Gift for excellent provider

Hi all;

I would like to tap into your collective experience. My daughter is getting ready to go to JK here in Ottawa, and I would like to give our daycare provider a nice parting gift. She has been wonderful, and her son (also in the daycer) and my daughter are best friends (I have taken him on playdates on teh weekend, and we joined them camping once). Also, I would like to mention that she is 5 monthe pregnant.

So all that, I wanted to get her something for her, something nice and not too generic, and not necessarily for the daycare per se. They are big into eating out (getting out of the house after being there all day??), so a nice gift certificate to the Keg or something is always an option, but is there anything else that would be nice? What are some of the best gifts you have received (or worst - something for me to stay away from!!).
Thanks all in advance.
:D

Stay away from things that never get used.....candles, soaps, shampoos, bubble bath. I don't like those anyways. Lol. Best that I love getting is money, gift card to a restaurant or gift card to the movies. Also get a little toy for her son and a little baby gift :)

Spa day/session - providers (and Moms) not always good at taking time for self.
Gift card for favourite restaurant.
Massage.
Wine if she drink wine

Personally I love gift cards! Restaurants, Tim hortons, or bath and body works!!

I have one mom that shows up with really well thought out gifts 2 or 3 times a year. It's usually a bottle of wine, some candy or chocolate, and a few other items like a nice bath and body works soap or lotion. Each time is different, and I can tell she put a lot of thought into making a great gift. I bet whatever you decide will be great, because it's well thought out. I love the idea of getting something little for her child and the baby too.

I rec'd an LCBO gift card this summer which came in handy.

Your kindness and thoughtfulness will lead the way in selecting a gift she will appreciate. You are on the right track thinking to get something more for her enjoyment, rather than for the daycare. You know her better than any of us, so trust your instincts. No matter what you decide I highly recommend adding a nice card or note that lets her know how much you appreciated the wonderful care she gave to your daughter. Gift cards are great and certainly get used up, but the notes and cards of appreciation I've held onto for years.

I have received some wonderful gifts and the best ones were a sign for my daycare, a camera
and a $75 gift card to a mall , there was a great restaurant at the mall so we ended up going there I have being very lucky with great parents :)

The best ones were in no particulate order: home made cookies, slippers, mittens, jars of hand mixed candies, hand made candles, cat toys, movie/store/resturant gifts card always in an amount for dinner for the whole family, massage/pedicure/manicure gift cards, comfy blankets, winter mittens, snow boots, hand made beaded bracelets in jade and onyx, an amazing boot rack, Tupperware containers, and the best one was a parent showing up at closing on my birthday, with a picnic basket dinner full of home-made goodies and yummies in a beautiful woven basket.

Very timely but last night, long term client came with gift. Their son is going to school next week. I had their daughter before him. So these been client for 8 year now.

They brought my husband pretty gift box of home-made oatmeal and raisin cookies which is his favourite. They bought me spa day with massage, facial, and body mud treatment. They gave gift certificate for local take away because we renovating kitchen.

My kid's nanny was a fur fashionista so I got her a stylish fur scarf. If you don't know what exactly your nanny likes then a gift coupon is a better choice

Totally changing the subject but Suzie Homemaker, any tips for renovating kitchen while you're operating daycare? This is something that we'll be dealing with in the not too distant future. Thanks.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by daycaremom9

Totally changing the subject but Suzie Homemaker, any tips for renovating kitchen while you're operating daycare? This is something that we'll be dealing with in the not too distant future. Thanks.

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Planning, planning, planning and then plan some more.

My husband semi-retired so doing some work himself. This good in sense he familiar to children but really bad in sense only one person and he easily distracted.

We not have big house so we knew impact would happen with children so we wait for early summer when children have more outside time and not stuck inside all day.

We made sure we stock freezer with daycare meal and own suppers. This mean we were able just take out what we need and use in toaster over to cook and not have any meal prep. We borrow my son's beer fridge and put that and toaster oven in dining room so not need keep walking in and out of kitchen when reno. It also mean I not getting in way of work by needing use kitchen each day. We have a screened and covered gazebo outside so each morning we take the toaster oven, the tea kettle outside and place high up on old bookshelf where children not able reach and use outside power socket.

We took Friday before long weekend as closed day and Thursday night after close, we take out all old cabinet and counter and dug up old tile. This took until late Friday night to get empty room and clean up dust and very long day working. On Saturday my husband and son repair all walls, paint new colour on walls and then laid new tile floor. So we then have fresh paint, new floor in clean empty room by Monday morning opening.

