the take home folder vol 128
summer notes // the least fun ways to spend money // teacher favorites and support // + more
welcome to the take home folder
My kids have four more weeks of summer break and I’m bouncing between
savor every moment! let’s go to the pool! what remains on our summer bucket list?
and
oh my gosh our house desperately needs to be decluttered. being back on routine will be nice. a crisp fall day sounds delightful.
I’m not wishing time away but one of my favorite simple joys is anticipating the goodness ahead. We’re in a sweet spot of being able to hold on to summer while starting to open our minds and hearts to back to school season.
Whatever the coming weeks bring for you, I hope you’re able to cling to the good stuff in the present and look forward what’s on the horizon.
my sunday questions
What is something I can do for our home?
What is something I can do for/with our family?
What is something I can do for myself?
Today for me it’s cleaning bathrooms and tidying and vacuuming bedrooms, catching up with my parents, and going to bed early sans phone (I’ve been in a yucky habit of scrolling late at night).
here’s this week’s take home folder, enjoy!
one // teacher favorites survey
I’m often asked how I know my kids’ teachers favorite drinks, snacks, restaurants, and stores as I sporadically send in treats and gift cards during the year. The answer? This survey! I ask the teacher to fill it out and send it back to me at the beginning of the school year, save a photo to my phone, and reference it all year.
I’ll share more about how I treat middle school teachers when I figure it out. 😜 Very open to your ideas! I think I’d at least like his homeroom teacher to fill this out?
Note: you only need to print one page, there are 3 pages because I wanted the message at the top to work for everyone. Choose the page that works best for you and print.
two // best ways to support your kid’s teacher cost $0
I know the socials are filled with teacher gift ideas. And honestly many of them feel wasteful or stress me out by being over the top. But as a person who taught elementary school for a decade, I promise you that the best ways to support your child’s teacher can’t be purchased in a store.
get your child to school on time
ensure your child gets enough sleep
make reading part of your family culture
teach patience, empathy, and skills for independence at home
read the emails the teacher sends and answer your phone if they call you
only speak positively about the teacher in front of your child
vote for school board candidates who support teachers and school staff
follow school rules. Don’t be the person who sends a bottle full of Gatorade when the rule is water only, for example.
accountability, manners, and respect begin at home (related viewing)
three // recent shares
our experience taking the Amtrak train - the comments are a gold mine of information if you’re considering a train trip
four // unsexy spending
2026 has been a year of lots of unexciting spending for us. From a new water softener to a hefty car maintenance bill to a shower rebuild due to a leak to finally doing estate planning to a bunch of electrical work to sports gear for growing kids and more, it feels like we’ve been shilling out cash left and right with no flashy new car or Switzerland trip to show for it, ha. I shared about this on IG and hundreds of people responded saying that they’re in the midst of a myriad of home and/or car repairs, medical bills, vet bills, etc.
Of course this is all part of life (…adulting) but oof some years it stings more than others. Solidarity if you’re working your tail off to manage and pay for all the things. We’re right there with you.
five // summer notes for next year
While it’s fresh in your mind, now is a good time to make some notes for summer of 2027. What went well this summer and what was a dumpster fire?
Jot down thoughts as they come to you and then set a calendar reminder to review the list next spring. Your future self will appreciate the insight.
see you right back here next week,
Recent Favorites
My Bauble Bar beaded anklet and varsity number bracelet with my boys’ numbers. Genuinely look forward to wearing these! Today is the last day of the sale and this is their last big sale until the holiday season.
Suri electric toothbrush - I couldn’t believe how clean my teeth felt the first time I used it and now I get to experience that feeling every time I brush. One charge lasts over a month. A couple colors are on sale. Also, our fam loves these floss picks!
I’d been searching for a linen button up for Todd that came in tall size and wasn’t super expensive. This one is perfect and budget friendly.
Colorscience daily face sunscreen - 20% off and free shipping. I use the shade ‘light’. It actually does adjust to your skin color. Not too shiny and not too matte, perfect finish.
Travel hamper - finally got one! it folds flat. Will store with our suitcases to bring along on trips.
Liquid IV and Relyte - best feeling is taking a long, sweaty walk and coming home to an ice cold water with electrolytes. Also helpful for Todd’s marathon training. I like to do a packet/scoop in my 32oz water bottle.
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Reading this each Sunday morning is one of my favorite parts of my week. I teach middle school, and can say that we definitely don’t get the same love that elementary school teachers get, but also that’s okay! The logistics of bringing in gifts can be tricky for students: if they don’t have their homeroom teacher first period, that means they either have to carry the gift all day, or try and go before period one and not be late. Many would also not like to be seen carrying in something, because it draws attention. That being said, we appreciate ANYTHING! The easiest way to support is ask if teachers have a class wishlist, which would ship directly to school. (The number of pencils I go through is one million.) Gift cards to coffee shops are also amazing and easy for kids to slip a teacher. Thank you for helping to create a culture of supporting teachers, Nicole! 🍎
Middle school gift giving is tough because of the number of different teachers and my kids felt no one else was doing it so they didn’t want to look different bringing in gifts. I went with small coffee shop gift cards for their core teachers as the best solution as it was affordable and low profile.
Feel your pain on the high cost of tree removal - we had to remove a ton a few years back as part of a much needed and much delayed septic replacement- talk about the least sexy way to spend a huge chunk of $$$!