This post is in partnership with Coca-Cola. I am beyond thrilled to work with a company I absolutely love and believe in!
With the holidays fast approaching, gift giving is on the forefront of everyone’s mind. Instead of giving the same old coffee mug or apple ornament, why not give something meaningful like this Treat of the Month Club idea?
When I was a little girl I wanted to be a 4th grade teacher. It was right in between the little little kids and the big kids and I thought the perfect age. I liked the idea that I could spend time with kids and help them learn about all different things. And then I got older and realized that I probably didn’t have the patience that was required to be a teacher. But my love for teachers has remained the same. Teachers made a big impact on my life. Mrs. Massip was my favorite and I still find myself singing songs that she taught us in third grade.
Since having my own kids, we have been blessed with some amazing teachers over the years. My oldest, JJ, has had a lot of teachers and aides who have made an incredible difference not only in his life, but in all of our family members. He has learned and progressed immensely because of their work to think outside of the box, patience, kindness and caring in general. My other two kids have had teachers who encouraged them to do their best and to work hard while having fun. We have been so fortunate by these teachers who put in countless hours and shape kids lives.
In partnership with Coke, I wanted to recognize these unsung heroes – the teachers. Coke wants to make this season special by spotlighting people that don’t often get recognized for all of the good they do. There are so many people around us that go the extra mile during this stressful and busy holiday season. Let’s celebrate them!
In the 13 years that we’ve had teachers, I’ve tried to make our gratitude known by volunteering, donating and telling them how much we appreciate them. A couple of years ago I came up with the idea of Dessert of the Month Club. Instead of just giving one gift at the holidays, we gave a card to celebrate them throughout the year. It has become a tradition that my kids look forward to. Every month we make treats of some kind and deliver them to the teachers. To put this together for the teachers in your life, here’s what you’ll need:
- 30days Treat of the Month Club Printables
- A treat to share for the holidays to go with this gift – recipe for Coca-Cola Chocolate Cake below!
- #ShareaCoke bottle with teachers names on it – You can order special personalized #ShareaCoke glass bottles for loved ones this holiday season using this special discount code on ShareaCoke.com! Use the code CYBERMONDAY.
Want to try this amazing cake for your first treat? It has been around for a long time and been made a number of ways. This is the recipe that I used if you want something suuuuuper delicious to make for the holidays. It’s perfect for the Treat of the Month Club!
Coca-Cola Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 c all-purpose flour
- 2 c sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 12 oz Coca-Cola
- 1 c butter cubed
- ¼ c unsweetened baking cocoa
- 2 large eggs
- ½ c buttermilk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Glaze
- 12 oz Coca-Cola
- ½ c butter cubed
- ¼ c unsweetened baking cocoa
- 4 c confectioners sugar (powdered sugar) sifted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease a 13x9-in. baking pan and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, set aside.
- In a small saucepan, combine Coca-Cola, butter and unsweetened cocoa.
- Bring just to a boil over low heat, stirring occasionally.
- Add to dry ingredients, stirring until moistened.
- In a small bowl, whisk eggs, buttermilk and vanilla until blended then add to flour mixture, whisking constantly.
- Transfer to prepared pan.
- Bake 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
For the glaze
- Approximately 15 minutes before the cake is done, make the glaze.
- In a small saucepan, bring Coca-Cola to a boil.
- Cook 12-15 minutes or until liquid is reduced to ½ cup.
- Stir in butter and unsweetened cocoa until butter is melted.
- Remove from heat. Add confectioners (powdered) sugar and stir until smooth.
- Pour immediately over hot cake.
Nutrition
Recipe originally found from Taste of Home.
One of the coolest things was having the chance to personalize some Coke bottles. Since I have a unique name, I have never once found my name on anything. (that’s partly why my kids have common names) I was able to order bottles of Coke that had Andrew’s teacher’s name and also some for me.
Coke wants to give away a #ShareaCoke prize pack. Included in this prize is:
- One (1) six-pack of personalized “Share a Coke” glass bottles on ShareaCoke.com
- A $100 Visa gift card to use in a gift or celebration for your unsung hero
To enter, it’s simple- share the story of an “unsung hero” in your life in the comment section below.
(It doesn’t have to be a teacher – it is anyone who you consider a hero! ;)
*This prize was provided by The Coca-Cola Company. The Coca-Cola Company is not a sponsor, administrator or connected in any other way with this campaign.
