Teachers Are Awesome!

We interact with many teachers during our lifetime including our parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. From the beginning, these treasured family members have been there to guide us along life's glorious and sometimes twisted and complicated paths. When the time comes for formal education, some parents may choose home schooling. Many others will make the decision to send their little ones to a traditional preschool and then off to grade school and high school, either public or private. As an adult you will partner with many teachers who will help you educate your child with the information and skills needed to ensure success, not only in present day activities but also in the future as a contributing member of society.

I owe everything to my teachers! Without a doubt my instructors have proven to be exemplary role models and have not only taught the essential reading, writing, and arithmetic, but also instilled the integrity and values required for a productive and satisfying existence. I am incredibly grateful to all the men and women whom have taught me with patience and kindness so many invaluable lessons. Thank you to my kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Hamm, for your hugs and consoling words when I cried because I made my leaf man upside down. A grateful heart to Sister Perpetua for demanding I learn my multiplication tables with rapid fire. Special thanks to Sister John Kevin for letting me realize it is OK to be "me" especially during those awkward teen years. Many thanks, also, to Mr. Mullen for teaching me that there is good in everyone you encounter, even if you sometimes have to search for it. I could go on and on, but you get the point.... my awesome teachers over the years have in countless ways had a positive impact on my life, and I am so thankful for all they have done to help mold me into the person I am today!

So if you've had or currently have a teacher whom has helped you travel along life's special and intriguing journey, be sure to take time to say "thank you."  On that note, many thanks to all our teachers for making our LOVE baseball tee our all time number one best selling item! Everyone at Zoey's Attic is truly grateful for your support!

Thank You Awesome Teachers!

School's Out, Almost!

When I was in school students were never recognized for completing any grade other than on your High School graduation day.You were expected to "graduate" at the end of each school year and as a result of your efforts recommended for promotion to the next grade level the following year. So that meant no special shirts acknowledging the last day of a particular grade and no congratulatory presents for advancing to a new grade level, only a "good job" after Mom and Dad reviewed the final report card and shared constructive criticism of what could have or should have been better. We wore our school uniform everyday of the school year. After an exhausting nine months of daily classwork as well as homework, it was finally the end of the school year and time for our student parade, school picnic, and summer vacation! Looking back, I suppose the new picnic outfit was the "gift" we each received for "graduating" that year. We did, however, always give our teachers a special gift at Christmas and the end of each school year.  When I was in grade school we had 54 kids in our second grade class with one teacher and not a single teacher's aide to assist. Mrs. Krause most definitely earned each and every thank you gift!

Times have changed and our precious little one's are recognized for everything! Just participate and you get a ribbon! It was definitely a different lifestyle when I was young. We didn't have preschools and kindergarten was merely a half day and you were assigned to a morning or afternoon session. We walked to and from class with several of our 5 and 6 year old classmates. There was no parental supervision and somehow we all survived! The moms for the most part were stay at home moms tending to the smaller siblings and household chores, and the father's wages were the only source of family income. Monies for shirts and gifts, other than for Christmas and birthdays, just wasn't available. No regrets though. I am ever thankful for all the love and shared family experiences of my childhood. Life today is not as simple as it seemed back then, and yes, I do give special recognition to acknowledge the kiddos' achievements. Everyone does nowadays, it's the norm and I wouldn't have it any other way! So if you're looking for a special tee for your little one's pre-school, kindergarten, first grade, or any grade graduation, Zoey's Attic can help. Here you'll also find many cool thank you gifts for your children's teachers including custom tote bags, water bottles and tumblers, sweet custom throw and travel pillows, and personalized shirts too. And, no worries if you need a special design or wording, Zoey can create it for you! Congratulations to all our little grads and a huge thank you to teachers everywhere for your dedication and hard work! Enjoy your summer vacation!

School Shirts and Teacher Gifts from Zoey's Attic

Those Nine Months...

Zoey's Attic Infant Gowns

When I was a younger I detested the Fall! Summer vacation was over, school had started and it seemed the following nine months of the school year would never end! The funny thing, I think, is that those nine months were actually preparing me in a weird way emotionally and psychologically for a future nine months of pregnancy! When I think about it, those first few months of the new school year, while somewhat exciting, were actually pretty rough getting back into the routine of all day school and homework. A busy and very tiring time for sure and oddly paralleling that difficult first trimester. Then things settle a bit with lots of excitement and anticipation as the holidays approach. Seems a bit like a long winter's nap with energy finally ramping up again... oddly similar to that second trimester. Then Spring fever sets in and I would start to get antsy and couldn't wait until the school year was finally over. Ha! Just like that third trimester! So funny, I never thought to compare a kid's school year with a gestation period, but it really mirrors a similar path. And the one thing I truly loved at the end of the school year was the annual school picnic! New outfits were top priority for this super fun day! Funny again, the arrival of the baby after a seemingly never ending nine months culminates in the biggest event of all! Of course, a new homecoming gown is a must for the precious new little one! Zoey's Attic can help. Zoey's infant gowns and sibling sets with tiny bodysuits for the new arrival add such a special touch to this joyous occasion and are so perfect for memory making photo ops!

Zoey's Attic Sibling Sets

Where Did the Summer Go?

August is proving to be a very busy month! When I was younger August was just a lazy end of summer month spent swimming and relaxing before the start of school. This year August has been filled with shopping trips to get the kiddos ready for the big day! New school clothing, new school shoes, the perfect backpack, and school supplies have all been crossed off the list. Grocery shopping for nutritious yet yummy items for a brown bag lunch has definitely been challenging. What I like to eat isn't necessarily what the kiddos like! The much anticipated and somewhat dreaded first day of school went well. The kids have adjusted quite easily to the new schedule and I actually think they like the daily routine of the school year. Now the evenings and weekends are filled with meetings, practice dates, and game times that are all a part of being a team member in the many extracurricular activities offered to the children. Dance school is also about to begin. Most of the dance academies in our area run concurrently with the school year. So sometime at the end of May or beginning of June the year culminates with the annual dance recital. After a break of a few summer months classes start again and it coincides with the beginning of the new school year. When I was a young girl I really only liked dance school because I loved the costumes we got to wear for the recitals! I loved my ballet and tap shoes, the leotards and tutus! But... I really didn't like dancing!  I never had any rhythm and always felt awkward! But every Saturday morning for years I packed my pink vinyl shoe bag with my tap and ballet shoes and headed off to class. Now days the girls carry their dance apparel and dancing shoes in adorable personalized canvas tote bags. So if you're looking for a special gift for your little ballerina, Zoey's Attic has such sweet dance bags and they even have tops to match! Your styling little dancer will be the envy of the dance school!

Dance Bags and Dance Shirts From Zoey's Attic