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5 Alternative Gifts to Flowers & Chocolate for Mom!

Curly Hair Mom and BabyThis weekend will be a special one, especially to all the new moms, stay-at-home-moms, single moms, stepmoms, and foster moms out there.

As a daughter and aspiring mother, I will be running around wrapping gifts, making reservations and making sure the mothers in my life feel loved. However, as a future mother and I’m sure many moms can relate, I think that flowers and chocolate are redundant.

Yes, the most common tradition has always been to give mom a beautiful bouquet of roses or a yummy box of dark chocolate, but who thinks that the Mother’s Day gifts traditions need to be rebranded?

As families search for new ways to make the most important women in their lives feel extra special, Hollywood Learning Centers of First Presbyterian Church has some suggestions on five alternative gifts to flowers and chocolate to surprise our moms this year.

5) Fruitable Arrangement: Chocolate covered strawberries or cherries are always a great alternative, especially on those occasions when it’s popular to send flowers. The advantage over flowers is being able to enjoy the fresh fruits arrangement decorated in a beautiful base. Make sure you write a special note! You can find these arrangements in different prices and sizes at Edible Arrangements.

4) Chocolate-face Mask: As you know, chocolate tastes like it was sent from heaven, but did you know it was also use as a skin care treatment? For amazing rejuvenating, exfoliating, or moisturizing facials, call our friend Lisa, from Lisa Miami Skin at (954) 806-1629.

3) Floral-print Dress: Give your mother, a bouquet of flowers that will not wilt. This beautiful floral-print dress can be found at Macy’s and is perfect for a Mother’s Day dinner, a special event, or family picnic.

2) Chocolate-flavored Wine When it comes to celebrating Mother’s Day at the table, red wine and chocolate seem like a natural match. But this year, winemakers across the country are producing wines that take the pairing to another level. You can find it here.

1) Flower-shaped Jewelry : You don’t have to buy diamonds to make an impact. But instead of a bouquet, a flower-shaped piece of jewelry makes a fantastic alternative. A flower charm from Pandora, a necklace with a meaningful rose pendant, a bouquet ring chosen with care – these can all say how you feel with flowers that will last a lifetime.

Hope this works for the traditional and not-so traditional moms, after all, they say is the thought that counts. Hollywood Learning Centers of First Presbyterian Church will like to wish all of our moms, a Happy Mother’s Day and remind you to register for our “Breakfast with Mom” event, this Friday at 9 AM.

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Let’s Celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week!

Teacher Appreciation Pic 1

I don’t remember ever celebrating Teacher Appreciation week growing up in the 90s. I’m not sure if it was because I was in a public school, or simply because it wasn’t popular around my times. Yet, with a teacher as a mother (Ms. Fatima), showing my appreciation was a must.

It wasn’t until a few years ago that I learned that the US celebrates the nearly 3.5 million teachers with a week called, Teacher Appreciation Week, but I wanted to find out more about the history so I went on a hunt.

Apparently, people in the US didn’t begin celebrating teachers until 1953 when Eleanor Roosevelt persuaded Congress to set a day to recognize educators, but it didn’t become a national day until March 7, 1980. Since one day is not enough to thank these wonderful human beings, four years later, the National Parent Teacher Association designated the first full week of May as Teacher Appreciation Week. The following year, the NEA voted to make the Tuesday of that week National Teacher Day.

This year it falls on May 2nd till May 6th.

At First Presbyterian Learning Centers, we honor our dedicated teachers and outstanding support staff with goodies and presents. However, this year, our teachers want to have fun with gift cards!  

We put a list of gift card ideas based on a survey conducted in house:

  • Starbucks
  • Target
  • Restaurants
  • Movie Tickets
  • Sephora  / Ulta (Makeup stores)
  • Mani/Pedi Spa
  • Victoria Secret

P.S. Mark your calendars – Teachers Appreciation Week May 2th – 6th.

Teachers Rock!

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Introducing : A Parenting Survival Guide

It's time to fly away

We’re very excited for this one!

In a nutshell, First Presbyterian Learning Centers has been around for more than 30 years. Recently, we jumped on the social media trend and realized we actually have a cool following of busy mommies and daddies super heroes.

First Presbyterian Learning Center’s Director, Ms. Fatima Marin, wanted to share her experience as a mother and educator through the voice of her oldest daughter, Fatima Zimichi, a writer and aspiring mother.

Through First Presbyterian Learning Centers’ blog, Parenting Survival Guide, we will celebrate parenthood and strive to provide healthy, simple and unconventional ways to survive parenthood.

We understand parenthood can be difficult and some days we feel like we can do better. What we want to share through this blog is that mothers, fathers, guardians, step mommies and daddies around the world are not  alone. We have a community of families that go through similar scenarios,  a God that has given us this role and believes in us, and now a sweet little blog to guide us step by step.

We want to make sure the blog is friendly, resourceful and fun. We want our readers to feel like they are our neighborhood friends, coming over with their kids to have a cup of tea.

You can experience some of Ms. Fatima’s and the rest of the First Presbyterian team’s anecdotes, home remedies, parental tips, home-made projects and other creative and fun activities parents will love.

Stay tune and feel free to share among your mommy and daddy friends.

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