Second Grade, Halloween Goody Bags!

As classroom mom, I am responsible for planning the "parties" for Lilah and Jax's second grade class.  I quoted the word parties because it's really just a holiday snack, incorporated into their already scheduled snack time.  These poor kids are considered "too old" to have an actual party. I signed up for the "sweet treat" and I collected cash donations, in hopes of getting the kids ONE good quality gift, instead of a bag of junky erasers, pencils, and plastic spiders.  I was able to collect $44 from a total of 4 parents.  I wound up donating $34 towards goodies, as well, because I couldn't decide on ONE party favor. Here's what the second graders received. 

First up, from Kirkland's Home Store, a glow-in-the-dark spinning top.  These were retailing for $5.99, but I hit the jackpot when I walked into the store, last week, and saw them on sale for 75% off.  I paid $1.49 per spinning top.  My receipt said that I saved over $103.00.  HOLY COW retail really marks up their merchandise.  The boys received the skeletons.

The girls received pumpkins.

After going to Kirkland's, I stopped in at Michael's Craft Store and realized that their Halloween items were on sale for 70% off.  WHAT?!!?!?! I spotted this Halloween GLOW Party Pack, originally retailed for $4.00 and I paid $1.20 per box.  I was super excited. I hope the kids used this glow pack during their trick or treating adventures. 

The boys got the orange pack and the girls got the black pack.  What's inside?

When you opened it up, this is how it was presented.

It contained the following:

A glow in the dark pumpkin bracelet.

 

A glow in the dark skeleton necklace.

A spider pendant (which I hung on their trick-or-treating bag).

A skeleton glow ring.

Lilah and Jax included a special gift to their peers: a free SMALL slurpee ticket and a free glazed donut coupon!

COMBINED: These lucky second graders received OVER $12 worth of goodies.  This sure does beat a bag of mini bubbles and mini halloween notebooks. Right?

Apples For Teachers At Halloween (2015)

I am HUGE on giving to those who take care of my children.  I believe FULLY that their job is NOT always easy and it really encourages them to KNOW that they are valued and appreciated, much like being a SAHM, the only difference, the teachers get a FULL salary. I have been collecting things since LAST Halloween.  NO LIE!  Last year, I bought these adorable "Eek" platters at Kirkland's.  Originally $4.99, I paid $.49 cents.  SCORE!

I was NEVER sure who I would give the platters to until I began collecting things this year, for the current teachers, that my children have now. I knew I wanted to put some type of yummy, homemade treats on them, so I decided to give the platters to the Mrs. Dixon, the school secretary, and the janitors: Mr. Earnie and Mr. Leftwhich.  

I chose to turn some ordinary Gold's pretzels into pumpkins.  All you need is orange chocolate wafers, green m&ms or skittles, and the pretzels.  Directions: 1. Melt chocolate. 2. Using a fork, dip the pretzel into the chocolate and shake fork until excess chocolate has dripped back into the bowl.  3. Lay pretzel on wax paper.  4. Attached m&m or skittle.  5. Place in the refrigerator until the chocolate has solidified back to it's natural state.  

 Aren't they the cutest little pumpkins?

 I accompanied it with some pumpkin, chocolate chip bread!  

 Just so colorful, delicious, creative, and cheery! To contain the pumpkin pretzels, I used cupcake liners. This made the pretzels stay put and if the school office staff wanted to share, but just a few, they could hand the school nurse or the gym teacher ONE cupcake liner ~ as to say, this is all you get.  Hehe.

I wrapped them up and added some personalized printables.  

Next up, I found these AWESOME spiderweb paint buckets and chose to use them for the teacher's gifts that I had been collecting since July (no lie).

I also attached a homemade printable with the teachers' names on it.

What's inside?

A scarf holder.  Why?

Because they also received a pumpkin scarf!

A Reese's peanut butter pumpkin.  

Pumpkin seeds.

 Spiced Pumpkin scented packet from Kirklands. Are you seeing the theme?

 Owl tissues.

 Candy Corn Hershey's bar.

Autumn owl hand sanitizer.

 A decorative straw!

