Giftcards Galore

So I have been MIA for quite a while.
Big changes happened over the last four months and it has kept me busier than I could ever imagine.

I wish I could say that I will keep this blog completely up to date, but let's be realistic - full time job, mommy, wife and student.  Life is about to get even crazier.

But in the mean time, I wanted to share with you all a little gift I gave to my kids daycare teachers.  You know, holidays come and each time I am sitting there thinking - what the heck do I give them?  If I was on their receiving end, what would I like to receive?

And so here is what I made -

So I bought a variety of gift cards, wrapped them individually, and created this Christmas tree.  I left instructions for the teachers and staff members to select one rectangle from the tree.  When they unwrapped it, they each got a gift card.

Now, I know it can get pricey so I selected reasonable places with cards in a $10-15 dollar range and they were for local restaurants.  And I am sure you are thinking, 14 giftcards?! Well, they have a quite a few employees - some part-time and some full time and the reality of it is, they all take care of my children.  I will say that at our daycare, they truly mix and mingle among the rooms.  The kids interact with not only their main full time teacher, but part time assistant teachers as well.  I think this has been beneficial because my children are constantly learning how to interact with a variety of adults, and not cling to just one in the daycare setting.  Plus I could not forget the cafeteria or office staff.  Each and every one of them have taken the time to know and love my babies, so it was the least I could do for them.

The nice thing about this was that I did not pick what went to each person, it was a surprise. And they didn't know what they were receiving, especially since it was a mixture of places.

I think something like this makes for an easy gift, and a usable gift.  Don't get me wrong, cute mugs and pretty pens are nice, but when it is something that they can take back and use on their family, or for their daily lunch run, then I think they may appreciate it differently.  Plus, it eliminated me stressing over what to buy each individual.

I think - if the cost is an issue - this is also something that can be done in a group with other parents.  Such as everyone chipping in an set amount so that enough gift cards can be purchased.

I hope that something like this allowed them to take their family or friends out to enjoy a small meal, coffee, or dessert - and all they had to worry about was picking out what would satisfy their craving - since the purchase was on us!