My unsung hero is my dad! I know it sounds cliche, but he has guided me, supported me, and made me laugh hysterically all my life. He helped me find my dream career and encouraged me to learn to laugh at myself. I can’t wait until my hubby and I start having children because I know he will be the best grandfather a kid could ever dream of. I can’t imagine a life without him.
My husband in my unsung hero: very hardworking, generous, and kind, always trying to do more for us, a gentleman through and through, big heart for others, and he is my best friend. Thanks for the chance :)
jslbrown2009 at aol dot com
My husband is my unsung hero. He has a chronic illness but rarely complains and works so hard every day to provide for us financially and emotionally. I’d be lost without him.
My daughter is my unsung hero! She plays boy’s football, yes they give her hell. But she doesn’t let it bother her too much.
She helps me work with my clients in home care.
She is liked by everyone!
Such a sweet idea! I love the personalized Coke bottles!
My unsung hero is my teenage daughter Savannah. She is the daughter of a single Mama-that’s me- who defies the “stereotype” of the “single parent household”. She is kind, compassionate, grateful, gracious and warm hearted. She also carries a near perfect GPA, is Class President, a member of National Honor Society, a cheerleader and volunteers for numerous Community events. She is the atypical teenager who cleans her room and picks up the house without being asked. She amazes me every single day.
When my niece, Sophie was 2 years old, she started calling Savannah “Shiny”- very unusual name to say the least. I asked Sophie once why she chose the name “Shiny” for Savannah and she said it’s because all of Savannah “shines”- her eyes, her smile, her heart and her hair. :) I couldn’t have said it better myself.
My hero is my neice Lauren Conley Leonard. Her firstborn was diagnosed with brain cancer shortly after birth. She takes care of her three children and husband. She works, and yet follows her heart to make all the children at the hospital have things to make their hospital stays more like home. She has raised money and taken them gaming systems, holiday fun and other things. She is the most selfless person I am glad to know. And she does it all with a smile!
My sister is a hero. She stands up for the truth and I love that!
My unsung hero is my mom. She worked as a nurse for Head Start throughout my childhood and ran our house without as much help as she should have been given. She never put herself first and unselfishly gave of herself everyday. My grandmother lived with us and my mom helped her with her health issues and medication needs every evening, even though she must have been exhausted. She has since supported my dad through chemo treatments and neuropathy. She is there for me whenever I need to talk to someone. My mom taught me about compassion, hard work, and caring for others. She has been a role model for my daughters and has shown them that age is just a number. Everyday heros, like my mom, should be valued more in our society- they are the fabric that holds us all together!
My hero was and will always remain my beloved Dad. I have pic’s of looking adoringly at him when i was 6 month’s of age, that never changed. My parents divorced when i was 5 ys. old. My mother’s new boyfriend didn’t want children…needless to say, my Dad raised me, was my confidant, greatest influence on my life. My Grandparents had been dysfunctional as parents, so Dad , and, i taught each other. I grew into a caring person, turning that into my career as a nurse due to his own unconditional love. When i married, had a family of my own, i wanted to find my Mother to ask why i never rec’d any communication growing up. She never apologized. When i learned that she was dying, i immediately began taking care of her, then she could pass in her home, a decision i will never regret. Had my Dad not raised me with his morals, i could not have fulfilled my Mother’s dying wish. I know Dad is still watching over me with the same adoration we always shared.
Heroes come in many shapes and sizes and are known by many names. My hero wears many hats: husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, nephew, cousin, friend, bus driver, co-worker, freemason, carpenter, mechanic, troubleshooter, problem solver, and my personal favorite, “my Lenny.” My hero is my husband. I know it may sound cliche, but trust me, he is no ordinary man.
A little over 10 years ago, my husband was diagnosed with a chronic disease called Polycythemia Vera (PV). PV is in the group of blood disorders called Myeloproliferative Neoplasms and is a type of blood cancer. Two years ago, my husband suffered a life-changing cardiac arrest as a result of complications from his disease and a sever allergic reaction to some medication. We had actually been travelling to New York for a long weekend to visit one of our soldier sons when he took very ill. From the New York Thruway, he was taken by ambulance to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester. He suffered two heart attacks while at the hospital and had his body temperature lowered and placed in a coma to try to protect his brain.
My Lenny was given a 5% chance of survival. Ten days later, he was released from the hospital and we returned home to Ohio. Fast forward two years and my husband has faced yet another obstacle and was forced to step down from a job he absolutely loved and filed for disability.
