A Little Goes a Long Way: How I Celebrated Teacher Appreciation Week This Year
Gift giving has always been one of my love languages, and over time, I’ve realized that presentation is part of that language too. The colors, the textures, the way everything comes together…it brings me joy in a way that feels almost therapeutic.
As an educator myself, when Teacher Appreciation Week comes around, I don’t just think about my daughter’s classroom teachers. I thought about everyone who pours into her on a daily and weekly basis.
Her world doesn’t begin and end in one classroom and neither does my gratitude.
This year, that meant putting together small, intentional gifts for 16 people: her two classroom teachers teachers, her morning care counselors, her fine arts teachers, and the aftercare team.
For her classroom teachers and morning care counselors, I kept it simple and practical: Publix gift cards because sometimes the best gift is choice. Groceries, a quick dinner, a little treat after a long day or whatever they may need.
For her fine arts teachers, I went with Dunkin gift cards. Something about a coffee and croissant sandwich to start the day just feels like a small moment of peace, and I wanted them to have that.
For the aftercare counselors, I leaned into something a little more personal: a care package moment. I included a foot mask from Danielle Creations, Topical eye masks, a mini can of Coca-Cola, a mini bottle of Bacardi rum, and a lime. Everything they’d need to make a single-serve Cuban Libre at home.
It felt like saying: I see how hard you work. Go home, put your feet up, and take a moment for yourself.
And for everyone, I added two scratch-offs. Just a little fun and a moment of possibility to spice things up.
The bags and stickers came from Hobby Lobby, and honestly… that part might have been my favorite. My daughter enjoyed labeling each gift bag and adding stickers too.
There’s something about putting everything together and packaging it all up in a way that feels intentional. I love when a simple gift turns into a mini experience. And I wanted each person to feel that. Not just the gift itself, but the care behind it.
If you’re a parent reading this, let me say this softly: it doesn’t have to be a lot. It really doesn’t. As a teacher, I can tell you firsthand nothing is expected.
The economic times right now aren’t easy. Life in 2026 feels expensive in ways we’re all trying to navigate quietly. So a handwritten note, a simple thank you, even just being kind and present at pickup are gifts that stay with us longer than anything else.
This post wasn’t about doing the most. It was about pausing long enough to recognize the village that helps me raise my daughter and choosing to pour back into them, even in a small way.
Because at the end of the day, that’s what this space and this life I’m building is really about: finding beauty in the everyday and creating moments that feel good.\
As always, remember to love YOUR life. Live YOUR style.
