Teacher Appreciation Week: DIY Thank You Card

It's Teacher Appreciation Week! Let's all take a minute to thank the teachers in our lives. My mom is a teacher and I know how dedicated teachers are to their students. Their work day doesn't end when their students are dismissed and chances are they were hard at work long before the first student walked into their classroom every morning.

Teaching is a calling. It's not a profession that just anyone can be successful at.

I've always had a great appreciation for teachers, this feeling has grown since my own kiddo has started school.

This week is Teacher Appreciation Week and to celebrate I waned to share this little idea with you. I'm not a big fan of overwhelming teachers with trinkets and candy. I try to make teacher gifts meaningful and with a purpose.

This year, I made cards for the teacher's in our lives. Since my son is in Pre-K they have been working on handwriting and practicing their letters. I had the idea to make a card using his handwriting. Rather than just having him write "thank you" inside a card, I decided to try something different.

Yesterday, I had my son write "thank you" in sidewalk chalk. We added some decoration and then I took a picture:

I went to Walmart.com and used their online photo department to create a 5x7 card. I picked it up the same day and have it ready to go!

My son's school PTA has suggested a different gift for each day of the week- Tuesday is "card day".

Personalized gifts are always so nice. I hope that my son's teachers understand how much I appreciate all that they do!

Other gifts I am giving this week:
Starbucks gift card {"sweet treat" day}
Flower + Seeds {flower day}
Target Gift Card {teacher's favorite gift day}

What are you giving for Teacher Appreciation Week?

Friday Favorite: Christmas Gifts

Who's still on a Christmas high? *raises hand*

We have our last family Christmas dinner and gift exchange tonight. I love that our holiday lasts a little longer :)

I got some great goodies this year- I must have been good this year ;)

I wanted to share with you all my 2 favorite gifts that I received as a way of making everyone's holiday cheer last a bit longer!

First up, this nifty little gadget:

It's a Topper Chopper! How great is that? Now, I know that there are other ways to chop toppings for hot chocolate, ice cream, brownies, whatever, but this thing makes it a breeze! Seriously, you can put together a hot chocolate bar in 5 minutes. And it's fun.

It can even transform to be a dispenser. So cute.

I whipped up some candy cane sprinkles and some mint M&M bits for our Christmas hot chocolate!

Secondly, I'm super excited about getting PW's holiday cookbook!! Jess got one, too!

I'm already planning to make her New Year's Eve party recipes.  Whether or not I have a party... we'll see.

What was your favorite gift?

Happy Friday!!

Always Ready Hot Chocolate Bar

'Tis the season for... lot of things! I love this time of year because of the friends, family, traditions, and all of the love the holidays bring with them.

One of my favorite things is having friends and family over. Whether it's a fun party or just a quick visit, it's so great to be able to talk and enjoy each other's company. Another one of my favorite things are holiday movies. White Christmas was on ALL DAY on Saturday and I was lovin' it!!

Whether it's snuggling on the couch watching a movie or sitting around the kitchen table chatting with family, hot chocolate is the perfect compliment!

Here's my mommy machine secret to always having hot chocolate ready to go:

I keep hot chocolate essentials in mason jars on my bar top. These are my current faves:

• hot coco mix
• peppermint marshmallows
• candy canes
• Andes Mint chips
• white chocolate chips
• colored sugar

It blends right in with my Christmas decorations and I'm always ready to make hot chocolate- one cup or ten, I'm ready! Whipped cream is always in the fridge so the only thing I have to do to prep is warm some milk. It doesn't get easier than that.

This would make a super fun Christmas gift too! Wrap some ribbon around the mason jars and pack it all in a cute basket and you've got yourself a very thoughtful and yummy gift to give!