School Supply Love

I'm not sure if there is anything better than the sight of an aisle of school supplies. Weird, I know! But I would rather be shopping for school supplies than clothes. I just love me some fresh pencils and post it notes!!!!

Anywho, was at Costco yesterday and just couldn't resist the allure of snapping some shots. Here's a taste of September in July!

Cheers!

Olwyn

P.S. I restrained myself and only bought one of these items. Can you guess which one? But I did buy a few other school supply items that I didn't photograph. It was just too tempting. I mean, a box of 24 black Sharpies for less than $15! And rainbow Sharpies for under $10! How is any teacher supposed to resist that?!?!

P.P.S. Yep, you were right! I bought the pencils. Because "I have enough pencils" was said by no teacher ever!!!!!

Craftworks

I wanted to do a shout out for a fabulous organization here in town. If you are needing some great gift ideas for the holidays, look no further!!!!

Have you ever heard of Craftworks? It is an organization that offers adults with disabilities the opportunity to create wonderful handmade items. 

Oh, and I should say upfront, that I am in no way connected to this organization and have not been given any sort of remuneration for this post. I just love their stuff! 

The ornaments are my favourite! I especially love the Richard Scarry ornaments from my childhood. They bring back such good memories. (I learned to read with his books. Check out the link to one of my all time fave books!) And the newer First Nations ornaments are pretty spectacular with all of the detail in them. 

Check it out!

I meant to get this post written while Circle Craft was still on because they had a booth there but, alas, the week got away from me!!

But, wait! You can still get these items at a sale near you! (I always wanted to sound like an infomercial!!!!)

They will be at Candytown on the 22nd. So, mark it down on your calendar and get yourself down to Yaletown for Candyland next weekend!

Cheers!

Olwyn

Summer is Here and the Livin' is Easy

I have been officially on holiday for 3 days now.

I am going through my usual work withdrawal. Does anyone else do this? I get cranky and don't know what to do with myself for about the first week of summer and then I settle into a new routine. Not fun for me but really not fun for my hubby and daughter!!!!

Of course, I still have work to do at school. I need to finish cleaning up the classroom, packing things up so that the custodians will do a deeper clean and purging for the move next year. And, then there is the bookroom.

Ah, the bookroom. Filled with a gazillion levelled book bags that all have to be inventoried. By moi. I could just leave it but I don't want to come back in the Fall and have to do it then (September is crazy busy enough already thank you!)

Plus, it really needs to be up to date for the big move.The good part about doing it in the summer is that I can bring my ipod and amp up the tunes while I inventory. It shouldn't take more than a day or three.

I actually don't mind doing the inventory. It is the dust I hate. What is it about bookrooms and dust? I don't think this one has been properly cleaned in forever. I mean, if they won't clean a shelf in the classroom unless it is empty, what are the chances that they will clean the shelves in a bookroom filled with book boxes? I am guessing....nada!

So, on my last day of classes with the students, the parents in my class gave me an appreciation gift. It was so sweet and thoughtful.

I know that there are different camps on the whole teacher gift thing but, I have to say, I don't think that there is anything wrong with giving a teacher gift. I work really, really hard and it is truly wonderful to have that hard work acknowledged by the families in my class.

One year, at my last school, I got a Taj Mahal made out of popsicle sticks. Another year, a gift card to a local mall. Yet another year, I got a wonderful book filled with photos from the year. And, still another year, I got a huge vase and each child brought me a flower for the vase. It was beautiful. I still have the vase and it is filled with all the stones and shells I have found on my journeys.

The gifts are not all super expensive nor are they always practical (I mean, where exactly does one keep a 2 foot tall replica of the Taj Mahal made out of popsicle sticks?) but they always, always come from the heart. I know this and I appreciate the gesture (big or small) in the spirit in which it is intended.

I feel so honored that families gift me with their children for 6 hours each day, 10 months of the year. There are probably days when I see more of a child than their parents do (I know that this was true of my daughter when I had to work late and would get home just before her bedtime) and I realize how special the relationship between a teacher and child can be. 

I also realize that, often, I make an impact without knowing. Case in point...one of my little ones this year, who had me vacillating between wanting to hug him and shake him for most of the year, went to the principal the other day to ask if he could be with me again next year. Was I shocked? You bet! I fully expected him to think I was an ogre for always being on his case but, instead, he very seriously told the principal (and later me) that he does not want to leave me. How sweet is that? And, let me tell you, his wanting me to be his teacher again was a gift that hit me right in the heart.

Anywho, I digress...back to the gift from my class.

This year, I got an amazing flower bouquet from my class with a lovely card. At first glance, I thought it was paper oragami and was just glad that I was finally getting a plant I can't kill BUT.... when the parents told me to look again, this is what I saw...

It is made of money!!!!! How freakin' cool is that?!?! My class parent put it together for me. Isn't it loverly? And, oh so, clever?

I would love to say that I kept it to admire for awhile but, no, I took it apart and took myself off to the running store where I invested in the brand new pair of running shoes I have been wanting (but not willing to spend the money on or, rather, but spending the money on my teenager instead!) to get for forever!

And today I took myself off to the gym and wore them for the first time. So, not only did my class show their appreciation with their lovely gift but they are helping to gift me with better health as well! So, a big, huge, enormous, stupendous THANK YOU to all the kids and parents in my class. I will always remember you as my last group of turtles. And, hopefully (fingers crossed), I will be a tad fitter when you see me next!!!!!

Happy Mother's Day!

I hope that all of you had a wonderful, relaxing, love filled day! I spent the day driving to Bellingham to look for a prom dress for my daughter. It was a fun time AND we found a dress. 5 malls, 30 stores and about 50 dresses before finding THE one. I bet you could hear my sigh of relief all the way from Bellis Fair!!!!

Plus, there were some fab sales on so I got a few things. I can hardly wait to wear them tomorrow. Especially my new shoes (which I actually got on Saturday during round 4 of the shopping drama that was looking for a prom dress!) from Toms. Love, love, love my new Toms!!!!



picture from their website. Click the link above to go there!

I have to send out a huge, gigantic thank you to the scrapbooking mama from our class (you know who you are!!!) who came to help the kids make cards for their moms. And who personally made 23 boxes and the beautiful flowers to attach to them. Gift wrapping has never been so easy! I have been spoiled having this mom in my class this year. Thank you!

I hope that all of you Moms out there enjoyed your present the kids made in class. It took a very long time for some of them to accomplish the weaving. We are talking hours in some cases. We started 3 weeks early since I knew it was going to be a major fine motor skills work out for some of the students. Hopefully, you found a moment to sit back, brew the tea and rest it on your new coaster.