giving back

Gift Giving Ideas for Teachers (and more!)

December 15, 2019 by Rachel 34 Comments

This post has been sponsored by Big Lots. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Think you’re set for the holidays? But did you forget anyone? Perhaps THE MOST important person (or people) of all time?? Whatever you do, do not forget your childrens’ teachers, babysitters, and daycare workers!

It wasn’t until my son started kindergarten last year that I realized just how selfless these teachers are. They take care of our babies, day in and day out. They’re underpaid and under appreciated. So I have made it a point to show my outpouring of love and gratitude at any chance I get.

But what do you buy for the person who has likely gotten every apple-themed, pencil-holding, knick knack under the sun?

Big Lots has us covered.

Teacher and Administration Gift Ideas

Yes, the teachers! But don’t forget about the administration and other necessary school staff!

Gift Ideas for the Foodies

Everyone gets cookies, right? But what about the foodie-teachers? I’m sure they’re cookied-out by Christmas break. Big Lots has a large selection of foodie items that will be perfect for your teachers.

Some notable favorites of ours (and our teachers) are the meat and cheese sets, lobster spread, smoked salmon, and spicy jalapeno hot sauce.

If you know the teacher is a drinkie (like a foodie, but with adult beverages!), you can also buy fun mixers and glasses!

Gift Ideas for the Caffeine-Obsessed

Like I said before, teachers are cookied-out. But is there really a limit on caffeine? I think not!

Big Lots has a large variety of coffee, tea, and even cocoa gifts for your favorite caffeine-obsessed teacher. There’s the 12-cocoa’s of Christmas, exotic teas from around the world, and more!

Practical Gifts with Fun Flare

Everyone loves a plush blanket for those cold winter nights, so pick one up from Big Lots! I can tell you from experience that the cozy blankets pair perfectly with the Dearfoam slippers!

Or perhaps an oil diffuser and some relaxing bath bombs to give your teacher an opportunity to treat herself (or himself!). Regardless of the type of practical gift you choose, I’m certain that the teacher will be forever grateful.

Other Hard-to-Shop-For People in Your Life

School staff aren’t the only ones who are difficult to shop for. Stop by Big Lots for all of your gifting needs!

Stocking Stuffers

I’m completely ready for Christmas morning thanks to the stocking stuffers I picked up at Big Lots. My kids are obsessed with lip gloss and bath stuff, so I grabbed a few character themed sets for them.

White Elephant Gifts

My extended family hosts an annual Christmas party two weeks before the holiday. This year I’m bringing my A-Game for our white elephant exchange thanks to the super fun gifts I picked up at Big Lots.

Someone in my family is going to end up with a huge gummy bear and someone else is definitely going home with a beer bottle belt (you’re welcome, family).

Spreading holiday cheer

Regardless of who you are shopping for, be sure to pick up all of the things you need for spreading holiday cheer at Big Lots!

Tell me — what are you going to pick up for the teachers this year?

Giving Gifts that Give Back

November 29, 2019 by Rachel 19 Comments

After becoming a mom, one thing became crystal clear — Christmas is 100%, entirely about the children. Not just my children, but all children. This holiday season my children and I are using the spirit of Christmas and shopping at Gordman’s to give back to St. Jude’s.

I took my littlest helper to our local Gordman’s to grab some gifts while the big kids were in school. Since our main prerogative for this trip was a mission to give back, we picked up some toys at deep discounts to donate to our local children’s hospital. This week we are wrapping the gifts and my kids are going to turn them over to kids who will be stuck in the hospital for the holidays.

Bear’s That Care

I also purchased a couple of Bear’s That Care! Bears That Care is a partnership between Gordman’s and St. Jude’s Research Hospital. Gordman’s will donate $2 of each Bear sold this season to St. Jude’s. St. Jude’s believes that no family should have to worry about a medical bill while just trying to make sure their child lives.

How you can give back

Giving Tuesday

Giving Tuesday is December 3rd. Consider giving a donation to St. Jude’s Research Hospital this holiday season.

Use the hashtag #BearsThatCare

From now until December 31st, Gordman’s will donate $1 to St. Jude’s for every time you use the hashtag #BearsThatCare on Instagram. How easy is that? If you’re going to use hashtags, add this into your post!

toddler looking at camera with teddy bear

Shop at Gordman’s and buy a Bear

Shopping at Gordman’s for gifts is at a deep discount is a given; but while you’re there, consider picking up the St. Jude’s bear.

Teach your children the power of giving back

As parents, we are delivering lessons to our children daily. Make one of those lessons the tradition of giving back this holiday season. Help in a soup kitchen, deliver toys to the hospital, or donate to a food drive. However you choose to make a difference, get your children involved in the process.

Tell me — how are you going to give back this holiday season?

Gift Giving that Gives Back with Gordman's

How to To Honor Veterans With Your Child This Veteran’s Day

November 4, 2019 by Rachel 42 Comments

Ways to Teach Your Kids How and Why They Should Honor Veterans

Veterans have served us all. This is our chance to honor them. Photo courtesy of macleans.ca.

There are 18.2 million living American veterans. That is almost eight percent of our population. These men and women have sacrificed so much for us to be able to have the freedoms that we do. After all they have done for us, we dedicate one day a year to them. It is our duty to honor vets and their sacrifices, and to teach children to do the same. It can feel overwhelming, especially for kids to think about that kind of stuff. But it does not have to be that complicated. Often times, it’s the simplest gestures of kindness and gratitude, which help a veteran feel appreciated. Here are just a few ways to help your kids this Veteran’s Day.

