This post is sponsored by Amazon.  Thank you for supporting the brands that I believe in.

As a little girl, I dreamed about being a teacher.  I’d play “school” for hours on end with my plastic hot pink desk filled with half-used pencils and the remnants of workbooks from my previous school year.   Fast forward 15 years and my dream of being a teacher came true when I had the opportunity to be a middle school math teacher for several years.  I also met and married a teacher.  So it goes without saying that I have a deep appreciate for teachers and all they do!

Whether your child’s teacher will be in a physical classroom this fall, or teaching from their home office, they are faced with having to get ready for a year that will undoubtedly look different. So this year I’m excited to tell you that I’m working with Amazon to participate in the #ClearTheList movement. If you haven’t heard of #ClearTheList, it encourages giving back to teachers by purchasing products from their Amazon Wish Lists.  No matter what school may look like this year, I think we can all agree that we want kids to have access to the supplies they need to succeed! I love seeing social media being used for GOOD, so I’m excited that the #ClearTheList movement encourages customers to give back to teachers.  If you are a teacher or you know a deserving teacher who has a Wish List, be sure to share their link in the comments section of my Instagram post. You never know who might be paying attention!

If you’re a teacher and you don’t have a Wish List yet, you can quickly & easily create your own Amazon Wish List by visiting Amazon.com/WishList and then select “Create a List”.  Add items that will create a more enriching learning experience for your students.  Once you’ve done that, you will get a link that you can share with others (be sure to share it with me on my recent Instagram post! When people shop from your Wish List, items are shipped directly to you as the Wish List owner, so it’s incredibly easy for both the person purchasing and the teacher receiving it. Another easy way to give back is with AmazonSmile Charity Lists.  AmazonSmile Charity Lists are created by non-profit organizations, and you can easily search from thousands of charities to find one that is near and dear to your heart.  There are even a variety of education-oriented lists that you can browse & support, just in time for the start of this new school year.  Head to smile.amazon.com/charitylists to browse and donate items!

I understand that in this season we are in, some people may have a desire to give back, but may not have the financial means to do so.  In this case, listen up because I’ve got something really cool that most people don’t know about:  AmazonSmile! You can literally shop all the usual products you know and love on Amazon with the added bonus that AmazonSmile will donate a portion of the purchase price of eligible items to the charity of your choice (at no extra cost to you!).   Simply go to smile.amazon.com and do all your regular shopping, including back-to-school shopping!  It’s an awesome way to support your favorite charity while purchasing items you need anyways! 

And lastly, you can make a donation with any Alexa-enabled device. How cool is that?!  Just say, “Alexa, I want to make a donation” to get started.

This fall will bring some big changes for our family.   Chris will return to teaching in a physical school building for the first time in over 5 months.  And the kids will be staying at home participating in a remote learning option through our school district (aka: they will be taught by a regular classroom teacher from our school, but it will all happen virtually from our home, with support from me.)   This was a big decision, and one that I wrestled with a lot.   But we honestly feel it is the best option for our family at this time, though we also recognize the possibility that we will pivot to something else if it doesn’t work out. 

I know many of you have had to make similar decisions, and I want to encourage you that YOU are the only one who knows what is best for your family.  And there shouldn’t be any guilt or judgement surrounding that.  Be confident that the decision you made is the best one, and start getting ready with excitement for the school year ahead!

These past few months have been full of changes.  And there’s no denying that the upcoming school year will bring changes with it.  But one thing hasn’t changed: and that is we can all agree that we want what is best for kids to succeed in the school year ahead!  To have an environment in which they can learn & thrive, no matter what that looks like.  So I encourage you to take a moment and explore one these ways you can give back to help students succeed this year, with the help of Amazon.