When I was first cleared to exercise after Chase was born, I quickly realized a few of my old favorite ways to work out weren’t going to work for a while for me because of the lack of childcare offered at some of my favorite fitness studios.
Not only could I not resume teaching my regular classes at the gym (they do not offer childcare until a child can sit up), but I also had to temporarily forgo Pure Barre workouts as well. I was quite bummed about this, but sometimes when one door closes another one opens. In this case, the door lead me to my local Burn Boot Camp.
(The above banner is hanging on the wall at my local BBC. LOVE it.)
I heard wonderful things about Burn Boot Camp (BBC) from other moms in my area. The workouts sounded seriously challenging but, most importantly for me, the childcare offered at my local boot camp received rave reviews.
I visited BBC two times by myself before I felt comfortable enough to bring Chase along. I wanted to meet the woman who worked there and speak with her about bringing my baby boy there soon. She instantly made me feel at ease and the first time I arrived with Chase, Miss Lindsey held him swaddled in her arms the entire time.
As weeks went by and I fell more and more in love with my BBC workouts, I also fell more in love with Miss Lindsey and her incredible passion for caring for children. Not only does she come up with the cutest craft projects for the children, but she plays with Chase when he’s excitable, snuggles him when he’s sleepy and gives me peace of mind during the 45 minutes of the day when I’m not in full-on mommy mode.
During the holiday season, I knew I wanted to give Lindsey a holiday gift bag to say a big thank you to her for taking such great care of Chase and the other BBC kids. She truly goes above and beyond and the other mothers and I know how lucky we are to have her watching our children during our workouts.
I picked up a bunch of goodies at CVS and tried to stick with a fitness/health/holiday theme!
I filled the gift bag with hair ties, cucumber hand lotion, facial cleansing towelettes (perfect to use to freshen up post-workout!) and nail polish for a little something fun. Side note: I am in love with Essie’s Bahama Mama color. So pretty!
I also had to add some festive holiday items to the gift bag and hoped Lindsey’s adorable daughter might like the fuzzy socks I included.
And because gift bags should always include some kind of delicious treat, I added two of my favorite snacks.
I know Lindsey is fairly health-conscious so I wanted to include snacks that were tasty and a little sweet but still mostly healthy and free from artificial preservatives and flavors. We LOVE the Gold Emblem Abound Berries & Nut Clusters in our house and I think the Fuji Apple & Raspberry Clusters are a perfect healthy option to grab when your sweet tooth hits.
We also included two cards (our family Christmas card from Chase and a thank you card from me) and a VISA gift card in the gift bag. I really hope Lindsey knows just how much she means to our family. A thank you gift bag doesn’t even begin to do her justice, but hopefully it added a little bit of holiday cheer to her day last week!
Gift Card Giveaway
Now it’s giveaway time…
Today’s giveaway is for a $100 CVS gift card!
You may use the gift card toward anything at CVS, though I encourage you to use your gift card to assemble a surprise “thank you” gift basket for someone in your life who means a lot to you.
I highly recommend adding some of CVS’ tasty snacks from their Gold Emblem Abound line in your gift basket, as all of the the ingredients in CVS’ Gold Emblem Abound snacks are totally recognizable (no artificial preservatives and flavors) and they offer both sweet and savory options you can feel good about gifting.
To enter this giveaway, please leave a comment on this blog post telling me about someone in your life who you think deserves a thoughtful thank you basket from you! I’ll randomly select and email a giveaway winner tomorrow so we can get you your gift card ASAP!
Good luck!
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Disclaimer: This blog post is part of my ongoing partnership with CVS. Though this post features some of my favorite CVS snacks, the gift bag idea was mine alone and was assembled and paid for by me as a big thank you to a woman who means a lot to our family.
I’m proud to partner with CVS/pharmacy as one of the “Gold Emblem Abound Trail Makers” this year. I am being sponsored by CVS/pharmacy for my Trail Makers posts and activities, but all opinions expressed are my own, and all product claims or program details shared should be verified at CVS.com or with the appropriate manufacturers. As always, I am so appreciative of your support surrounding sponsored posts. Thank you!
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I would love to make a thank you gift basket like that for my mom — she has helped me move and I couldn’t have done it without her!
My neighbor deserves a thank you bag. She invites my husband and I over for all of the holidays they host and watches our house when we’re gone. I’m so lucky to have a great neighbor like her!
My best friend-always there for me so it would be a nice holiday thank you!
We have chosen to give cookies and treats to random families in temporary lodging on our base. These people are families that have recently been relocated and awaiting housing at their new duty station. Basically they are hotel living through Christmas. It’s always great to show people they are not forgotten and there sacrifice is remembered.
Merry Christmas!
I love this post! What a great idea! I have so many people in my life that deserve a big thank you basket, but right now I would give it to a coworker that has helped me on a HUGE project the last couple of months!
My husband! He works 14+ hours a day at a corporate office, and then comes home and is on call 24 hrs. He tends not to take care of himself (skips meals, at work too early…)and always running around for others. This would be a great gift for him!
My sister-in-law for supporting me through this pregnancy!
