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Back-to-School: Teacher Gifts

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Back-to-school Teacher Gifts After receiving a postcard in the mail this afternoon from her teacher, my daughter is getting excited about school. Finally! 😉

With the last few school supplies still needing purchased, I am gearing up for our start next week. One item crossed off my list is Back-to-School Teacher Gifts.

Last week in the Back-to-School free printables post, I promised a show and tell of our teacher gifts. With almost all of these gifts found in the $1 section of Target, I scored two gifts under $25.

In stretching our dollars, I loved the price and the Lorax and Cat in the Hat themes since both my children have Dr. Seuss books on their reading list.

With my son entering 2nd grade and my daughter starting K5, I chose the following items for their teacher gifts:

Dr. Seuss' the Lorax teacher gifts

Dr. Seuss theme for 2nd Grade Teacher Gift

2nd Grade Teacher Gifts – $8

    1. Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax project magnetic notepad
    2. Box of fruit snacks – free after coupon from Bi-Lo survey
    3. Dr. Seuss container
    4. Washable sidewalk chalk
    5. Red ink pad
    6. Blue ink pad
    7. 4-Count rubber stamps: Wow!, Great job!, super star!, and 100%
    8. 1 Rubber stamp: Awesome!
    9. Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax bag
The Cat in the Hat theme for K5

The Cat in the Hat theme for K5 Teacher Gift

K5 Teacher Gifts – $12

    1. 2 Packages of Dr. Seuss certificates
    2. 2 Packages of The Cat in the Hat certificates
    3. 3 Packages double-sided word strips for writing practice
    4. 3 Packages dry-erase markers
    5. Box of fruit snacks – free after coupon from Bi-Lo survey
    6. Dr. Seuss Flash Cards: numbers 1-20
    7. The Cat in the Hat bag

As we continue preparing for a great school year, these teacher gifts show our appreciation while stretching our dollars. My children are looking forward to delivering these goodies to their new teachers.

If school is already in progress, consider a survival kit for the 2nd week of school or the 2nd month of school. My son’s kindergarten teacher loved banana bread, so I would surprise her periodically with a fresh loaf.

Remembering your children’s teachers throughout the year with little appreciative notes or gifts brightens their day. Encouraging your teachers is a great use of your time. Happy new school year!

Question: When did or does school start in your area?

Back-to-School Free Printables

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Back to school free printables

Photograph Credit: iStockphoto

After squeaking out the last few days of summer with shopping trips for those items that just didn’t go on sale and one more trip to the water park, I will return to this post to print these items for our school activities.

Though our school year begins at the end of August, I know many have or are returning to school this week. To send you off prepared, enjoy stretching your dollars with these free school-related printables from around the blogosphere:

First Day Picture Signs

Telisa from Sugar Tots Designs created grade signs for your child to hold during your first day photo shoot.  Find your desired sign at I Heart Nap Time and download it. Then attach to a paint stick or pencil for your child to hold while picture posing.

Lunch Box Notes

I am one-of-those sappy moms who writes a note each day, dates it, and keeps it when it comes back home. Realizing that these notes probably mean more to me than to my son, I file them away with that year’s documents.

These notes may one day get tossed, but I continue to write. With my daughter beginning school this year, the notes will mean more to her, and I know she will keep them. 🙂

Though a plain sheet paper, folded and torn, works fine, I really like these cute printables for a nice change:

1. The Happy Home Fairy posted this Free Printable Lunch Box Notes Round-Up with lots of options.

2. For a more whimsical note, Build-A-Bear Workshop offers these free lunch box notes on their Facebook Page.

3. With these free lunch box notes by Paper Coterie, I love the Top 10 Reasons I love you. 😉

NOTE: If you get a TEMPORARILY UNAVAILABLE message through the Paper Coterie link, then click on the green DOWNLOAD button in the right hand corner of the Media Fire page. Then the printables should load.

Notes for School

When you need to inform the school of a late arrival, early pickup, absent notice, or any other information, Anything But Perfect created these free school notes. I love the clean, organized look to these school notes.

Money Notes for School

For the picture orders, book clubs, pizza orders, and field trip payments, these money notes designed by Anything But Perfect provide a quick and easy way to communicate with the teacher regarding your financial designation.

Teacher’s Survival Kit

Last year, I created this cute Teacher’s Survival Kit for my son’s teacher. Allowing him to help gather the items and put the package together geared up my son for a new school year.