The tile had to be not walk on for 48 hour (I think it was) so my husband then assemble cabinet for new kitchen in garage and predrill hole for hardware like hinges. And he arrange around garage in correct order so that installation be fast as possible.

On Tuesday he install all cabinet and on Wednesday we have company come in to put new counter in place and to fit new sink. My husband and son then plumbing in sink and dishwasher and then do tiling splash back. By Friday, new appliances delivered and we just about ready to slide them in.

Will say that it was lot of hard work and long day and my husband did wonderful with long day and not say swear word out loud where children would hear. I think he said lot of rude words under breath or in head. Having my son able help too make big difference. I glad we did messy work on long weekend so by time children come on Monday, we not having lot of dust. My biggest concern was paint fume and children but it good as all window open and parent warned long time ago that this happening and we buy the low odour paint too.

My biggest tip.
1. Plan it all with time line for what need to be finished end of day, what task need achieve, in right order they need happen.
2. Do messy/dusty work when daycare closed like long weekend.
3. Plan to not use kitchen at all and set up mini-kitchen in different room. This mean not getting in way of reno and slowing down progress but also that children not too badly affected by change.
4. Get things in right order or assembled before begin project if can. It lot easier than moving boxes around to find the right cabinet and doing one at time before looking for next one. We very lucky to have garage to work in for this.
5. We decided paint whole room when empty because it faster than painting around cabinet and I would been cross if they got paint on new cabinet.

good for you Suzie .....Now I want a new Kitchen :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Suzie_Homemaker

Planning, planning, planning and then plan some more.

My husband semi-retired so doing some work himself. This good in sense he familiar to children but really bad in sense only one person and he easily distracted.

We not have big house so we knew impact would happen with children so we wait for early summer when children have more outside time and not stuck inside all day.

We made sure we stock freezer with daycare meal and own suppers. This mean we were able just take out what we need and use in toaster over to cook and not have any meal prep. We borrow my son's beer fridge and put that and toaster oven in dining room so not need keep walking in and out of kitchen when reno. It also mean I not getting in way of work by needing use kitchen each day. We have a screened and covered gazebo outside so each morning we take the toaster oven, the tea kettle outside and place high up on old bookshelf where children not able reach and use outside power socket.

We took Friday before long weekend as closed day and Thursday night after close, we take out all old cabinet and counter and dug up old tile. This took until late Friday night to get empty room and clean up dust and very long day working. On Saturday my husband and son repair all walls, paint new colour on walls and then laid new tile floor. So we then have fresh paint, new floor in clean empty room by Monday morning opening.

The tile had to be not walk on for 48 hour (I think it was) so my husband then assemble cabinet for new kitchen in garage and predrill hole for hardware like hinges. And he arrange around garage in correct order so that installation be fast as possible.

On Tuesday he install all cabinet and on Wednesday we have company come in to put new counter in place and to fit new sink. My husband and son then plumbing in sink and dishwasher and then do tiling splash back. By Friday, new appliances delivered and we just about ready to slide them in.

Will say that it was lot of hard work and long day and my husband did wonderful with long day and not say swear word out loud where children would hear. I think he said lot of rude words under breath or in head. Having my son able help too make big difference. I glad we did messy work on long weekend so by time children come on Monday, we not having lot of dust. My biggest concern was paint fume and children but it good as all window open and parent warned long time ago that this happening and we buy the low odour paint too.

My biggest tip.
1. Plan it all with time line for what need to be finished end of day, what task need achieve, in right order they need happen.
2. Do messy/dusty work when daycare closed like long weekend.
3. Plan to not use kitchen at all and set up mini-kitchen in different room. This mean not getting in way of reno and slowing down progress but also that children not too badly affected by change.
4. Get things in right order or assembled before begin project if can. It lot easier than moving boxes around to find the right cabinet and doing one at time before looking for next one. We very lucky to have garage to work in for this.
5. We decided paint whole room when empty because it faster than painting around cabinet and I would been cross if they got paint on new cabinet.

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Great info, thanks so much. My husband and sons are all in the construction business so that will make things easier. They'll be able to do a lot of the work themselves. We'll definitely be doing it in the summer and my house is big enough that the daycare could be in another area of the house if we set up for it. We won't be doing it this summer, but soon.

A box of chocolates is a pleasant and tasty gift that will definitely please your taste and will become an excellent sign of attention. I really liked chocolate hampers ireland lately. A very original and beautiful gift. I think everyone will like this, both adults and children.