Teaching kids about Veteran’s Day honors veterans. It lets them know their sacrifices will never be forgotten. Photo courtesy of liherald.com.

Teach Kids The History of Veteran’s Day

Often children look over Veteran’s Day as a day they get off of school. They really do not register what it means. It is important for kids to know why we celebrate when we do and who we are celebrating. You don’t need to take your child through all of American war history for them to be able to understand the holiday. You can teach your child in simple ways.

Start by telling them that we celebrate the holiday on November 11th every year. Then, explain to them why. WWI involved most of the countries in the world fighting on one side or another. They fought really hard and a lot of people died fighting and the war destroyed a lot of things. Then finally, on November 11th all of the countries signed a peace treaty. So they called this day Armistice Day. This war was thought to be the war that ended all wars and that was something to celebrate. Unfortunately, that was not the case and another war happened. So the name was changed to Veteran’s Day, to honor those who fought in the war.

Then, you can explain to your child what a veteran is. Many children confuse this often. Explain to them that a veteran is anyone who has honorably served in the military. You can use this chance to teach them about the five branches of the military. Kids love to be quizzed on this. Explain the difference between an active-duty soldier and a veteran. Remind them that on

Veteran’s Day, we celebrate those veterans who are still living. There is a separate day, Memorial Day, where we honor those who have died. It is important that you teach your children that a veteran or soldier does not mean a person with a gun shooting bad guys. There is a wide variety of military jobs and each of them is equally important.

Most children don’t know that a ton of people in their daily lives are actually veterans. Photo courtesy of military.com.

Show Children the Veteran’s Around Them

Part of teaching children about the holiday is telling them about the Veterans around them. Tell them of any family member or close friend that is a veteran. Children get excited and want to hear stories from them. If there are no veterans close to your family, tell them of one of their friend’s parents or siblings that is a veteran or active-duty service member. It can help kids realize that veterans are all around them. Teach them to wave and smile when they see someone in uniform. Teach them the importance of thanking them for their service.

Another very important topic to teach children is about the hardships that veterans go through. It can be hard to explain this aspect of things to a child, but it is very necessary. You may want to hold off on certain topics until they are a little older. Start by telling them the hardships veterans went through when they were in service. Explain that they were in really dangerous conditions. Tell them that they had to be away from their families for really long periods of time and couldn’t talk to them much. Older veterans didn’t even get to talk on the phone.

Slowly get into how that affects them after they finally come home. Explain that it can be really hard for many soldiers to adjust back to a normal lifestyle after so many years of service. This can be lightly touched on by explaining that it can be hard for many vets to get jobs because they are not very qualified for things outside of the military, meaning that many veterans end up homeless. You can explain PTSD to children by telling them that veterans often have really bad nightmares about the things that they went through while serving in war.

It is so important to teach children about these sacrifices that these men and women have made for our freedom. This will help your child be compassionate and appreciative of veterans.

Having your child send a Veteran’s Day care package to any veteran will let them know they are appreciated. Photo courtesy of newarkadvocate.com.

Send A Care Package

One way to teach children to be appreciative of veterans and their sacrifices is to teach them to serve themselves. No, this does not mean pressure your kid into enlisting when they turn eighteen. Just encourage them to be of service to those who are or who have. A great way for you and your child to do this is to send a care package to a veteran or someone who is still serving.

There are a few different ways you can get started with this. First, you have to decide who you are going to send a care package to. Think of anyone you know who is a veteran. It could be a family member, friend, someone at your child’s school, or even someone at your church. If you cannot think of anyone, you can get a veteran’s information from your local VA medical facility.

When thanking a veteran with a care package, it does not necessarily need to be American themed or anything or the sort. The contents are not as important as the action. Try sending a tin of Mrs.Fields Cookies with a note thanking them for their service. There are great online options for sending gourmet care packages that include personalized notes. If you do not want to send a premade package, opt to make one yourself. Pick up a few things to throw in a gift basket or even just bake a cake. Veterans just like to know that they are appreciated.

If you decide to send a care package to someone on active duty, the procedure is a little bit different. These men and women are in conflict areas and have real needs. The most requested item is $25 Visa gift cards. This is how soldiers pay for wifi to get on the satellite for personal communications to home. Other highly requested items are personal hygiene-related like wet wipes, disposable razors, chapstick, body wash, lotion, face wash, mouth wash, deodorant, Q-tips, shampoo, conditioner, etc. Posters and calendars are needed for “dressing the place up”. You can also send USB thumb drives with downloaded TV or movies. This is really the only way soldiers can view this stuff.

Packing these items is very important. Care goods that aren’t packed right ruins everything in the box. You must double-bag individual liquid and gel items. Soap has to be bagged or it ruins the taste of the food items. You can send packages to an organization like Support Our Troops, where they fulfill soldier requests or you can obviously send a package to someone you know. Whenever sending a care package to a veteran or someone on active duty, you always have to send a note or card thanking them for their service. This sentence may be simple, but it packs a punch. Have your children write their own note, it will put a smile on someone’s face. If you are sending overseas, include a photo of you and your child. Soldiers like to see the faces they are fighting for and the people behind the packages.