They deserve a medal!

I know how hard my sons’ teachers work. Every day both children can’t wait to go to school, they love the environment and adore their teachers, which makes it so much easier for me!

It also means that I’m more than happy to send a thank you gift at the end of the school year. And I know that most mums and dads out there agree.

In our final blog on teacher’s gifts, I’ve come up with some more ideas to save the teacher from yet another cupboard full of bath foam and chocolates.

Make it personal

If you start thinking in advance, you’ll have time to do a bit of research. Take note of the style your child’s teacher prefers. If they have a female teacher, does she wear accessories and fashion jewellery or have her ears pierced? If it’s a man, does he use cufflinks?

Just be careful that you’re not too obvious or you could be mistaken for a stalker!

But what about something that shows the positive influence of their teaching skills? Ask your child to write a thank you note to their teacher in their own words, which you can frame. This can be especially effective if your child has shown real progress over the year.

They could also make and decorate their own card and write a poem that tells why they like their teacher so much.

Or paint a terracotta pot and give it their teacher with a plant in it (if you’re very organised and plan a few weeks in advance your child could even grow a plant from seed).

Why not brainstorm with your children for ideas?

Whatever you decide to buy, always remember that it’s the thought that counts.

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For fun teacher’s gift ideas why not check out our teacher’s balloons?

Well, what about something practical?

A nice pen will be useful, for instance – you’ll just have to hope that the other parents from your child’s class aren’t reading this, or the teacher could end up with a full stationery set.

You could always buy something useful for the classroom too. For infant and nursery school teachers, what about a soft toy book character? Not only will your child love to give their teacher a cute, cuddly toy (assuming that they don’t want to keep it for themselves) but it can also be used as a teaching aid.

Soft toys like Paddington Bear, Elmer the Elephant and The Hungry Caterpillar are great fun. And, in association with the books, can be used to illustrate a variety of educational lessons for years to come.

That time of year again!

The end of the school year is approaching fast and that age-old question has arisen yet again: what do you buy your child’s teacher?

This phenomenon only seems to affect infant and junior school children but it’s one that can’t be ignored.

In the last week of the school year, every staff room in the country must resemble a strange cross between Interflora, Boots and Thorntons.

I’m as guilty as the next mum or dad for rushing round at the last minute trying to think of something different – and I often end up with the usual chocolates or flowers. However if you get a little organised you can come up with a more original gift idea - and hopefully one that your child’s teacher will remember.

Why not club together with a few other parents and buy your child’s teacher a gift voucher for a local spa? She will deserve it after putting up with our little darlings all year. If your child’s teacher’s a man, he will probably prefer a department store voucher!

You could also simply use the money to buy a more substantial gift. For something more traditional buy a large bunch of flowers or plant, a large box of chocolates or a gift hamper.

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For a teacher gift that’s a little different why not check out our teacher balloons?

The FLATOUT bear has a star studded fan base including Princess Mary of Denmark, Brooke Shields and Hugh Jackman. Tom Cruise had the FLATOUT bear on his baby wish-list, Jennifer Garner “loves it” and J.Lo has been snapping them up!

To find out why celebrities love Flatout bears - just read on!

My God, that’s beautiful! Oh, that is gorgeous! My daughter is going to love that. Oh, that’s terrific. You know how it is with babies, they attach themselves to certain things - she will love this. That is really cool. FLATOUT bear. All right. Love it!

Matt Damon (pictured here)

We ALL love the FLATOUT bear! Even Darla, our dog, tried to get hold of our furry friend. Thank you for thinking of us.
Sincerely, Brooke xx

Brooke Shields

Thank you so much for the adorable bear. It has already found a home in our family. We greatly appreciate your generosity!

Deborra-Lee & Hugh Jackman

I love the FLATOUT bear & I know our baby will too!

Jennifer Garner

I’ve being buying FLATOUT bears for all my friends’ babies for quite some time now - I too think every child should have one, and I was hoping someone would give Daisy one.

In the end I bought one for her as I couldn’t bear the thought that she would miss out on FLATOUT!!!!

Now, we’ve been blessed to have another one enter our family (different colour - cool) so Miss Daisy can enjoy a family of FLATOUT’S. One for her cot and one for her pram - all a little girl could ever want!!

We are huge fans!!!

Karina Daddo xoxo

I really struggled with the question of whether I had the strength and character to give (the FLATOUT bear) to my son rather than keep it for myself…

Sarah Jessica Parker

Thank you for the kind congratulations and the Flatout bear…

Princess Mary of Denmark

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The practice has evolved and now wedding guests shower the happy couple with gifts. However, while the “new” tradition might have the Bride’s Father sighing with relief, it has created a maze of issues for wedding guests.

As the wedding season is now in full bloom, I’m starting a series of posts on wedding gifts - which will hopefully help you find the right gift! This first post is all about finding affordable wedding gift ideas that will still make an impact.

Pick your gift from the wedding list early

Wedding gift lists can be useful, if you’ve no idea what to buy the bride and groom. However make sure that you choose and buy your gift as soon as you get the list - you will have more choice of presents and will hopefully be able to pick a gift that suits your budget too.

Creative wedding gift alternatives

But what happens if the gift list is out of your price range completely - remember the antique shop scene from Four Weddings and a Funeral?

