favorite snacks, places to eat/shop/get nails done, her initials, etc!