Holiday Gift Guide: Teacher Edition

Congratulations to the fellow teachers out there – we bravely battled through the toughest month of the year: October. Now, you can feel the winter break breeze blowing in. We push past the first quarter and head towards the highly anticipated Winter Break.

Even though teaching can be exhausting, the upcoming two months can be as enjoyable and festive as you make them. However, it's a fact that teachers are an unappreciated and underpaid group. If you're considering a gift for a beloved teacher, or if you're a teacher planning to pamper yourself (after all, we deserve it!), here's a list of holiday gift ideas specifically designed for teachers, created by a teacher.

1. A Lovely Life: Savoring Simple Joys in Every Season

There's not much we can control in the classroom, so this book is a great source of inspiration for the things we can control in our own home. We as teachers want to come home after a long day putting out fires to a safe space, a sanctuary. We want to feel like people again. Michaels explores "small, intentional, everyday decisions that shape our environment over time and bring sustained contentment and well-being" (Amazon).

2. Touchland Hand Sanitizer Spray Set

As a teacher, I keep two of these sprays on my desk and one in my car. Given that schools are a germ's paradise, these sprays come in handy. Unlike other brands, they don't leave any sticky residue or cling to your jewelry. Moreover, they make for excellent stocking stuffers! I particularly enjoy the Blue Sandalwood scent.

3. Travel Cosmetic Bag

Carrying a makeup bag with me to school has revolutionized my daily routine. Some mornings, I prefer getting to the building early to turn on the ambient lights and enjoy a slow start to my day in my classroom. On such occasions, I bring my makeup bag to school and apply it at my desk while waiting for my computer (and mind) to power up. This has the added benefit of making my morning routine at home more peaceful, allowing me to savor my coffee on the couch for a few extra minutes.

4. Mini-Perfume Set

As Estée Lauder said, "Perfume is like a new dress, it makes you quite simply marvelous." Teachers are around children all day; children who attend gym class and are constantly running around. Spritzing myself with a perfume in the middle of the day or even on my way home "sheds" my school self and jumpstarts the process of finding luxury in the small things. My personal favorite scent is Bubble Bath from Replica, but travel perfume sets are fantastic, no matter the price point you're hoping to stay in.

5. BEIS Work Tote (splurge alert!)

While acknowledging that this item may be considered a splurge, I've included it on my personal Christmas wish list this year. Over my six years of teaching, I've used tote bags from Target or Kohl's that have generally held up well. Nevertheless, the idea of owning a refined work tote as the ultimate accessory adds an extra level of confidence to my daily routine. Its practicality and elegance also make it a versatile item for travel.

6. LOOPS Face Masks

I. Swear. By. These. Masks. They are my absolute favorite and have become a staple part of my Sunday reset. I usually use the Clean Slate mask after a weekend of festivities with friends, and then do a Glow Mask sometime during the week when I had an off day at school.