10 Unique Teacher Gifts for the Book Lover

By Marnie Craycroft Filed Under: Parenting Tagged With: Gift Guides This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

My son's 4th-grade teacher is a serious book lover and I love that about her. For example, she reads one book a day out loud to the kids, prints out the cover, and places it on a board displayed in a calendar format. So, as you can probably imagine, this board alone gets the kids excited and engaged because it is visual and ignites a spark in the kids' competitive natures. Not to mention my son has told me every day for the past 100 days or so (haha!) how many days are left in the school year, which brings me to this point. I get to identify teacher gifts for the book lover! How lucky am I?

The school year ends in a few days! I always have mixed feelings about the end of the school year. For instance, I romanticize spending all this amazing time with my kids but there is a layer of anxiety about my kids growing up so darn fast, appropriate activity planning, avoiding the summer slide, and dealing with sibling rivalry. In the end, though, this time of year is filled with positive emotions and excitement.

One of my favorite parts of the end of the school year is gathering ideas both from my kids and from my stealth conversations with their teachers about meaningful year-end gifts. I don't want to hand them a Starbucks gift card and a pat on the back. My sons like to make their teachers cards and work hard on them. In addition, we put together a basket of appropriately priced goodies to help them celebrate the end of the school year.

10 Unique Teacher Gifts for the Book Lover

I was particularly excited this year because (see above) my son's 4th-grade teacher is a book lover. So, we get to put together fun gifts for book lovers. I had such a blast searching for and identifying gifts for this particular teacher that I decided I just had to share my research with you!

Book Lover Tea Towel

Tumbler for a Reader

Book Patterned Infinity Scarf

Bookmarks Are For Quitters Mug

Books Tote Bag

Personal Library Set

Book Lover's Scrabble

Book Page Holder

Socks for Book Lovers

Library Card T-Shirt

10 Amazing DIY Lego Mother’s Day Gift Ideas from Kids

By Marnie Craycroft Filed Under: Parenting Tagged With: DIY, Gift Guides, Mother's Day This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

My family and I recently visited Legoland California and HAD a blast. Building with legos ignites my boy's imagination. As a mom, I have a warm and fuzzy feeling towards Lego and would appreciate any and all efforts to make a DIY Lego gift for Mother's Day. So, I scoured the world wide web and discovered ten unique DIY Lego gifts that any mom would appreciate!

Unique DIY LEGO Mother's Day Gift Ideas from Kids

Lego Mini-Figure Family Portrait

This Etsy shop will put together this adorable family portrait made up of mini-figures. An easy DIY Lego gift that won't take a ton of time or money.

Mother Ducks & Her Ducklings

This simple mother duck DIY Lego creation is perfect for even the littlest builders. Read Make Way for Ducklings and let the warm and fuzzies begin!

DIY Lego Mayka Tape Frame

This clever gift is ideal for preschool and elementary aged kids. Use Mayka Tape to create a DIY lego picture frame any mom or grandmother will adore.

Lego Stamp Card

This Mother's Day gift comes from a child creative juices with printing art! Make a card using a DIY Lego stamp and paint.

Lego Wine Charms

Now, this is a Mother's Day gift I can definitely find room for! How fun are these Lego Minifigure wine charms?

Simple Lego Flower for Mom

Sweet and simple – allow the child space to create his own flower for mom.

DIY Lego Flower Scene

Another version of a Lego flower with a base and a scene added to it. Encourage the child to be bold and embellish the flower for mom.

Lego Mom Superhero Frame

Along the same lines as the Minifigure family portrait above, this frame has a special spot in mom's heart for sure.

Lego Pen Holder

Make the Mother's Day gift functional for mom with this DIY Lego pen and pencil holder with a picture embedded in it!

DIY Lego Business Card Holder

Most mom's like functional gifts and this business card holder is perfect. Mom can work at her desk and think warm thoughts as she glances down to her DIY Lego business card holder.

More Mother's Day Gift Ideas from Kids

Unique DIY Mother’s Day Gift Ideas from Kids

By Marnie Craycroft Filed Under: Activities Tagged With: DIY, Gift Guides, Mother's Day This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

Whether you're wanting a unique DIY Mother's Day Gift from your kids, a Mother's Day gift from your toddler, or a lovely easy Mother's Day Gift for grandma, this comprehensive hand-picked list should have you covered! In addition, the gift ideas in this article include personalized DIY to functional DIY gifts for mom this Mother's Day season! Finally, enjoy and having fun making these DIY gifts for the moms in your life!

Unique DIY Mother's Day Gift Ideas from Kids

Cupcake Bath Bombs

Your kids will have tons of fun making these cupcake bath bombs. Mix a bit of baking with gift giving (and bathing!) makes for engaged kids. Furthermore, you can make many variations of these cupcake bath bombs based on favorite scents and colors.

