holiday boutique

the biggest thing i was working on last week was the school's holiday boutique.  this is an event that the pto has put on since before we started.  it really is one of the funnest, but most stressful, events our group puts on.

it's a kids' shopping experience.  we send home envelopes with a gift list and budget for each family to fill out.  they return it with who the child is buying for and how much they should spend.  then the "store" is open for three days for the kids to browse and buy.

the older kids can manage on their own.  they search for the perfect gift for their parents, siblings, grandparents and sometimes even for themselves keeping in mind their budget.

the younger kids need a lot of help finding their gifts.  we take them around show them what gifts are in their price range and ultimately let them make the decision.  i love shopping with the preschool kids.  they are so adorable and have no clue about what is going on, although some of them had very expensive taste.

after the kids are done with their purchases we wrap each gift and label it.  then we deliver to carpool at the end of the day.  it takes a lot of volunteers to put this event together.  this year i was lucky to have 2 moms who took on the organization of this event.  they were rock stars and made sure every detail was covered.  we also had moms who volunteered to work the boutique for all 3 days, wrapping, shopping and keeping inventory.  i say it was a huge success.

we use a company that provides product on consignment.  prices range from $.30 for a bookmark to $18.60 for a tabletop pingpong table.  some of our faculty and parents sell their handmade good as well.  it's a great way to support our school community.  and this year we had some donations of items as well.  love that because it's 100% profit for the school.

honestly, this event is not a huge money maker.  we only make about 20% of the sales.  but we think of it as offering a service for the families.  it's always fun to open our gifts on christmas morning and see what the kids picked out for us.  i still use my #1 mom keychain that sofia got me.  i've received a ring from andrew every year.  one year jordan gave me a "you're the best grandma" ornament.  we all laughed.

i enjoy hearing the stories of why the kids choose their gifts. some kids know what their family wants.  they buy something because it's their mom's favorite color, or their dad likes golf so they get the golf business card holder.  they have stories about their grandpa building model ships, or their aunt who broke her umbrella and could use a new one.

it's an experience that i treasure at our school and i hope the kids do too.