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Free Teacher Appreciation Printable + Inexpensive Gift Ideas

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Free teacher appreciation printable in a bunch of fun colors. Inexpensive gift ideas included!

Teacher Appreciation Week is the first week of May — that’s so soon! Don’t wait until the last minute to get your act together. Just snag this free printable, pick up a few inexpensive gifts, and you’ll be all set.

Snag a free teacher appreciation printable in a bunch of fun colors. Find inexpensive gift ideas from a teacher, too!

Free Teacher Appreciation Printable

Both of my kids love their teachers, which means I love them, too. In addition, we also love the teachers’ assistants, librarians, principals, counselors, secretaries… yup, we pretty much love everyone, and that isn’t even counting Sunday School teachers or daycare workers.

Basically, there are a lot of people I want to show appreciation to for Teacher Appreciation Week. With that in mind, I created a bunch of cute printable tags — complete with puns, because of course — that are ready to be paired with fun, useful, inexpensive gifts.

My first printable says “We’re in Good Hands with You.”

Snag a free teacher appreciation printable in a bunch of fun colors. Find inexpensive gift ideas from a teacher, too!

I’ll be attaching the tag to a bottle of nice hand soap; you could go with hand sanitizer (I promise your child’s teacher needs some at this point in the school year) or nail polish. If you’ve got more room in your budget, a gift certificate for a manicure would be a sweet gift.

Many teachers say they’re inundated with more scented lotions than they can handle. Unless you know your child’s teacher has a specific need for a preferred scent, I recommend avoiding lotion as a gift.

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Snag a free teacher appreciation printable in a bunch of fun colors. Find inexpensive gift ideas from a teacher, too!

Best Baby Products Under $20

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These are seriously the best baby products under $20. They’re all mom-tested and -approved, and guaranteed to make this parenting thing a whole lot easier.

I’ve bought a lot of baby products over the last six plus years. Some I’ve loved, some I’ve hated, and some I’ve enjoyed so much I’m constantly telling others about them. If you’re looking for a roundup of must-have baby products, this isn’t it. If you want a list of items guaranteed to make your life a little easier, read on.

Best Baby Products Under $20

These are seriously the best baby products under $20. They're all mom-tested and approved, and guaranteed to make this parenting thing a whole lot easier.

 

  1. Self-Laminating Baby Bottle Labels, $9 | If your baby spends any time in a place with other babies- church, daycare, grandma’s house- you need these labels. They’re super easy to use and will hold up for months.
  2. Bandana Bibs, $5 | Q is a drooler. Big time. She’s pretty much worn a bib around the clock since she was three months old. To avoid covering all her outfits with a big, bland bib, I bought a couple sets of these bandana bibs. They’re adorable and they help hide the fact she’s actually wearing a bib. Bonus: these come in an adorable bag, perfect for gifting.
  3. Diaper Cream Brush, $10 | Okay, so I don’t own one of these, but I totally want one! I hate applying diaper cream with my fingers; the feeling and the smell never seem to go away. I would definitely use and love this brush.
  4. Mesh Feeder, $7 | These mesh feeders are ideal for when baby is first learning to self-feed. You can pack the pouch with fresh or frozen fruits or veggies and let baby suck and chew away. If you’ve ever used something like this, you know the product gets really hard to clean after a few weeks. That’s why I love this brand; you can buy replacement mesh for the feeding part.
  5. Silicone Teething Necklace, $12 | You know how babies put everything in their mouths, including whatever jewelry mom is wearing? This necklace is the perfect solution. It’s made of silicone is specifically for baby to chew on.
  6. Burpy Bib, $7 | Q was a messy eater from day one. We found these burp cloth/bib combos so convenient because they button around her neck like a bib, but then they lay flat over your shoulder like a burp cloth. They’re way more convenient than trying to keep a regular burp cloth tucked up under baby’s chin.
  7. No-Squeeze Pouch Holder, $5 | This is such a brilliant product. We love using baby food pouches, both store bought and homemade, but babies have to be pretty old before they can understand not to squeeze the pouch. With this box, the pouch goes inside and baby can’t squeeze. Perfect!
  8. Take & Toss Cups and Bowls, $3-$9 | My aunt got a set of these bowls and cups for us at G’s baby shower more than six years ago and we still have a bunch in our cabinet. They’re cheap enough to be considered disposable if necessary, but durable enough to last for six+ years and 2+ kids.
  9. Bambino Land Muslin Swaddle Blankets, $14 | There are lots of companies out there making muslin swaddle blankets, but Bambino Land is my favorite. I love their prices, their prints, and their quality. We have a ton of these and have used them as swaddles, nursing covers, burp cloths, changing table covers, floor blankets, car seat covers, and more.
  10. Munch Mitt, $18 | Q sucks and chews on her hands pretty much nonstop when she’s awake. Ever since she started teething, she’s been making them red and dry by constantly having them in her mouth. I went in search of a product to help and discovered the Munch Mitt. I initially thought I’d have to buy a second one, but I put it on one hand she uses her second hand to pull the mitt into her mouth. At first I was appalled by the price of this thing, but it’s ended up saving her poor little hands.