See, after being diagnosed with PV over 10 years ago, my husband gave up his high paying corporate job for a job as a school bus driver so he could spend more time with our family. He wants our children and I to have a life filled with good memories of him. He makes a difference in our lives every single day. And he makes a difference in the hundreds of lives he had the privilege of transporting to and from school every day over the past 9 years.
Lenny wasn’t just a school bus driver. He was transporting precious cargo and he took every opportunity to make a difference in the lives of the students he was entrusted to transport. He lives his life as an example for our children and the children he transported. By his example, he has taught our daughters what to look for in a future husband and taught our sons how to treat their future wives.
He’s not afraid to stand up for what he believes in. He’s also not afraid to make the tough decisions when it comes to our children and family. He’s willing to risk our children not liking him in order to do what’s best for them. He’s their father first and their friend second. He is an incredible partner to me. Always putting my needs first. When our children ask us why our relationship works he always tell them that our secret is that we each care more about the other person than we care about ourselves. He is my best friend. He is the person I enjoy spending every moment with. I cherish our time together and I so look forward to growing old with him and being that cute old couple you see walking down the street hand-in-hand.
My Lenny is my hero because he sets the perfect example of what it means to put family first.
My unsung hero in my life is my daughter Brianna. She was diagnosed at birth with Down Syndrome. After overcoming many obstacles with much love and little patience, we learned how to navigate our new world until about the age of 9 or so. In the coming years we would be treated to a new diagnosis–Autism. Oh but first a misdiagnosis of Schizophrenia. Whew! what a rough couple of years full of disappointment. Now we are on the right track and once again moving forward. I love her so much because no matter what she is always content–in her world. Never hopeless or defeated just content. It may not be the world I would have chosen but it is her world and I am happy to say that at the young age of 18; I hope the worst is in the past!
My unsung hero is my dad. He was a physical education teacher for 31 yrs. He was very passionate about his job and working with kids. He retired but still subs for the districts pe teachers. I am a teacher as well and feel I received my love for teaching by watching my dad!
Wow! I appreciate this because I AM a teacher! My hero is also a teacher because as a child life was tough. There were a lot of things going on in my family and I just didn’t understand it all and felt lost. A teacher (who I now call my godmother) took me in and loved on me above teaching me. She was a place of refuge when I felt like I could drown in my own sorrows. She is still this to me to this day! And now, as a teacher myself, I am drawn to those students who seem to struggle a little bit more than the rest. I try to mentor these students and show them the love that was shown to me. I feel blessed that I can be a small piece of happiness to so many students. Teachers truly make an impact on the world and I’m so glad I had one that took the time to care!
The unsung hero in my life right now would be one of my sisters in my church group. She not only serves my children, but has became a great friend to me. Last year was our first year in the church and her family did a secret santa 12 days of christmas. It was the perfect thing we needed to feel loved and welcomed! A friend, neighbor and sister in the church is just what I call and unsung hero!
My grandmother is my unsung hero, although I tell her how amazing she is all the time. She is the epitome of patience and forgiveness. I watched her care for grandmother as his health aged even after a lifetime of hurt caused by him. By the end of his life, he apologized and made amends with his children, but I really think she was in his life so he understood what unconditional love looks like. I try to remember that when people hurt me – sometimes, people enter our lives so we learn a lesson and sometimes, the lesson is ours to teach.
My in-sung hero is my sister. She is stronger than anyone I know. 6 years ago she lost her 19 year old son and although the past 6 years have not been easy she has learned to love and smile again. We all have as a family. She keeps his stocking up all year and we put money in it throughout the year to help people in need in honor of him. I am blessed beyond measure to have her as a sister. cant wait to make the Coca-Cola cake to share with my family this Christmas., especially my mom who is a big coke collector!
My hero is my husband. Despite suffering two debilitating chronic illnesses and the recent (this year) recurrence of active seizure disorder – which has now caused significant memory loss and inability to retain newly introduced information – he diligently helps out whenever and wherever he can, often even running out to help the garbage men when they come to empty the bins in our complex. He’s ALWAYS ready with a smile, hug or willing ear, no matter how badly he may be hurting! He’s ALWAYS watchful to not lean to heavily on me and apologized frequently when his limitations keep him from managing something. His “main” illness causes him to feel like he CONSTANTLY has the flu, as most people have suffered at least one bout of flu, we can all remember just how COMPLETELY CRUMMY you feel with the flu. Now imagine that is the way you feel (and will continue to feel for the rest of your life) EVERY SINGLE DAY! Despite this, my husband continues to look for AND OFFER joy to all he comes in contact with! Now, that’s a HERO!