My roommate and I have been through craziness the last three years and she deserves the best thank you gift ever!!!
My mother in law has been a huge help this past year and I never think she gets the thanks she deserves!
I would absolutely love to show my boyfriend how much I appreciate him with a surprise like this once the holidays are over. He has done so much for me in terms of emotional support, being understanding when I am busy with the burdens of graduate school, and loving me for who I am. He is simply the best person I have ever encountered, and I would love to show him my appreciation with goodies and treats from CVS – we love eating healthy, and it would be fun picking out savory snacks for him (he has no sweet tooth…weirdo).
I would send a thank you bag to my grandma. She’s battling cancer and I want her to know just how much I appreciate and cherish the time she spent with me as a child. She loves each of her grandchildren the same but always knew how to make each of us feel special.
My parents 100% deserve a special gift this holiday season. They’ve supported me 150% through my grad school years and I don’t know how to thank them enough!
My personal trainer!
I think my dad deserves it, because he works hard to make things easy for our whole family and never asks for anything in return!!
Love this idea. This would be great for our preschool teachers. They do so much for our family.
My roommate’s mom always sends her home with meals for both of us. I would love to get her a nice thank you gift!
I would have to say my mom – she’s always been so supportive, but has been especially amazing since I became pregnant with twins!
My coworker, for helping me and putting up with me through my first year of teaching. She has been such a blessing and I would love a way to pay her back!!
I would put together a gift bag for a good friend who had to have surgery today. She love Christmas and I know she is bummed that her health is going to slow her down this week.
My mom! She is the most selfless, caring individual I know.
My parents! They have always been so supportive and encouraging. 🙂
My daycare provider deserves the best gift.
My friend Sam because she had a rough day at work today!
I would assemble a gift for my little brother who just got sent out of country with the military. He helps our country, but even more so, he is the best go to for advice, would jump to help me in an instant & I can count on him for almost anything!
I did that same mistletoe craft with my daughter! Saw it on Pinterest and loved it. So cute!
I would create two gift bags for my two teenage daughters. My baby daughter is a week younger than Chase and my big girls help me keep the house clean and make dinners and watch their baby sister while I shower or get something done. They adore their baby sister and I’m so blessed to have them as my helpers. ?
My petsitter
My best friend from high school deserves a gift bag. She is going through a tough time this holiday season and missing her baby daughter. She deserves the best.
My mom! She selflessly takes care of all four of her kids, even after we’ve grown up.
My next door neighbor who has been a good friend since we met one year ago.
My best friend is wonderful and is always so thoughtful. She definitely deserves a thank you gift basket!
My dad- drove three hours in the pouring rain to take me home from university!
This has been a tumultous year for my husband and I with multiple moves, and my parents have stuck with us and helped us so much through this rough patch! They definitely deserve this!
My sister in law really deserves a thank you! She is one of my best friends and she is always there when I need to chat. She is in a bit of a slump right now so I know she’d really appreciate the pick me up!
My mom deserves a pick-me-up and I’d love to send her a surprise since I won’t see her over Christmas. XO
My roommate deserves a thank you for cleaning our entire apartment while I was away on a business trip that lasted two extra days due to weather!
I would make a basket for my mom!
I would love to do gift baskets for my trainers at my gym who have whipped me back into shape after baby! 🙂
I would give it to my mom eho goes above and beyond….. thanks.
My mom really deserves a gift basket! She has been a devoted grandmother to my son, and helps me out so much by watching him often while I am working.
Thanks for the chance to win!
wildorchid985 AT gmail DOT com
My mom definitely deserves a basket!
My mother -hands down. She is the most selfless person I know and always puts others first. She deserves much more than a gift basket, but it would be a great start. Thank you!
I would use it to make a “be brave” gift bag for my mom, who will be going through radiation in the next few weeks… She’s got a great outlook and lots of great “reviews’ from her doctors, but I’m hoping to put something together to keep her focused on her recovery. Great idea, Julie! Xoxo
I would use the gift card to create a thank you bag for my coworker! She’s always there to lend a helping hand for anyone in the office, but she also helps those in need in our community! I know she could definitely use a surprise thank you right about now too 🙂
I have a very special friend that I cherish dearly. I have had several trials this past year with one especially tragic event in our family and I always know that I can count on her to pray for our family. She keeps close tabs on my emotions and can tell when I need someone to talk to. She is my calm in the storm. I am truly blessed to have her in my life. Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas.
My Mom definitely deserves a thank you basket, especially since she just became a Grandmom!
My mom! She has always supported me no matter what!
one of my co-workers. always so willing to help me out
Love your gift bags! You always include something original and fun!
My boyfriend! He is so kind and loving and always does sweet little things to show me how much he cares about me.
my mom totally deserves this! She visited me and was driving my dog home for Christmas so we could make better timing on our drive tomorrow afternoon and it has taken her 10-11 hours to make a 6 hour drive :/
My mother-in-law deserves a thank you basket. She has been amazing this past year by helping us out more than I can ever re-pay. She has gone above and beyond for my family and I am so grateful for her.