Mother's Day Drawing

I love the simplicity of this activity because, let's be honest, it isn't always doing crafts with kids! Add a little personalized artwork that any mom would truly adore.

DIY Sugar Scrub

Can you sense a theme here? I should send this Mother's Day post to my husband as a hint. I love baths and this sugar scrub would be a perfect addition. Plus, like the DIY bath bomb cupcakes, kids will have a lot of fun making this gift. Above all, you could make the sugar scrub a customized Mother's Day gift by adding favorite colors and scents.

Clay Footprint Ringholder Dish

How sweet is this ring holder? This DIY is the perfect first mother's day gift. There are a few steps involved but this dish is actually quite easy to make. Plus it has a baby's footprints to make it truly personal.

DIY Peaches & Cream Bath Bombs

I can't get enough of these DIY bath bombs. So, I am guessing that the mothers in your life will enjoy them, too. Impressive to make by hand, these bath bombs are the perfect homemade Mother's Day gifts from kids!

Hand Painted Vase

Check out this fun and easy to put together DIY Mother's Day gift. Most of all, your artsy kids will adore making this hand-painted vase!

Pressed Flower Bookmarks

Yes, please. How adorable are these pressed flower bookmarks? Combine nature and crafting to create these stunning bookmarks for the moms in your life.

Creative DIY Mother's Day Gifts with a Nature Theme

This roundup of nature-themed DIY Mother's Day gift has got you covered for the occasion because it contains loads of creative crafting & outdoor learning fun!

Tissue Paper Flower Bracelet

Another craft gem from Buggy & Buddy! In other words, work fine motor skills by creating a tissue paper flower and beaded bracelet.

How to Make an Essential Oil Car Diffuser

I love my DIY essential oil car diffuser. Most importantly, not difficult to make, this diffuser packs a punch with making a car smell lovely & for crafting with kids.

Bottle Cap Keychain

This bottle cap keychain combines a bit of crafting with artwork created by a child. Moreover, this keychain is a wonderful personalized Mother's Day gift from a child.

Craft Stick Flower Pot

I like the gardening idea behind this craft stick flower pot. For instance, you can deliver this post with a planted seed or flower in the soil. Furthermore, this craft stick flower pot could also serve as a functional pencil and pen holder in a mom's home office or the kitchen's command central.

My Top Picks for Holiday Gifts for Montessori Teachers

By Marnie Craycroft Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Gift Guides, Holidays This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

There was a year when I failed…I know, I know…it is the thought that counts, but I took the easy path.

You know what “they” say about the easy path? It'll make you week over time. Truth.

I will admit that I was pregnant with our third son and completely overwhelmed with “stuff” going on with out second son…but I take full ownership of the pathetic attempt at thanking my sons teachers for being nothing short of amazing (says the daughter of a teacher).

Are you ready for what I gave?

I am so embarassed…

…but I want to be honest.

Starbucks gift cards {lots of whimpering}.

Yup. I gave each teacher the envelop, my head bowed a bit, hugged each teacher, and bolted out of the school with my kids.

Every year since that time, I have made it a personal goal to involve my sons and to truly make time for giving a thoughtful, a meaningful gift to my sons teachers because, let's be honest, teachers are amazing human beings who not only educate our kids but they take care of our kids.

Boom.

With that off my chest, I am here to offer you the top picks for holiday gifts for school teachers.

12 Top Holiday Gifts for Montessori Teachers

Personalized Stationary

Get to know your child's teacher by engaging him or her in conversation or asking your child about his teacher's specific interests (which is a great exercise!), then head on over to Minted, design, and order personalized stationary to his or her liking. The process takes ten minutes or less. I promise.

Unique Gift Cards

Forget about Starbucks, think hard about the teacher's habits. My mom was a teacher for nearly 4 decades and she was always buying supplies out of her own pocket. I know it isn't exciting but if it is all about the teacher and not because you're taking a short cut like I did 4 years ago, the you're good. Consider Amazon, Micheals, Montessori Services, or my printables shop!

Personalized Journals

Minted offers personalized journals and planners that are nothing short of gorgeous!

Share a Family Tradition

I like to include a tin of a baked item that reflects a family tradition. In our case, we could bake my grandmother's cowboy cookies and include the recipe (the original copy is a nice touch).

A Handwritten Letter

If I am feeling particularly reflective, I write a short letter to my sons' teachers. I like to include a note from my sons', too. The letters are handwritten.

Interview Your Child

This gift is so much fun! Interview your child about his or her teacher! The answers will make you laugh and make you cry! Present in a nice format to your teacher in card or small book and watch your child's teacher light up. I created these interview questions as a starting point for you.

