Teachers are real-life superheroes in my book, and they deserve all the gifts and accolades! As the end of this school year draws near, consider some of my favorite locally made gifts to say a big, heartfelt ‘thank you’ to the teachers in your life:
- Potted plant perfection. One of my favorite spots to shop locally is
Plant People Shop in Midtown. Owner Christina Carter and her staff make the shopping experience fun and educational and they offer so many beautiful gift options in a variety of price points. Pick up a potted beauty or snag your teacher a gift card to choose their own plant or attend a monthly Plants & Punch event (where they can make their own terrarium!) - Sweet tooth. There’s nothing better than freshly-baked cookies, unless it’s sweet treats that also support a great cause. Catalyst Cookies is a program of ReMerge, a local diversion program for high-risk moms. The cookie company helps build job skills for ReMerge moms, ma
ny of whom have significant work gaps that prove a tremendous hindrance in their recovery and ability to care for their kids. This employment initiative not only helps moms’ future career success in earning a family-sustaining wage upon graduation from ReMerge, it also provides delicious products perfect for gifting. Choose from tasty flavors like salted caramel pecan, birthday cake and triple chocolate chip, plus gluten-free monster. Orders are accepted daily with pick up of you freshly-baked cookies the following Monday. You can also grab a gift card so your teacher can order their flavor of choice. 
Stress reliever. Is there a teacher out there who doesn’t need a bit of stress relief after all their hard work this year?! Local Lather Soap Shop is my favorite place to find locally-made bath and shower products, which are a huge hit with everyone in my household. Our top choices include bath fizz (think a deconstructed bath bomb — try lavender mint or McDreamy), bath & salt shakers (sprinkle on the shower floor when you don’t have time for a bath) and the moisture-rich milk bath (for silky soft skin), all in soothing and invigorating scents. You can also grab a gift card so your teacher can choose their favorite product.
Yummy honey. These cute little bears of yummy, locally made raw honey are always a gift-giving hit! Sweet Stingers Honey & Apiary is owned and run by a metro family and in addition to multiple sizes and styles of honey, they offer darling gift packages as well as honey lollipops, pollen and beeswax. At just $3 per bottle, these honey bears are perfect if you’ve got a lot of teachers, support staff and admins to thank, or make a sweet addition to a gift card to your teacher’s favorite local restaurant.- State scents. Experience Oklahoma … in a candle! With fresh scents representing incredibly creative odes to Oklahoma, locally-made candles from 46th State Candle Company are one of my favorite things to gift. Not only do they smell amazing, the beautifully made labels and wooden engraved lids are a gorgeous addition to any space. My personal favorites are Thunderstorms of Oklahoma (eucalyptus, sea salt and spearmint) and Lakes of Oklahoma (water lily, driftwood and green leaves). $17.99/each. Shop online or at local retailers.
- Creative classes. Give your teacher a fun reason to explore their creativity outside of their classroom over the summer months. Purchase a gift card for a unique crafting or making experience. Oklahoma Contemporary offers classes for all ages exploring a variety of mediums in their Studio School. Preacher Pottery hosts wheel-throwing date nights — novices welcome! Board and Brush offers Sip and Paint events.
- Bonus! Did you know you can purchase Oklahoma-branded merchandise with funds going to public school classroom grants?! Order your teacher a hat, shirt or sweatshirt with the Imagine That tagline and the proceeds fund grants for teachers to purchase classroom supplies, materials or equipment for their classrooms. Win-win! Peruse the gift items and make your purchase at ImagineOklahoma.shop. Fun fact: all the items are modeled by Oklahoma public school teachers.
ny of whom have significant work gaps that prove a tremendous hindrance in their recovery and ability to care for their kids. This employment initiative not only helps moms’ future career success in earning a family-sustaining wage upon graduation from ReMerge, it also provides delicious products perfect for gifting. Choose from 
Stress reliever. Is there a teacher out there who doesn’t need a bit of stress relief after all their hard work this year?!
Yummy honey. These cute little bears of yummy, locally made raw honey are always a gift-giving hit! 
State scents. Experience Oklahoma … in a candle! With fresh scents representing incredibly creative odes to Oklahoma, locally-made candles from What are you gifting the teachers in your life? I’d love to hear your favorite things to gift — email me at editor@metrofamilymagazine.com. Find more teacher- and reader-recommended gift ideas here.
