In light of my November goal to decide on all the gifts for all the people, I’ve been making many lists. One is of our helpers, and how we might make them feel seen and loved this Christmas. Here’s what I’ve got planned, and I’d love to hear your thoughts, too! First, I’d encourage you to think outside the box here. There are of course the classic “helpers” – people like mail men, garbage men, and teachers – and they are great to remember at Christmas. But if your nail gal, local post office clerk, oil change person, or favorite checkout gal at Publix really makes your life better or brightens your day whenever you cross paths? I’m sure she’d get a kick out of being noticed and thanked in some way! Use the next few weeks to pay attention to who those people are and then brainstorm how you might delight them. Our list this year – so far: — June and Shep’s teachers will each get one of these SnapBaskets. I’m not entirely sure how I’ll present them, since they’re a little unwieldy, but I’m SO proud of this coup – I bought them months ago when they were on sale for $10 each!! I’ll pair the baskets with individualized, handwritten notes sharing the things we appreciate about them and why what they do matters so much to us! For teachers, I also love giving a pretty notepad or notebook tied with a big ribbon and paired with a pen. If I was doing that this year, I would buy this set of 3 and this set of pens and then break them up into individual gifts, for a total of $10 per gift. I also like the idea of a pretty tumbler! You could pair it with

Last week, I made apple cider scones and brought them into school for June’s teachers on the first day of fall. The scones were really delicious, if I do say so myself, and her teachers were really touched by them! It was a really good reminder for me. Sometimes I see things on Instagram or a blog and think, I could never have time to do that. I wonder if anyone thought the same thing when I posted on Thursday. But the truth is, from start to finish, the whole project took about an hour. I bought the ingredients with the rest of our groceries, I made the scones after June went to bed, and it took just a few minutes to find my white paint pen and draw the designs on the kraft paper bags. If I had bought a treat instead of making it, my time would have been down to about ten minutes. (BTW, store-bought treats are totally legit – no shame here!) And you know the best part? The scones were delicious, but it was hands-down the personalized bags. The teachers were so wowed and clearly touched by them. I’m not saying that to toot my own horn (ha!), but because it’s a lesson I learned right after we had June. Lots of people brought us food, and we were grateful for ALL of it. But one friend went above and beyond in terms of presentation — she wrapped the Rice Krispees treats in parchment paper and twine, she poured the blueberries into a mason jar, the chicken salad and rolls were in a kraft paper box, and she even added a bottle of sparkling cider. I was blown away! I have brought food to lots of people over the years, but it had honestly never