Housecleaning Service

Who doesn't love a little pampering around the house? Give your child's teacher the gift of a clean home! If you don't have a housecleaner in mind, ask around and you will be sure to get a great reference!

Wine of the Month or Tea of the Month Club

However, your child's teacher likes to relax and chill out after a long day with a classroom full of kids, a wine of the month or tea of the month club works wonders. There are several “Wine of the Month” clubs including the cleverly named Wine of the Month Club. Cellars Club is another option. Teabox and PlumDeluxe are a great gift option for tea drinkers!

Monthly Flower Delivery

My husband and I really make an effort to have fresh flowers in our home. There is something about the smell and the oxygen the flowers delivered to the interior of the home that makes a huge difference in mood and ambiance. ProFlowers offers a monthly flower club. Check it out here!

Museum Membership

I love museum memberships! Such a blessing and a motivation to be able to visit a museum with all the conveniences of a membership. Challenge yourself and your child to consider a museum his or her teacher may appreciate the most.

The Gift of Meat

We love Snake River Farms and these guys have loads of holiday gift ideas!

For the One Who Love to Cook

Flirty Aprons is so much fun. I got lost on their site checking out all the cool aprons for adults and kids. You can even customize an apron! What a great gift idea for teachers!

On a final note…

I challenge you to get to know your child's teacher. Ask your child questions about favorite colors, what he or she likes to do during free time, engage in a conversation with your child's teacher about his or her LIFE.

I hope you enjoyed this list of holiday gifts for teachers!

Have fun!

Marnie

Related Reads:

10 Unique Montessori Teacher Gifts

By Marnie Craycroft Filed Under: Positive Parenting Tagged With: Gift Guides, Parenting This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

Long gone are the days of the Starbucks gift card. Don't get me wrong, I welcome a free coffee with open arms, but there was the time I forgot to get teacher's gifts (I was in my first trimester of my third pregnancy so I had an excuse.) and the time I saw the stack of Starbucks cards a colleague of mine pulled out from her desk.

Defining moments, friends.

[clickToTweet tweet=”It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge. ~ Albert Einstein” quote=”It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge. ~ Albert Einstein”]

So, from here on out, I'm determined to be relevant and useful to a teacher's life. I commit to getting to know that teacher and truly exploring offerings that might be of interest to them. Truth be told, most teachers spend a lot of their own money on their classroom so a good old Michael's gift certificate, or in our case, a Montessori Services gift certificate is always a good idea. Wouldn't it, though, be wonderful if teachers took a moment to honor themselves? Yes!

10 Unique Montessori Teacher Gifts

Before you peruse this list, close your eyes and imagine your child's teacher. What are his passions? What does she like to do outside the classroom? Maybe you know? Maybe you should ask? Get to know the teachers in your child's life, then spoil the heck out of them. You won't regret it for a second.

#1 – An online class for the Creative

#2 – A fitness tracker for the Athlete

#3 – A customized apron for the Baker

#4 – A garden tower for the Green Thumb

#5 – A game for the Problem Solver

#6 – A steak for the Carnivore

#7 – A set of customized thank you cards for the Correspondent

#8 – A city pass for the Explorer

#9 – A sports t-shirt for the Fanatic

#10 – A heated product for the Pet Lover

Let me know how the teacher gifts go for you!

Marnie

Creative DIY Mother’s Day Crafts with a Nature Theme

By Marnie Craycroft Filed Under: Activities Tagged With: Crafts, DIY, Gift Guides, Mother's Day, Nature This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

I am a sucker for Mother's Day! There is no need to spend a lot of money on gifts. Now that I am a mom, I get that! This post gives you several DIY Mother's Day nature-themed crafts that moms will love! Even older kids will enjoy giving these gifts!

I have found, vivid memories of waking up early on a Sunday morning. My brother, sister, and I would work hard to make (the worst) breakfast for my mother, ever. She always wore a smile and appreciated the effort. I am laughing now just thinking of it. Mother's Day is special. We celebrate the matriarch of our family. We also celebrate and honor the “moms” in our life that are not biologically related!

Now that I am a mother to three sons, I view Mother's Day as taking a break for myself but also integrating the role a mother plays in a child's life. I tell stories to my son about my mom, their nana, to make the idea of a mother and a mother's role come alive to them. For that reason, I collected several meaningful & creative Mother's Day DIY nature-themed gifts from kids.

Mother's Day Crafts & Gifts with a Nature Theme

In my quest to deliver a beautiful Mother's Day gift to my mother and my mother in law from my sons, I gathered amazing ideas from my friends around the internet. I hope you enjoy.