The key to making this gathering succuseful is to put extra attention into every detail.  You are celebrating the love between friends.  The bond between mother and daughter.

I feel really lucky because for the most part (except for ONE first grade teacher) my kids have always had great teachers.  Teaching is so hard, and putting up with our little darlings day in and day out has got to be so dang exhausting!

With Teachers Appreciation Week next week I wanted to get something for my daughter's teacher that she could help me make, and something that her teacher would appreciate!  I work down at the school a lot, and so I've talked with many of the teachers down there and they honestly ALL said they like things made by the kids.  How cute are they?

So we went to the craft store and bought this sheet of stickers and this globe was from Tai Pan, but I've seen globes everywhere, from Target to Hobby Lobby.

Every year teacher appreciation week sneaks up on me.  This time of year seems to be moving at warp speed and we all have summer on the brain!

I only have one kid left in elementary school.  That seems so weird to me!  Why do they grow up so fast!!??  We always do a gift for the elementary teachers.  And my boys (High School and Jr. High) usually don't do anything for their teachers, unless it's a favorite one!

We've compiled a list of some of our favorite ways to celebrate those important people in your child's life.  Something to let them know that you appreciate their effort and care they take with their class.

I have lots of ideas swirling in my little head.  I have BIG goals for Sparklers.  LOTS of projects, dreams, ventures,.........literally pages and pages of ideas.  GOOD ideas!

But I have no idea where to start.  I don't want to jump in with one project, because I should probably do this first.  And I don't want to begin this idea, because I don't really know all the ins and outs of it yet.  And I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to start offering this product, but I don't really have them means to get it off the ground yet.

So I sit.

I stare at my list.

And 15 minutes turns into over an hour, and I am no closer to reaching my goals than I was when I began this morning.  And this isn't just a "today" thing.  This has been going on for months!  Dare I say years!

I get overwhelmed and scared.  I start obsessing about how much I need to do to make everything happen, and then I start thinking of all the ways I could fail, and then I decide that I need to have EVERY duck in a row before I start.

But the thing is.............. MORE DUCKS KEEP SHOWING UP!

I've had to learn to let the ducks go!  What I mean by that is, I've had to learn that it's okay if I don't know how I'm going to do everything.  It's okay if I keep getting more ideas.  It's okay if things don't work out the way I planned.  The key is I just have to start.  Start somewhere.  Start ANYWHERE. Just get to work.  Once I get to work, my tasks don't seem so overwhelming.  They kind of just flow into each other.

Start by making a commitment to do one thing each day that gets you closer to where you want to be.

Just one thing!  That doesn't seem so scary!

It's the collection of little things everyday, that will get you to your big end goal.  It doesn't just happen overnight!  It's the steps you take each day that will move you along in your journey.  But you don't have to take my word for it!

Check out these quotes to get you inspired to tackle those dreams!



3.  “It is better to take many small steps in the right direction than to make a great leap forward only to stumble backward.” ~ Old Chinese Proverb 

4.  “Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still.” ~ Chinese Proverb 

5.  “Have a bias toward action – let’s see something happen now. You can break that big plan into small steps and take the first step right away.” ~ Indira Ghandi 

6.  “Do small things with great love.” ~ Mother Theresa

7.  “Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.” ~ Robert Louis Stevenson 

8.  “The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking you complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.” ~ Mark Twain 

9.  “The key to realizing a dream is to focus not on success but on significance – and then even the small steps and little victories along your path with take on greater meaning.” ~ Oprah Winfrey

10.  "Big things have small beginnings."  - Promethus

April showers bring May flowers.  This spring, brighten up your porch with some bright and beautiful floral blooms.  Container gardens are what’s in bloom this season, from hanging baskets to planters and window boxes.  Here are our top picks to brighten up your outdoor living spaces.

Roses
Roses are a good choice because their are many varieties that grow well in plant containers – you can choose a color, size, shape and fragrance that suits you and your porch or balcony space.

Tulips
Tulips come in a variety of beautiful colors and bloom from late winter on through early summer, making these flowers the perfect spring pick.

Foxglove
Foxglove add a beautiful vertical element to your potted garden.  They love the sun but will grow well in the shade as well.  Just remember, if you start from a seed, you will not get blooms the first year.

Chrysanthemums
Chrysanthemums are not specific to any season and is considered to be a hardy flower, which makes potting these for your porch an easy pick.

Marigold
Marigolds are a beautiful gold, orange, yellow or white flower. They are often planted in butterfly gardens because they attract butterflies, but ward off other undesireable insects with their odor.

Peonies
Peonies are easy flowers with a large and olorful bloom.  Start them out in a large plant container because they have large, deep root systems, and don’t do well when transplanted.

Gerbera Daisy
Gerberas are commonly grown for their bright and cheerful daisy-like flowers.  These flowers love a lot of indirect sunlight, and are an easy flower to care for.

Lavender
Lavender has a beautiful purple-blue flower and adds height to any container garden. It makes a great companion plant because it will attract beneficial insects to your garden, including butterflies, bees and other pollinators.

Cinnamon Caramel Cookie