 Pumpkin pie chap stick.

 A spider ring.

  A spooky needle pen!

 A diet coke because they say that's their favorite drink.  MINE TOO!

Each teacher also received a Chick-Fil-A calendar.

The principal and the secretary received some cute coffee cups, with a $5.00 gift cards to Starbucks (plus those goodies I mentioned above).

Believe it or NOT, I purchased these beauties from the Dollar Tree and thought they were quite bland.

So I went searching for an embellishment to add to them.  It took me quite a while.  It couldn't be a sticker or wooden piece because the cups would have to be washed at one point or another.  I spotted these awesome spider webs/spiders at Michael's Crafts.

Just add some hot glue to the back and WALAA! Talk about turning something plain looking into something darling.  

Mrs. Early (1st grade student teacher) and Mrs. Robin (the bus driver) also could NOT be forgotten.  I bought these light up cups, last Halloween, after Halloween was way over with.  Originally $5.99, but I paid $.59 cents.  Press a button and the cup lights up.

Inside, they also received a gift card to Starbucks, a Reese's pumpkin peanut butter cup, pumpkin chap stick, and a candy corn hershey's bar.

I know this blessed their day! I have already received mounds of very sweet thank you notes.

End-Of-The-Year Teacher Gifts!!! (2015)

The end of the year teacher gifts were so colorful, fun, and unique!!! I had limited time to put a ton of effort into gifts and I feel awful about it, but all I have to do is blink and it's Fall when I thought it was Summer.  My point...the end of the year really snuck up on me. Believe it or NOT, I spotted these darling water bottles, at the Dollar Tree, months ago. I wasn't sure who I'd give them to, but I knew the gift wouldn't end there.  I knew I wanted to monogram them. So I did. What started out as a plain, but cute water bottle, eventually turned monogrammed and even cuter.

The first gift was a gift picked out for Ty's fourth grade, homeroom teacher, Mrs. Rottkamp.

I designed an apple print, that spoke about the meaning behind an apple. #thanksalexandani.

I wrapped it up the gift in cute black/white polka dot paper.

What was inside?

Ooooooh, an Alex and Ani bracelet, OR TWO!

Mrs. Rottkamp received the "Apple Of Abundance" and an initial "J", Alex and Ani bracelet.  

I wound up finding some coordinating orange items, to go along with the water bottle, and gave the orange set to Mrs. Rottkamp, in addition to the Alex and Ani bangles.

Who doesn't like anything monogrammed?

Sweet orange extra gum!

An orange ice pack!

And finally, a few chocolate truffles from Chocolate Paper.

Next up, Ms. Dixon. She just recently got engaged and her NEW last name will begin with an "L", so I went ahead and personalized her bottle with her NEW last name. It will probably be the first item she owns with an "L" on it.

I hope she appreciated that detail!

A lime ice pack.

Spearmint extra gum!

Chocolate truffles from Chocolate Paper.

Ms. Dixon's gift was wrapped the same, but each of their notes were personal and different.

The "Apple Of Abundance" charm is so perfect for any teacher.

Miss Dixon also received an "H" Alex and Ani bracelet, for her first name, HOLLY!

Finally, a gift for Mrs. Meredith!  Tyson had two teacher's this year and I failed to get her anything throughout the year, because I felt like I could get away with just giving her a really nice end-of-the-year gift.

It's not BAD when you have to wait until the end of the year.  Look at everything she received.

A beautiful  beach bag.

The reddish pink water bottle set!

Sweet watermelon extra gum!

A watermelon ice pack.

A Barnes and Noble gift card.

Smores Oreo Coookies.

And finally, sunscreen.

I don't usually say this, but I think these teachers really lucked out this year! Of course, they 100% deserved it. If you liked these gift ideas, then you should check out our "label", on the right hand side of our blog, titled, "Apples For Teachers!" Also, if you LOVE that beach bag, then go get yourself one for $12.95 with ANY purchase at Barnes and Noble.  They have all different patterns too (navy stripes/red anchor, yellow stripes/navy ship wheel, purple stripes/yellow starfish).  $12.95 people......