Fundraisers get a bad rap. I get it, I wasn’t looking forward to my daughter bringing home that dreaded packet full of stuff we could get much cheaper elsewhere, and her being motivated to sell by the promise of cheap, plastic crap. Seriously, I understand, I’m right there with you. THEN I joined the PTA. Another group that has its own slew of negative connotations; the uppity moms with their “mom” haircuts, homemade meals every night, impeccably dressed kids, and the Pinterest worthy home. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA (Hold on, I need to take a breath) HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! REALITY CHECK! Our PTA is full of awesome parents that want nothing but the best for their children’s education and school. We are trying to help and support the tired and overworked teachers who are buying school supplies for our kids using their money. Our calendar is full of fun activities throughout the year that not only enrich our children’s school experience but brings in revenue for field trips, the school choir and free breakfast for the ENTIRE school (just to name a few). That means that our children are sometimes fed frozen fish sticks for dinner while we hold an emergency PTA board meeting. I am now vice president of my daughter’s school PTA and I can tell you right now, my house is NOT Pinterest worthy. My son is currently eating a coupon. We are working parents, we are stay-at-home parents, we are work-at-home parents. We have passion for the programs in the school and we work hard to make sure that every kid, no matter their economic status, is considered and has equal opportunities. So back to that fundraiser. Most people would have no problem just giving a $20 donation to a school, and that’s where these fundraisers are getting it wrong. Psychologically, $20 doesn’t seem like a lot; we pay that to go see a movie, buy our lattes for the week, buy the latest hardcover book. A lot of these major fundraising places don’t sell much over $20, but next to that $20 price tag is a cheap looking item. Automatically your brain is saying, “I’m not paying $20 for that [insert item here]!” And nobody blames you for that response! That’s just common sense. That’s buying responsibly. Here’s the thing, you’re not only buying that item. You’re helping to buy a new popcorn machine. You’re helping to buy a kid’s fare for a field trip. You’re buying a classroom worth of pencils for the entire year. They can’t put that next to the picture of the snowman fondue set.
(If you want to forgo the kitschy items, most fundraisers have a donation only option, and in most cases, the largest majority of those funds go to the school directly.) Am I just saying all this stuff because I’m now part of the PTA? Yes! Because being a member of the PTA has opened my eyes to how the PTA contributes and how important they are to the school. We are not using these funds for our personal gain, we don’t get monetarily paid for ANYTHING. I am now more aware of where my daughter’s school/district is financially. If I could pay for everything so that my daughter and her classmates could have all that they needed for a successful education, you can bet that I would write that check. However, I cannot write that check. What I can do is volunteer my heart out and “extort” my friends and family to the best of my ability to donate to my cause. Please don’t think that I look down on people not part of the PTA or who can’t support fundraisers. Not everyone has the extra funds to donate or time to volunteer. We’re all in different phases in life and I’m just lucky enough that my current phase includes being able to volunteer my time and efforts in my child’s classroom. I think nothing less of those who have a full plate and an empty wallet. My main goal with this post is to educate and hopefully break the stigma of the “PTA mom/parent”. Finally, I know that some of you must be thinking that it’s just the beginning of the year, I’m super gung-ho about all of this stuff and I’m going to burn out quickly. Well, I am not joking when I say I have looked forward to being extremely active in my own children’s academia since I was in school myself. Will I burn out? It’s possible, but our PTA is pretty awesome and I know that there is a ton of help and resources, even safeties, set in place so that none of us can bite off more than we can chew. I also must ask why some are so quick to laugh at those with fire and passion? We see someone excited about something and there is always that comment about how, “that will pass,” “they’ll learn,” or “figure it out,” etc. Why aren’t we encouraging these people instead of casting our own jaded judgements? Do some people burn out? Sure! Are there some people that have been there and done that and had a negative experience? Yup. But there are also plenty of people that do PTA that are successful and love what they do. I will end this post with another shameless plug for my own daughter’s fundraiser. Most of the funds gathered are going to teacher grants, to help give back to the teachers who have paid out-of-pocket for many of their classroom supplies. Below is the link that takes you to her fundraising page where you will find two different catalogs: one will ship right to your home, the other one will ship to Natalie’s school and we will deliver it to you. In addition to the fundraising items, I have extended my own incentive for those who would like to donate to her school; anyone who buys anything or donates will be able to request a homemade baked item from me. I specialize in cookies, but I am known for making good pies and cakes. Thank you to my friends, family, and followers for putting up with me during fundraisers, and I am not offended if you wish to unfollow me during this time. The fundraiser ends October 10th. This may be my first official blog post about PTA but I can guarantee it will not be my last!
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It’s September! While autumn doesn’t officially start until September 22nd, for me it begins once August ends. I’ve always felt like the first of September was the beginning of a new year, instead of January 1st. This can mostly be attributed to the beginning of the new school year. Each September I would come back from summer break refreshed and ready to start another season of school, newly motivated to make this year better than the year before. Maybe I would have more friends. Maybe there would be a new guy at school that would fall madly in love with me (that never happened). Maybe I’d get invited to a dance in a super creative way and it would be the most magical night in my life (nope). Basically, I was hoping my high school experience would mirror those portrayed in Hollywood. While my school days are over, I’m eagerly anticipating the beginning of my second child’s school career. Natalie starting school is exciting for me in many ways. First things first, we all know I’m looking forward to a bit of a break during the day. Additionally, I’m anxious for her to meet new friends, learn new things, and be involved with school activities. I’m excited for the everyday routine of getting up and getting her ready for school, all with coffee in hand. Her school is only a block or two from our house, and save for torrential downpours, we are going to walk to school every day. From there I’m going to try and get in a morning walk, part of my plan to get rid of the remaining baby weight. My day will consist of cleaning from the newly imposed schedule I’m creating (more on that in a different post), baking, reading, writing, etc. I can’t wait to get Nat from school, take a break with a snack and help her with her homework. My evenings will be for extracurriculars, making dinner and preparing to do it all over again the following day. I’ve always been someone that thrives with a routine, and having a schedule always helps me get through things that may otherwise be overwhelming. While this all sounds ambitious, I also have no problem spending my day on the couch reading a book or taking a nap. Today I felt ambitious, so I started ticking stuff off my Fall Bucket List. Since I’m a big scent memory person, I began by experimenting with creating fall fragrances in my home. If you follow me on Instagram you may have seen the two different methods I used to fill my house with delicious, spicy smells. This morning I used my essential oils diffuser, and later this afternoon, I made an old fashioned potpourri. Now, with both kiddos in bed, I’m zoning out and coloring a picture I printed out this morning after browsing Pinterest for color pages to keep Natalie busy. Finding an abundance of fun adult coloring pages, I created a new board called Colorful Meditations and filled it with pages for both adults and children.
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