This year, I put together items purchased from Target’s Dollar section that would benefit our two teachers. Next week, I will share with pictures our teacher kits. If you would like more inspiration, check out these posts from Teaching Heart and Kim’s Korner 4 Teacher Talk.

In using time wisely to finish this summer without regrets and to plan for the next chapter this fall, use these free printables to get you on track while stretching your dollars. With adjustments to the change of pace and routine, these printables offer simple solutions for back-to-school while saving you money, energy, and time. Happy saving!

Question: Which printable is your favorite?

JCP: Kids’ Eyeglasses for $25 through August 31, 2012

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$25 eyeglass for kids through August 31, 2012

Photograph Credit: JCP

With the announcement this week by J. C. Penney’s CEO Ron Johnson, J. C. Penney stores will offer “many innovations in the coming months.”

I’m not sure what JCP leadership has in mind, but they have already begun great deals. In addition to the free kids’ haircuts, participating JCP locations also provide kids’ eyeglasses for $25 through August 31, 2012.

This offer is valid for children ages 16 and younger and cannot be combined with other offers, package pricing, prior orders, or vision insurance.

Though JCP offers eye exams, this offer does not require an exam at J. C. Penney’s optical. However, you will need a current prescription (written within one year) to purchase your child’s $25 eyeglasses.

As you prepare your children for a new school year, these new changes at JCP come with deep savings. Continue stretching your dollars while using time wisely. Spend wisely!

Question: How are you stretching your dollars during back-to-school season? 

2012: Sales Tax-Free Days

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2012 Sales Tax Free Days

Photograph Credit: Flickr (Recon Cycles)

If your state or commonwealth participates in tax-free days, then waiting to make a qualified purchased during those times will stretch your dollars. The Federation of Tax Administrators issued the 2012 State Sales Tax Holidays list, including limits and information links.

Though designed to help offset the back-to-school costs, these tax-free days can save you money on items you need.

For example, in South Carolina our tax-free days have no limits on clothing, school supplies, and computers. If we plan to purchase an iPad or choose to purchase clothing from the summer clearance racks for next year, then those items will not incur sales tax on those tax-free days.

By planning ahead, waiting patiently, and scoring those deals during tax-free days, you can continue stretching your dollars while using time wisely. Happy savings!

Question: Are you planning a big purchase during your tax-free days?

Raising Money: Labels for Education and Box Tops for Education

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Schools are often raising money for equipment, supplies, and expansion projects. Creating fundraisers is not for the faint-hearted. These events need tons of volunteers, high-energy, and hours of time.

In stretching your dollars and using time wisely, consider helping schools by saving the labels on products you already purchase.

Labels for Education

Photograph Credit: Labels for Education

The Labels for Education program, offered through the Campbell’s family of brands, rewards schools based on the number of labels collected.

On participating products, you can find a label for education, printed with the UPC symbol. By clipping these labels, collecting them, and submitting them together through a coordinator, schools can redeem their points for equipment and supplies.

This program is ongoing and a great way to help your school without spending extra cash. Just check your empty boxes, cans, and containers for labels before disposing of them. When everyone participates, the label count increases, and the schools reap the rewards.

Box Tops for Education

Photograph Credit: Box Tops for Education

Another great program involving labels is Box Tops for Education. These labels on participating products are worth $.10 per label. Similar to Labels for Education, the labels need to be submitted through the school-appointed coordinator.

In addition to collecting labels, Box Tops offers more opportunities for fund raising through on-line shopping, bonus tops, eBox Tops, and sweepstakes.

If you live in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, or Tennessee, you can enter to win 100,000 Box Tops for your school. This is $10,000 for the winner’s chosen school.

Since Publix (a southern company) sponsored this sweepstakes (expiration date: February 28, 2012), entrants must meet the criteria: resident of a listed southern state.If you cannot take part in this sweepstakes, then keep watch. There are other opportunities throughout the year.

In using time wisely and stretching your dollars, keep a watchful eye on empty containers, jars, cans, boxes, and packages for Labels for Education and Box Tops for Education. If you do not have school-aged children or know of any school-aged children, any school will gladly accept your labels.

Raising money for education does not need time-consuming events. Cutting and collecting labels helps our schools without sacrificing money, energy, and time. Happy label hunting!

Question: What is your favorite fundraiser for education?