All the teachers I work with are heroes. They come early in the morning, stay till late in the afternoon and in addition, they also take work home with them. They spend a large amount of their own money to provide supplies and treats for the students in their classes. Our school is in an extremely high poverty area so most of our students qualify for free lunches and they sometimes don’t have much at home and often the teachers at school are the ones providing much needed supplies and occasionally breakfast.
Thank you for thinking of all teachers.
My Hero is my 24 year old daughter. Christina went to college full time while working 2 part time jobs, a 1 volunteer job all while taking care of me. She never complained, never looked for help or a hand out. She is a year and a half out of college and has worked so hard to pay off her student loans she has paid off almost 1/2 her debt. She did a built for habitat for humanity, she volunteered at a playground rebuild, she bakes for her coworkers, commutes 2 hours a day and never complains. She is my hero, I am blessed.
My hero is definitely my mom! She grew up in a communist country, moved to the US at the age of 16, finished high school & some college, got married, had two kids, worked steadily the whole time.. I mean, there’s nothing she hasn’t done for us. Her goodness and drive constantly amazes me, and I can’t imagine having grown up without her unbreakable support. I would love to share this prize pack with her – couldn’t think of anyone more deserving!
My unsung hero is definitely my Grandmother (Granny) Linda Furtado. My Granny was the one person in my life who always pushed me and supported me with whatever I was doing. My Granny was the person I talked to about everything, especially when it came to my mother. My mother and I did not see eye-to-eye so to speak and she gave me advice on how to handle myself and how to not take things so personal. I lost my Granny 5 years ago at the age of 66 due to heart issues. I miss her so much and know that she is in a better place. I know that I wouldn’t be who I am today if it weren’t for that Fabulous Woman!
My Mother in Law, Jean, is my unsung hero! I have known her since I was 15 and began dating my husband. She is now 91 and still the most loving and generous person I have ever met. Even in the darkest days she manages to find joy! I would be grateful to be half the woman she is
My Grandma is my hero:)
The unsung hero is my life is my dad ….he is one of the most dependable and charitable people I know.
My Mom is my unsung hero. She is 81 and still going strong and will do anything for us. We lost my brother 5 years ago, no parent should ever bury her child. It hurts me when my siblings don’t make time to see her, especially the one has helped the most financially.
my son’s teacher this year. she really believes in him and has been challenging him to always do better. it’s been wonderful to see him step up to the challenge.
btw, this is what i am doing for all the teachers this year. dessert of the month. thank you for all the cute printables!
Oh my gosh that cake looks amazing! Can’t wait to try it out.
I Love this! I need to make that cake now! My unsung hero is my Mom…she is the strongest woman I know. Humble, and quietly goes about serving others without a thought of her own needs. She is the best!
There are many unsung heroes in my life, but right now Owen’s teacher Mrs. Lubo is at the top of my list. She is so passionate about what she does and makes sure my son feels special always. She has taken him from dreading school to being excited to learn and responsible for his own progress. Love that woman!!
My unsung hero is Lisa Von Doersten – When I moved to Austin, she was the first person I met. She realized I was new to ATX and immediately latched on to my family to make sure we felt at home. She is the unofficial welcome wagon and is always making others feel loved and special. Whether that is inviting all to a Sunday dinner, throwing an impromptu summer BBQ, or watching our daughter so we can have a night out, she does nothing for herself. She works part time, has 4 busy kids and a demanding position at our church and somehow finds the time and energy to do it all. With her tiny 5’2″ frame, she has the biggest heart and is the most generous and thoughtful person I know. On top of it all, she is obsessed with Diet Coke. If anyone deserves something special for doing so much for others, it would be her.
my unsung hero is my daughter in law who is a teacher. unless you work at a school, you really have no idea what teachers go through. she is the epitome of grace, kindness, and true caring for each of her ‘kids’.
An unsung hero in my life would be my grandma! She has taught me so much about life and I’m still learning everything she has to share. She’s always there to help me no matter how big or small it might be and she’s so involved in our lives which might be the best part. She’s my best friend and I can’t imagine spending a day not being able to talk to her.
My daughter’s teacher has been so welcoming to our children, even my child that doesn’t attend that school. She has put my child at ease as it is a new school for her.