What would you consider the best baby products under $20?

Looking for more posts like this one? Check out what you really need for a new baby and 5 things you don’t need for a new baby.

(this post contains affiliate links; to learn more, see my disclosure policy)

How to Save on Groceries Without Using Coupons

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You don’t have to spend hours scouring newspapers and the internet to save a few cents. Here’s how to save on groceries without using coupons.

I used to be pretty into couponing (hence the use of “coupon” as a verb). When we lived in Oregon, it was easy for me to hit a few local stores and save a ton of money each week. I got products like shampoo, body wash, and toothpaste for next to nothing. I’d frequently save over 50 percent just by pairing coupons with sales at our local Safeway. The savings was even bigger when I drove to Rite Aid and Walgreens.

Then we moved to Mississippi. The only grocery store in town is a small Piggly Wiggly. The prices on a lot of products are pretty high, largely out of necessity, I know, because it’s locally-owned. I drive to the nearest Walmart for bigger trips, but there isn’t a Kroger or Aldi in sight. To save money on groceries, I was forced to think outside the coupon binder.

You don't have to spend hours scouring newspapers and the internet to save a few cents. Here's how to save on groceries without using coupons.

It turns out it’s totally possible to save on groceries without clipping coupons. The new strategies I use aren’t time consuming and, in some cases, they’re more convenient than a trip to the store. While using coupons is still a valid source of savings, the following are the ways I cut our grocery budget without lifting a pair of scissors.

How to Save on Groceries Without Using Coupons

Think Outside the Supermarket

The first lesson I learned was to buy groceries at places other than grocery stores. I buy several food and household items on Amazon, from baby food pouches and NutriGrain bars to toilet paper and mascara. Not only are those items cheaper on Amazon than in a store, but I can use our Prime account to get free two-day shipping. Because of our limited shopping options here in town, it’s usually faster for me to order something online than to plan a trip to Walmart.

I also buy grocery products at stores like Big Lots- pasta sauce, popcorn and crackers, snacks for travel- and Grove Collaborative– all-natural cleaning and personal care products. Depending on where you live, you may have access to a lot of non-grocery stores to buy household and food products. Consider exploring those alternatives in search of better prices.

(A note about Prime: Amazon Prime is $99 per year. In addition to free two-day shipping, you have access to a ton of different benefits like free music, TV, and movies, free Kindle books, and early access to sales. $99 is not a small amount, though, and I urge you to carefully weigh the benefits before signing up, or Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial.)

Use it All Up

I’m sure I’m not the only person who has a habit of forgetting about half-used containers of sour cream or opened bags of salad mix in the back of the produce drawer. I cringe every time I discover spoiled food in the refrigerator because I know I’m throwing out money. One of the easiest ways to save on groceries is to buy less. Use up all of each product to avoid throwing something out and having to buy new.

One of the best strategies I have for making sure we use all of something is to include it in our menu plan. I talk more about that in this post, but basically I make sure I have a plan to use all of an ingredient. For example, I love to make homemade buttermilk ranch dressing, but I hate to throw away unused buttermilk that’s gone bad. To make sure that doesn’t happen, I add buttermilk pancakes or waffles to our menu plan.

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