Gift Guide: Showing some love to your teachers

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It seems like every time you scroll through facebook it is some kind of “national” day of some sort! National Dog Day! National Popcorn Day! National Sibliings Day! ha! You get the idea! Well, we think next week is a “national day” worth celebrating!

National Teachers Appreciation Week is May 7-11. What a great time to spoil those awesome teachers that you and your kids have been blessed with! But… What do you get a teacher that she/he doesn’t already have a million of?

It is a questions we struggle with every Christmas, so this spring, we decided to take get rid of the guessing game and just ask!

We asked several teachers, “What are you favorite/most memorable gifts you have received from a student”? Here is what they had to say!

“Some of my favorite gifts include coffee, hand soap and hand written cards! It is always a treat to go back years late and look at old notes from students.”

“One year, I had a student give me a gift basket with all the ingredients to make ice cream sundaes. It was such a treat and something I could enjoy with my family. Sonic gift cards are always a great idea too!”

“As you know, teachers spend a lot of their own money on things they want to use for their classrooms. I most appreciate a gift card to some place like Walmart or Target so I can purchase supplies I would like to buy for my classroom, but I don’t have to use my own personal money.”

“You can’t go wrong with gift cards from Sonic for happy hour–or really any gift card that is food related!”

“Gift cards where we can go buy supplies for our classroom, such as Walmart, Dollar General, Target and IPA. I also love Bath and Body works wall flower fragrances and gift cards to Sonic!”

“Thoughtful cards are the best. I also appreciate nice pens for grading or cute office supplies and Sonic or Starbucks gift cards. NO coffee mugs or cups! I have so many!”

“Once a student (or their mom!) was crafty and created a little bin full of different mints and gum. It lasted me all semester and it was wonderful!”

“My most memorable gift was given to me when I was teaching kindergarten. I had the student of a co-worker at school create a photo of my class that I will treasure forever. She had framed our class photo, then one day while I was away, she had the entire class sign the mat of the frame. I loved it!” 

 

Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas for Him

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Valentines-Day-SETX-Weddings

Looking for that “perfect” gift for your man on Valentine’s Day can be a daunting task. Valentine’s Day in general seems to be more geared toward the ladies. I’m not complaining at all, but let’s face it there are many more options for the ladies when it comes to Valentine’s gifts.

With that being said, we can’t forget about the important men in our lives. We should equally show them love as well. I know I personally have struggled with what to do for my husband when it comes to V-Day. I have a few ideas for you ladies that won’t cost to much, and in some cases nothing at all!

10 ways to show your man the love on Valentine’s Day:

  1. Leave a heart felt card in his car before he leaves for work. He will not only be surprised, but flattered to know you are thinking of him.
  2. Get him a new coffee mug that he can take with him. Have his coffee ready in it with a card right beside it.
  3. Plan a romantic dinner at home. Cook his favorite meal, have the kids go to family or friends house for the night, light some candles and just enjoy the time together.
  4. vdayLottery Tickets. I did this one year and made a lottery ticket bouquet with the tickets and each ticket had a note that read: “I won the lottery when I fell in love with you.” Even though it was little cheesy, he still loved the creative thought behind it.
  5. Schedule a couples massage. This is actually a gift for the both of you, but hey it’s time together and it’s relaxing. Who doesn’t love a nice massage!?
  6. Don’t have the extra money? Create a massage like environment at home. Turn the lights down, turn on some relaxing music, get some nice massage oil and viola’ a great gift he will absolutely love.
  7. Boudoir’ photo book. If you really want to go all out this would be the perfect gift! Guys are visual creatures so what would be more perfect than a boudoir photo book? You can create a very tasteful and classy book that still show your assets without showing your assets! 😉
  8. A date night jar. Put date night ideas on cute paper. Randomly pick out of the jar for your date night. You can have a wide variety of ideas from movie nights at home to going out on the town.
  9. a1775bba58c191a2efb8d86a38ea89e8Book of love coupons. Fill it with cute ideas from breakfast in bed, 30 minute massages, going to do something with him that he enjoys. The list is endless.
  10. A scavenger hunt. Leave love notes around the house with reasons you love him and hints that lead him to you.

 

 

Give Great Gifts: Gift ideas for HIM

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ford-christmas-sliderChristmas shopping for the men in your life can be a tad tricky! I must admit, while I love all the guys in my family, they are always the last to be checked off my Christmas list! You can only buy so many (insert favorite sports team here) t-shirts!

fordWhile it might not be in the budget this year to surprise your man with a new car or truck, our sponsors at Les Jacobs Ford can help you out with some pretty cool gift ideas for their current ride! After chatting with Darrin at Les Jacobs Ford, we discovered a few gift options that we think would be great!

