Archive for the ‘celebrate it’ Category

To learn and never be filled, is wisdom: to teach and never be weary, is love. – anonymous

This is our last week of school and I am looking for gifts for our favorite teachers.

Our beloved 2nd grade teacher (we’ve had her two years in a row) is moving to a new school.  I know I don’t have any more children left to be in 2nd grade, but I am sad she is leaving none-the-less.

We also love Ben’s 3rd grade teacher.  She is one in a million and has made this year fantastic.

So how do you say thank you?

I’ve been busy making a plate of Mint Brownies for our principal, bus driver, art teacher, and music teacher.

Mini Bundt Cakes are a perfect gift too.  They look so special, and are inexpensive to make.  Any baked gift from cookies to bread and jam makes a thoughtful gift.

A bookplate makes a very sweet gift for anyone who loves books- and what teacher doesn’t love books?  I came across these wonderful bookplates from Sarah Jane Studios.  I love the little school setting… just perfect for a teacher.  Come to think of it, I would love these for myself, but then again, I love everything Sarah Jane does.

I also ran across a free template for a bookplate for a teacher over at Skip to My Lou, she even has a recipe for making a homemade sticker solution… very make it do.

Of course, teachers always love books.  Two great books for teachers are Mrs. Spitzer’s Garden, a sweet book that makes the analogy of the teacher as a gardener and her student as different kinds of flowers.  And Thank You, Mr. Falker, a story of a girl with learning disabilities whose life is changed by her teacher.

And last, but not least, a hand written letter from your child makes the perfect end of year gift.  Give your child a chance to tell their teacher what they’ve learned and what they’ve loved about being in their class.  What teacher wouldn’t love to receive that?

Do you have any special year end gift ideas for teachers?  I would love to hear.

Part of the reason we had such a great trip to Disneyland was all the great advice I received from friends and family.  For anyone planning a trip in the near future, I thought it might be helpful to share some of the great tips.

• My friend Erin suggested that we find a hotel that serves a complimentary breakfast.  Not only does it save money, but it also saves a whole lot of stress each day.
• My sister-in-law Marcie was a wealth of information.  She suggested that we take a soft-sided cooler filled with water bottles, snacks and even lunch.  If the cooler is smallish, it will fit into the large lockers on Main Street Disneyland.  The large lockers cost $10 a day, but you’ll save mucho $$$’s in return.  You can always find a quiet spot right outside the Main Gate to eat your lunch.
• Marcie also suggested we carried a small backpack with water and a few healthy snacks.  If we ran low, we would grab a few more water bottles out of the cooler.
• She also told us not to miss the Dole Whips at the Tiki Room.  This a great attraction to visit in the afternoon, when you are hot and tired.  Grab a Dole Whip and enjoy the show.  Thanks Marcie, they were delicious!
• Ben’s wonderful teacher told us about a software program called RideMax.  We had found the program online already, but we weren’t sure how well it worked.  Based on her recommendation, we purchased it for $15 before the trip.  It gives you a schedule for riding your rides.  We used RideMax for the first day or two, and once we figured out it’s method, we didn’t need it after that.  But it was an invaluable resource.  We never waited in a long line… our longest being 15 to 20 minutes.
• Arrive early at the park everyday.  We were able to walk right onto multiple big rides every morning because we arrived early.  We typically arrived 1/2 hour before the park opened, so we were ready to go.  Once opened, we headed straight for the Matterhorn, Dumbo, Space Mountain, or Thunder Mountain Railroad.  The early bird really does get the worm at Disneyland.
• Pick up Fastpasses early in the day, when the waits before riding are short.  If your Fastpass says return to ride between 9:30 and 10:30, you can get another Fastpass for another ride anytime after 9:30.
• Don’t ever try to ride a big ride without a Fastpass later in the day.  It will sink your day waiting in line.
• My mom suggested not missing Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.  We were lucky enough to visit that attraction with her.  It was wonderful and loved by all of us.  It’s also a great attraction to visit when you are hot and tired in an afternoon.
• Be sure to use the internet for advice before leaving for your trip.  There are some real experts out there who generously share their advice.
• We gave our kids a set amount money for their souvenirs. Then they got to choose what they wanted to buy.  It was a great way for them to have limits on what they wanted.  They felt in charge and it was fun to watch them figure it out.  “If I buy this, I still have extra money for that.  Or if I buy this, that’s the only thing I can buy.”  Plus they weren’t constantly asking me to buy them something.
• Don’t miss the fireworks! A very nice Cast Member suggested we watch the fireworks in front of It’s a Small World ride.  That was a less crowded and delightful spot.  The front facade of Small World has projected images during the fireworks that are delightful.
• That brings up another great tip.  Don’t be shy about asking Cast Members for help.  They were always informative and extremely nice.  I’m sure it didn’t hurt that we were friendly to them in return.  More than once they gave us excellent advice and once a cast member even gave us a FastPass that could be used anytime, anywhere in the park.
• And here’s my advice.  Take time to relax on Mainstreet on at least one of your evenings. On our last night we had an ice cream cone sitting on park bench at the end of Main Street.  The sites were truly magical with the street all lit up, and the glowing castle at the end of the street.  It was a perfect way to end a wonderful trip.

Thanks to my family, friends, and even a few strangers who gave us great advice!