June is a big gift-giving month. We just got over Mother’s Day and college graduations and now we are looking at Father’s Day, end of the year teacher gifts, and high school graduation. Whew! I’m exhausted just thinking about it! In order to make things easy, we have put together a few gift ideas that Dad, those special teachers, and your graduating senior are sure to love. 

Dad

The Bacon Bible, $35, Fountain pen, $72, Mechanical pencil, $40, Nameplate, $30, Baseball cap, $34,Cocktail Cherries, $22, Darth Vader ice mold, $15

If your dad is anything like mine, he doesn’t ask for anything. In fact, he gets mad when I spend money on him, which makes gift giving difficult. That’s why I tend to stick to small tokens of my affection that I know he wouldn’t think to buy himself. For the dad that makes breakfast every weekend, how about The Bacon Bible ($35). The nerd dad who loves cocktails will certainly enjoy an old fashioned poured over a Darth Vader ice cube ($15) and garnished with bourbon-soaked cocktail cherries ($22). Last year, my husband received Retro 51’s Stealth Tornado Fountain Pen ($72) and mechanical pencil ($40) for Father’s Day and he loved them. Because he walks our dog Maggie every morning, I’m thinking he might need a Woof baseball cap ($34) this year. And, finally, every dad deserves a Best Dad Ever nameplate ($30), wouldn’t you agree? 

Teacher

PF Candle Co. Amber & Moss candle, $22, Appointed notebook, $25, Blockitecture tower blocks, $55, National Parks puzzle, $25Mildliner highlighters, $2.50 each, The Constitution of The United States of America, $9.95

My days of being room parent and buying teacher gifts have long since passed, but I remember them with fondness -- and dread. To all the folks that have ever coordinated the class teacher gift, I applaud you, for that is not an easy task. Representing an entire group of people can be fraught with serious performance anxiety. But never fear! We are here to, in teacher-speak, set you up for success. A selection of mildliner highlighters ($2.50 each) makes grading so much more fun, and Appointed notebooks ($25 each) make lesson planning a little more stylish. For the PE teacher who loves the outdoors, we have our favorite National Parks puzzle ($25), and for the Civics teacher a small copy of The Constitution of The United States of America that she or he can keep nearby for when needed ($9.95). For the STEM or STEAM teachers, Blockitecture Tower blocks for creating imaginative feats for engineering at their desks ($55). And, finally, how about a little aromatherapy to ease in the calm of summer? We love the PF Candle Co. Amber & Moss candle ($22). 

Grads

I Should Have Known That! game, $24, Kaweco fountain pen, $27 each, Large cosmetics bag, $24, Small cosmetics bag, $20,Catstudio collegiate collection glass, $17, Commonwealth tee shirt, $30

Let’s face it, high school graduates really just want money. And, that’s fine, I get it. It makes sense; school debt is about to be racked up, they need things for their dorm room, it’s their last summer at home and they want to have some fun, etc. But this year, when you’re putting a few dollars in an envelope, also consider adding a small something they can take with them. Send them to college with a t-shirt showing their home state pride ($30) or with a set of glasses touting their new school ($17). Or how about a sweet cosmetics bag to take to the dorm bathroom every morning (Large, $24, Small, $22). A fun fountain pen makes note-taking more tolerable and chicer ($27 each). And keep them learning and help them make new friends with one of our favorite group games, I Should Have Known That! ($24)These are just a few goodies we think your people would enjoy. Stop by anytime and our creative staff can help you find something truly special for those deserving people in your life. And, room parents, I see you, I feel you, and you are enough.