Well, something personal might be an option.

For couples you’ve known for some time, put together a photo album or scrap book charting your friendship and their developing relationship. You could collect well wishing notes and pictures from other friends and relatives too to create a really special book. While the cost will mainly be your time, photo developing and an album, the end result will be priceless for the bride and groom.

On the theme of photos; if you have a particularly good photograph of the happy couple, have it enlarged and framed or a canvass print made from it - just make sure it’s a photo you know that they like.

“Safe” wedding gifts for all budgets

If there are no affordable gifts left on the wedding list and you don’t know the couple very well, a bottle of  wine or champagne will always go down well - and you can always add a couple of nice glasses to make your gift more special.

You could also choose “useful” gifts and buy the couple a set of nice fluffy towels or even tea towels.

Still unsure? Why not give the bride and groom some gift vouchers? You can buy vouchers according to your budget and they can choose something they like and need.

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For more Wedding gifts tips and ideas also see:
Wedding Gifts - What To Do If They Are Asking For Money
Last Minute Wedding Gift Ideas

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If you’re looking for a fun alternatives to cards why not send one of our wedding balloons, delivered inflated to the address of your choice, it’s sure to make the occasion more memorable. You can always add wedding teddy bears or chocolates to make your wedding gift extra special.

While it’s a practical solution for the happy couple, not all guests like to give cash or voucher gifts. Knowing how much is appropriate to give and the transparency of how much has been spent can make some guests feel uncomfortable.

To overcome this problem, if the wedding gift is for someone you work with, why not club together with other colleagues?

If it’s a friend, agree a set amount with the rest of your group of friends and give them one big cheque from all of you. This way, you know you’ve all given the same and you’ll be presenting the couple with a much larger and impressive looking gift cheque than if you’d all given separately. A perfect solution all round!

If you are traditional and would like to treat the couple to a gift for their home, why not just tell them and ask them what they need or like?

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For more tips and ideas on wedding gifts also see:

Affordable Wedding Gift Ideas To Delight The Bride and Groom

Last Minute Wedding Gift Ideas

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If you’re looking for a fun alternative to cards why not send one of our wedding balloons, delivered inflated to the address of your choice, it’s sure to make the occasion more memorable. You can always add wedding teddy bears or chocolates to make your wedding gift extra special.

This means that most of our bestselling Me to You lines are now back in stock featuring the new Tatty Teddy bear.

Following the the first Me to You TV advertising campaign, Tatty Teddy has been subtly updated to mirror the bear used in ad.

Tatty Teddy is now made in a brand new fabric with longer, softer pile and the same old scruffy feel, his blue nose is shinier too.

The new Me to You bears are available from our website and are already very popular!

Well make sure that you’re prepared in future and as soon as you know that you are going to a wedding, buy the gift. The earlier you do this, the more choice you will have, which means you can choose an impressive looking present that doesn’t break the bank.

But if you’ve  left things until the last minute, then you might need some inspiration.

If money is no object, then an experience gift might be something different and memorable. A sunset and champagne hot air balloon trip could be incredibly romantic! Or if they prefer to keep their feet on the ground why not book them a meal at their favourite restaurant and arrange to pick up the bill?

Alternatively you could fall back on gift vouchers, or treat the newly wedded couple to a selection of fine wines or Champagne.

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For more Wedding gifts tips and ideas see:
Wedding Gifts - What To Do If They Are Asking For Money
Affordable Wedding Gift Ideas To Delight The Bride and Groom

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For fun ways to send your wedding wishes, check out our wedding balloons, bride teddy bears and groom teddy bears.

While many couples might feel that sending out gift list details with their wedding invitations can seem presumptuous, the reality is that most guests (especially close friends and relatives) will want to buy a gift to mark the occasion. After all, would you really feel comfortable turning up to a wedding without a gift?

If you know the couple well, you should be able to choose a gift that suits their personality or matches their home’s style.

You can always buy them a bottle of their favourite wine or a magnum of bubbly, or some stylish frames and albums to display their wedding pictures.

You could also make a donation to charity in their name. Some charities, including Oxfam, have a list of ‘gifts’ you can buy - including school books for children in developing countries.

Alternatively, if they have young children that you know well, why not buy gifts for the kids or offer to babysit for the happy couple when they return from honeymoon? Having children myself, I’m sure the offer would be well received!

They will make perfect cute keepsake gifts from the kids on Father’s Day - which is on the 21st of June this year.

With 10 different teddy bears and one mug, there is plenty to choose from to treat Dad this year!

Some of our favourites are:

• Dad I Love You This Much Me to You Bear - a standing Tatty Teddy with his arms wide open, ready to give Dad a big Hug (pictured on the left)
• Best Dad Me to You Mug - A cute Tatty Teddy mug sold in a display box
• From Daddy’s Little Star - Me to You Bear
• From Daddy’s Little Girl - Me to You Bear
• Small Special Grandad Tatty Teddy

You can view our full range of Father’s Day Teddy Bears on our web site. To give Dad an even bigger surprise why not check out our range of fun Father’s Day balloons and tasty chocolates?

For Father’s Day tips and ideas to make Dad’s day special check out:

• 8 Top Tips to Make Father’s Day Special and Involve The Kids Too
• Solving the Father’s Day Gift Problem