Archive for May, 2010

Yesterday, my son found ants in our kitchen.  They were swarming around a fallen crumb of food.

Well, as much as I admire their industriousness, I simply can’t have ants in my kitchen.

No trouble, I know just what to do.

It’s Mighty Mule Team Borax to the rescue… again.

You see, my mom had this same problem at her house a year ago.  She tried the little ant traps available at the hardware store.  They didn’t work.  She called an exterminator.  They wanted a $60 fee to come out to the house and they use pesticides.  “No thanks,” she said.

Start with a small spoonful of jam.  Ants apparently can’t resist strawberry jam- or whatever else you may have.

Next pour in an equal amount of Borax.  And stir together well.

And spoon a small amount of the mixture onto an index card.  I cut my index card into 4 pieces and made 4 cards.

Next place the cards in strategic locations where you’ve seen the ants.

BE CAREFUL IF YOU HAVE A PET.  While Borax is natural and environmentally friendly, it is toxic if ingested.  I placed my cards just inside the pantry door, and cautioned to kids to make sure to keep the doors shut while I have the cards out.  The ants can get to the sweet concoction, but my sweet little lunch-mouth dog cannot.

Give the cards a few days to do their job.  If all goes well, those ants should be history.

It worked for my mom last year, so I have high hopes.  I love when you can solve a problem for pennies.

To learn and never be filled, is wisdom: to teach and never be weary, is love. – anonymous

This is our last week of school and I am looking for gifts for our favorite teachers.

Our beloved 2nd grade teacher (we’ve had her two years in a row) is moving to a new school.  I know I don’t have any more children left to be in 2nd grade, but I am sad she is leaving none-the-less.

We also love Ben’s 3rd grade teacher.  She is one in a million and has made this year fantastic.

So how do you say thank you?

I’ve been busy making a plate of Mint Brownies for our principal, bus driver, art teacher, and music teacher.

Mini Bundt Cakes are a perfect gift too.  They look so special, and are inexpensive to make.  Any baked gift from cookies to bread and jam makes a thoughtful gift.

A bookplate makes a very sweet gift for anyone who loves books- and what teacher doesn’t love books?  I came across these wonderful bookplates from Sarah Jane Studios.  I love the little school setting… just perfect for a teacher.  Come to think of it, I would love these for myself, but then again, I love everything Sarah Jane does.

I also ran across a free template for a bookplate for a teacher over at Skip to My Lou, she even has a recipe for making a homemade sticker solution… very make it do.

Of course, teachers always love books.  Two great books for teachers are Mrs. Spitzer’s Garden, a sweet book that makes the analogy of the teacher as a gardener and her student as different kinds of flowers.  And Thank You, Mr. Falker, a story of a girl with learning disabilities whose life is changed by her teacher.

And last, but not least, a hand written letter from your child makes the perfect end of year gift.  Give your child a chance to tell their teacher what they’ve learned and what they’ve loved about being in their class.  What teacher wouldn’t love to receive that?

Do you have any special year end gift ideas for teachers?  I would love to hear.