Schools out for summer (almost)

It is the end of the school year around these parts (squeal!) And time to think of the ever pressing problem plaguing our nation today, what to buy my children’s teachers? I have 4 kids, and this is the first year that they have all been in school, so I have a lot of gift buying or making to do.

A friend called me the other day and asked for teacher gift ideas, and I shared a few gifts I have done in the past. Some successful some, well, you’ll see.

I love baskets, and things that go in baskets. If my husband ever wants to win brownie points, he just has to assemble a few of my favorite things toss them in a basket, and I am happier than a kid at Christmas. So I love to give gift baskets, hoping the recipient will be at least half as thrilled as I am to give it. One year I bought small pots and seeds for herbs you would typically eat on a pizza, found some red checked napkins, and put boxed pizza dough in it, and some pizza sauce and shelf stable pepperoni for a lovely dinner (3 or 4 months down the road). Another year, I made muffin mixes and homemade jam, that was a huge hit. Last year my kids and I went strawberry picking (in the rain) the Saturday before school was out, and picked over 20 lbs. of berries, then hurried home to make jam. The teachers loved it, and it was a neat way to spend time together. (We still have 2 jars left). I would in fact be using the same idea this year, but alas the berry farm is not available for picking until the 10th and we are out on the 8th. So we will get jam just not the teachers. A few years ago, I thought I would be so clever and make the teachers soaps. We added dried herbs, and soap scents. We made extra for my husband for fathers day. We carefully put the soap in a paper sack, and put it in the closet until the big day. When he unwrapped it we discovered that all the soap had turned black from the herbs!! I was very embarrassed, and even more so when my Son’s teacher sent us a gracious thank you note for the soap. Hopefully she used it before it went bad? I have also given out sugar cookie dough, with cookie cutters, and store bought icing, and sprinkles. And my favorite was homemade salsa I canned using veggies from my garden. (some of these were Christmas gifts)

But this year, I want to do something different, but also something affordable. I looked into making my own bath bombs but couldn’t find one of the ingredients. Then I thought about just giving Starbucks gift cards, but with all of the teachers, we are talking several hundred dollars. So I am doing a couple of different things.

My older two boys are in middle school, and normally I don’t do the middle school gift thing, but they have had such amazing teachers this year, that I feel it only appropriate to thank them for their dedication. So they will be easy, each one is getting a 9x9 cake pan with my “famous” crème de menthe brownies. And so far between the 2 boys the total is 10 teachers, yikes! I will be baking all day Sunday.

My third child has a teacher that one of my older boys had, so I already know that she loves nothing more in this world than diet coke, she will be getting a 2 liter of that, and possibly one of these babies, hopefully she likes cherry...

My youngest is in preschool, and this year two amazing ladies were courageous enough to drive the preschool bus. My youngest gets dropped off at the end of my driveway, and he has caused his share of problems on the bus, so these ladies should be commended for not turning tail and running. So they are definitely getting gifts as well, nothing too swanky, because I am on a budget, but something to say thank you for not strangling my child, and not drinking on the job. But I have to be careful with their gifts because my little guy has to tote them to school. So in all likelihood his teachers and bus drivers will be getting one of THESE. Well not those exactly, but cupcakes in a jar made by yours truly.

Now to find some jars...