Teacher Survival Kits

This year, I decided to make teacher gifts for the first day of school. (Yes, I'm that excited). The Teacher Survival Kit.

I'm generally a very unoriginal teacher gift giver; bookstore gift cards for every occasion, every teacher, every year. This year I wanted to thank the kids' teachers ahead of time, because this year, I really, really, really mean it! Teachers amaze me.

I struggled on most summer days just to get something other than cereal on the dinner table. I sometimes counted pool time as a bath. (I also counted swimming in the ocean. Or when the kids spilled water/milk/juice on any portion of their bodies). I knew summer would be a challenge - common activities for ages 3, 5 and 7 - all day, in this heat? I can't even take all three to the grocery store for milk without giving myself a pep talk! I had no idea they would work so well together as a team or that I would be the enemy. But 7 is just old enough to realize that you aren't perfect, to map your weaknesses and plot your downfall. And 3 is just old enough to help execute secret missions yet look too young and cute to be guilty. 5 is smart enough to know she can get away with anything as long as the evidence portrays 7 as the brains and 3 as the foot soldier.

So that brings us back to - TEACHERS! The amazing people who take these summer monsters and turn them back into the wonderful children that we haven't seen since June. I wanted to thank the kids' teachers upfront this year, to start the year by acknowledging how much they give and to express how grateful we are for every bit of it.

The Teacher Survival Kit. The idea is to fill a container with things that might be useful during the year, especially on crazy days when a teacher might be in a rush and need some extra caffeine, vitamins, headache relief, possibly even breakfast or lunch. Add a few convenience items, and definitely a good lip balm and a good hand lotion.

Contents:

Large Pencil Case (as container)

Excedrin Tension Headache

Scott Mini Lint Roller

Purell Hand Sanitizer

BreathSavers

Vitamin C Drops

Luna Lemon Zest Meal Bar

C.O. Bigelow Lemon Lip Balm

Nail File
True Blue Spa Look Ma, New Hands Lotion
Wisp Disposable Toothbrushes

Tide To Go Pen

2 Lipton Energize To Go Iced Tea Mix packets

2 Propel Cherry-Lime Vitamin Enhanced Drink Mix packets

On the inside lid I tried to be funny...

...but then I read that one of the teachers graduated high school in 1998. Can teachers be too young for Seinfeld references? Yikes.