  1. Oil changes: While getting your oil changed isn’t exactly a fun outing, it is an important one! Wouldn’t it be great to already have this very important task paid for! A basic oil change at Les Jacobs Ford includes both oil and service and can be done on most vehicles for approximately $40. Want to spend a little more on your man? How about oil changes for a year? I know my husband would be thrilled with this!
  2. Car wash: Gift certificates for car washes make a great stocking stuffer! While they don’t have a car wash at Les Jacobs Ford, you can swing by most local car washes and pick up a few for stockings! (Great girl gift or teen gift idea as well!)
  3. Car Detail: If your man likes a clean car, this is the gift for him! Full details start at $175 and include a deep clean and wax on the exterior of the vehicle and an interior shampoo, steam treatment and lots of elbow grease! If you want to make his car or truck shine like it’s new again–this is the gift you’ve been searching for.
  4. ford-accessoriesAccessories: While you can pick up vehicle accessories at other larger department stores, it is important that you only use accessories that are designed to work with your vehicle–the staff at Les Jacobs Ford can help you with that. A few popular items that they can help you with include spray in bed liners, mud flaps, tool boxes and tires! One trendy accessory that is popular right now are weather tech mats. They are made in America and perfectly fit the areas where you place your feet!

We know men can be tricky to buy for, but this year, no need to run around town trying to decide what to get him. Stop by Les Jacobs Ford and let Darrin and his friendly staff take care of all your car-shopping needs! You can reach them at 1.888.259.3009.
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Give Great Gifts: Gift ideas from FFO Home

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Still looking for that last minute gift? Have somebody on your list that can be tough to buy for? This Christmas, FFO Home has you covered. From their amazing accent pieces, wall art and great furniture pieces you are sure to find the perfect gift.

homeChristmas is all about creating memories and spending time as a family. Some of my favorite memories involve the beloved White Elephant Gift Exchange. I always end up buying something that I personally would want to end up with! It typically consist of some type of cute home décor.

This “Home is Where the Heart Is“ home accessory makes a great gift this holiday season, for just $15 (score!). We think it is also a great option for a house warming or wedding gift as well. And with FFO Home’s everyday lowest prices guaranteed you can pick one up for yourself too!

wineWe can think of plenty of times when this lighted wall art would be appropriate and we’re sure you could too! A great lift of humor for any space. We also love the fact that it lights up, making the space super comfy and cozy!

chairFFO Home also has an impressive selection of accent chairs! They would be perfect for any corner of the house for that person that is hard to buy for. The chairs are super stylish, and most importantly, have the perfect price tag to fit your budget. One of our favorites is this cute black and white number! It will easily compliment any room, featuring an off-white and black pattern resembling that of a book or newspaper.screen-shot-2016-12-16-at-8-54-03-am

Speaking of great chairs! Check out this Lane recliner with heat and massage options. What a great Christmas surprise for your hubby!  Plus, we really love that the chair is a nice neutral color making it easy to add to any living room, man-cave or bedroom.

 

If you’re anything like us, sometimes for Christmas we forgo the individual gifts for our spouse and buy something great for the house. Treat yourself this holiday season! After all you deserve it. With FFO’s amazing prices you can afford it and not feel guilty about making a larger purchase! We love this great neutral sofa (now only $233)!couch

shop-gifts-forevery-one-in-your-dec-2016While waiting to the last minute to shop can feel stressful–there are some perks too! Right now, FFO Home is offering $25 off home accents on purchases of $250. Merry Christmas to us! 

Want to Learn more about FFO Home click here to read our Sponsor Spotlight story.

Can’t wait to save? Find your local FFO Home here – they have 37 locations and counting so you can save on everything you need for your home no matter where you live.

 

Give Great Gifts: Gift Ideas from Wickman’s Garden

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wickmans_livingintheseasonIf you haven’t been to visit our sponsors at Wickman’s Garden Village this holiday season let me tell you: You are missing out!

We are crazy for Christmas, but Wickman’s takes Christmas to a whole new level. Their poinsettia room may just be the coolest green-house experience ever! In fact, just last year I purchased one for my grandmother and it has lived to see another Christmas (thanks to my Mimi for working her green-thumb magic!)!poinsettia-collage

Poinsettia’s not your plant of choice? No problem! The green house at Wickman’s has several great options to chose from. Here are just a few that we thought would be great gift options: (top left: holiday cactus, top right: cyclaman and bottom: greenhouse succulents)green-house-collage

One of our favorite Christmas traditions is picking out a new ornament each year for both my kiddos. The hope is that one day, when they are out of the house, they will take their ornaments with them and decorate their own tree. I don’t want them to forget about their momma! =)  Wickman’s has a great selection of unique, quality ornaments that are sure to last for years to come.ornament-collage

Lastly, if you are looking for a unique gift-item for that hard-to-shop for person on your list or just want to update your own Christmas decor, no need to run around Southwest Missouri in search of something fun and different. One stop at Wickman’s and you will be set. We love both of these looks!flower-shop-2 flower-shop-1

Make the trip to Wickman’s, take a look around and finish up that Christmas shopping!

Wickman’s Garden Village, 1345 S. Fort in Springfield. You can reach them via phone 417.862.3707