Awarded To...

For the past 6 years I've printed up the Awards Certificates for my kids' elementary school. It started out as part of my PTA commission. But when I found out in past years some dedicated PTA volunteer had hand written the names--in calligraphy no less!--for over 200 certificates, I offered to take over the process permanently and enter us into the modern age.

Because let's be real -- while the elementary school certificates are special, I think I'm the only person on the planet who actually saved mine in a scrapbook. And I don't think the kids are running their fingers over the print to see if it's embossed or not.

And on top of that "PTA Volunteer" is a euphemism for "already very busy Mom who is willing to donate some of her time to the school -- squeezing that volunteer time into an already full life of raising children, keeping up a home, and often other service or church responsibilities. And let's face it, these over-achiever volunteer moms have also begat over-achiever children and therefore she's their primary transportation to all their additional activities -- music lessons, sports activities and church and service groups.

So no one has the time for calligraphy and therefore I incorporated the not-so-new yet often confusing technology of Mail Merge and agreed to be the awards certificate person for the rest of my future at the school. I've got it down to a science. This year I even branched out and created some certificates with a different look so that if you've got Excellent Attendance AND the Community of Caring recipient AND were in Service Club AND Safety Patrol, your certificates will look a little different for each. And will look lots better in your acid-free archival quality scrapbook.