Make the Grade: Thank Your Teachers with a Local Gift
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We just had our last day of beginner’s preschool on Tuesday. How did that happen? I feel like the school year just started not that long ago and poof, here we are. But then I looked at our first and last day photos and you can clearly see time has past and my little guy has grown so much. Not to mention, that when the school year started, Wesley wasn’t even a thing in this universe yet.
Caleb’s first and last day of preschool
With the school year coming to a close, it’s time to thank the teachers that took care the kids during the school year. My mom was a fourth grade teacher and I know how much time, effort, and love teachers pour into their students. The parents of our class ended up putting together a basket, but I had some ideas in my back pocket that I thought I’d share.
You know what’s nice, to buy locally! For one, you support all our local small businesses which help make Tacoma awesome. And two, they are near by and don’t require the time (and sometimes cost) of shipping. And let’s face it, the last day of school is nye so we gotta get things ASAP.
P.S. If I didn’t have two kids and had more time in my life, I would have visited each store before this post and taken awesome photos. Alas, this is the season of my life right now. But trust me, these stores will definitely have cute stuff.
Compass Rose
For the life of me, I can’t remember the brand but there is a really lovely neck wrap at Compass Rose. It’s one that you can warm up or cool down and lay around your neck for relaxation and relief tension. I think it has some lavender. And to boot, it’s pretty. If that’s not available, there is SO MUCH STUFF here that would work…candles, mugs, books, kitchen ware, jewelry, lotions, etc.
Paper Luxe
Honestly, Paper Luxe and Compass Rose are fairly similar in their offerings. Both are totally awesome stores. I do prefer the cards at Paper Luxe. I feel like they have more selection. Grab a candle, Tacoma sticker, mug, or stationary. Cute stuff for sure!
The Fernseed
This is a new store in the Proctor district that offers beautiful home goods and plants. A succulent for your teachers home or classroom would be so lovely. A little green anywhere is always so refreshing.
Manifesto Coffee Roasters
Who doesn’t love a nice, warm cup of coffee to start off the day? I would think teachers need that caffeine boost to deal with all those kids. Our preschool teacher had nine 2-3 year old boys in our class. If I were her, I’d need several cups of coffee to get me through the morning, hehe. Manifesto is a great, local roaster in Hilltop. They make a mean latte, so pick one up for yourself while you purchase the beans. Or, you could hit up some of our other coffee favorites: Valhalla, Blue Beard, Olympia, or Anthem.
Mad Hat Tea Company
After a hectic day with kids, a cup of tea might help calm you down. Mad Hat has so many types of tea, it’s amazing. We love their teas and a particular favorite of mine is the Earl Grey Roobios (with milk and sugar, of course. The true English way to drink tea). It’s caffeine free so you can enjoy it in the evening as you watch your favorite TV show. Can’t get much better than that.
Bee Kings Raw Honey
I’ve been on a honey kick lately. Bee Kings have some totally rad flavors. Right now I love to slather the whipped lemon honey on some toast with butter. Heaven. They have a little three jar set at Anthem, too.
T Town Trading Co.
This store sells all things Tacoma. Have you seen the Tacoma shirts with the octopus. Yup, it’s from here. There is a nice, big Tacoma mug that would be an awesome gift. And let’s show our Tacoma love by drinking out of a Tacoma mug!
Curious Bear Toy & Book Shop
I love this children’s store. I already wrote to you about it here. You could get a children’s book for the teacher to add to their classroom library. They have a whole slew of books that are just too adorable. As a bonus, your kiddos can play around while you browse. Oh, and then pop over to Paper Luxe for a card and a candle because it’s just next door (and the same owner).
Gift Cards
Of course, a gift card is always appreciated. You could get one for Cactus, Honey Coffee + Kitchen, Ice Cream Social, Hello Cupcake or to any of the places mentioned above!
Bringing it All Together
You can basically pair many of the things I’ve suggested to make a fun gift (tea + honey, coffee + mug, etc) or even a little basket. Our class used this basket from Target - super cute!
I hope this helps you find something special for your teacher. Oh, and you could try many of these places for the dad in your life because that’s coming up this Sunday, too.