This morning, as I headed for my PowerBook laptop to get started on today's "inspirational" post, Tim stopped me dead in my tracks. "Stop whatever you're doing," he said. As he handed me my morning cup of SpecialTea he exclaimed, "Come here and watch this. On yesterday's Oprah Winfrey show, she surprised 300 teachers and gave away nearly twenty of her 'Favorite Things' to each and every one of them."

While this was Oprah's eighth annual "Favorite Things" gift giving show, this was our first time watching it. As I sat in amazement I turned to Tim and asked, "Are you crying?" He responded, "Yes. I cried last night after seeing it on the news. And I've got tears in my eyes again now."

Last night, after Monday Night Football, a clip of Oprah Winfrey's show appeared on the local channel.

"Thank God for TiVo," Tim said.

After setting up a season pass for Oprah's program, he was able to click right from the news to watch her annual gift-giving show which easily rivaled her car give-away earlier this season. This morning, as a result, he was able to indulge me in the feel-good Santa Claus moment.

The audience full of teachers came to Harpo studio thinking they were there to talk about education. The second Oprah welcomed the crowd to her "Favorite Things" show, the teachers started screaming as if they were at a rock concert.

Unaware of what it all meant, I sat with my jaw open and tears streaming down my face as though I was watching my children scream with delight upon the realization that Santa had come to our home.

I didn't know what was happening, but the very moment Oprah announced it's was "t.v.'s hottest ticket" the teachers sure seemed to know.

After the mayhem of the announcement, Oprah kiddingly said to the crowd, "O.K. class, let's settle down."

No group of people were more deserving of the phenomental gifts Oprah was about to bestow upon them. Oprah would agree.

"Because we knew were doing this for teachers, we just went crazy," Oprah said.

The queen of daytime TV had always wanted to go into the teaching profession. She calls it the most honorable job on the planet. She said, "If I didn't do this job, I would a be a teacher. I love teachers. I think they are the true leaders of the world."

However, in reality, as significant the role is inspiring our future generations, it is sadly one of the most underpaid and overworked jobs in our country.

For 300 dedicated souls, some who spend as much as 40% of their salary buying supplies and tickets to sporting events to motivate their kids, the moment of receiving yesterday was almost as good as their giving. In fact on this day, I'm sure they'll admit it was even better.

Kelly Shea, a kindergarten teacher at St. Andrew's School in Chicago, said she spends about $500 per year for things for her students and classroom.

The lucky teachers invited to the show were asked to show their teaching certificates and a copy of their pay stubs before being invited into the studio on Saturday, the day the show was taped. In return, they were the recipients of thousands of dollars worth of top-of-the-line merchandize from Dell, Williams-Sonoma, Movado, Dooney & Bourke and $500 worth of supplies from OfficeMax.

"You give, and give, and give, and that is why I wanted to give you the hottest ticket in television," Oprah said as she began to show off her choice items of the year.

Karen Lechner works at Marin Country Day Shool and was invited to see the show after filling out a form on Oprah's Web site. She said, "All this stuff starts coming down from the ceiling and from behind this and that and it just, we just all exploded."

I told my husband, "Oprah has made your job easy this year. She's just done all of your Christmas shopping for me and the women in your life."

Playing Santa, here is the entire list of gifts Oprah bestowed upon the teachers, as well as the "Rugged Elegance" favorites from Oprah's 2004 Favorite Things.

Buying a $2,200 flat, 30" wide-screen LCD HD-TV screen made by Dell isn't in many of the teachers budgets. Oprah turned to her producer, "Dean, Dean. Where is it? Where is it?" Then, with Jingle Bells playing in the background, from the ceiling two flat panel screens descended onto the stage. The drama of it was unreal. The teachers showed their delight with tears, gasps of disbelief. And this was just the beginning.

"Dell loves teachers too," Oprah said.

Rugged Elegance Favorites in Oprah's 2004 Favorite List

In addition to a High Definition TV screen, Oprah's "Favorite Things" gift list, provided by the product manufacturers or service providers, included:

A Quilted Jacket and Cashmere Scarf by Burberry (retail price: $335). The jackets come in an array of colors: black, yellow, pink and blue. The $225 plaid scarves match perfectly with the jacket.

Bourjois Lip Products - a gift collection of ten luscious lipsticks in tubes the actual color of the lipstick (a value of $14 each). Plus four glosses, two lipliners and a lip brush presented in a silk bag.

Eileen Fisher Waffle-Weave Merino Stretch Zip Cardigan (retail value: $188) and Pants (retail value: $178)

"Because Maytag loves teachers," Oprah said ... "The top-of-the-line Maytag Neptune Top-Load Washer and Drying Center" This product was named by Oprah as "the hottest new invention." (retail value: $2,198)

Wishing she had made this product, she presented the combination washer, dryer, and drying cabinet for a place to lay your sweaters flat or hang them while they dry.

It reminds me of the drying closets Swedes use. Brilliant invention!

Lollia Lifestyle Collection of "Relax" (an uplifting combination of lavender and honey) and "Breath" Bubble Bath by designer Margot Elena.

In a little white table by Oprah's tub, she said, "you would find these products." Oprah loves this bubble bath so much, she has four cases of it at her house. "Because I don't want to run out," Oprah added.

Hand-Blown Crystal Champagne Glasses by Deborah Ehrlich

"Knowing we were going to do this show, I've already ordered 52 of these," Oprah said.

Straight from the pages of O Magazine came:

A Dooney & Bourke Leather "Croc" Duffle Bag - available in Oprah's favorite color purple called "Orchid," as well as Sea Foam, Fog, Grape, Dark Brown, Brown, Dark Pink, Yellow, Red, Avocado, Black, Hot Pink, Kiwi, Orange, Peanut Brittle, Pine Green and Cherry. (retail value: $495)

A smaller version of this bag is available here in Taupe, Sea Foam and Orchid (Retail price: $285). Or you can purchase the larger duffle at D&B stores in New York, Dallas, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Costa Mesa and Los Angeles.

Another "rugged elegant" bag we found thanks to Oprah was the Dooney & Bourke Tassel-Top Bag. Usually $139, at the time of this post, it is $89.90. It comes in two colors. We recommend the Pumpkin.

Then, on Oprah, came the video of the award-winning Miraval Resort and Spa in Tucson, Arizona. Each teacher received a two-night three-day stay with a friend with air travel provided by Orbitz.com to the Hacienda–style "life in the balance" 317 acre resort located in the Sonoran Desert, at the foot of the Santa Catalina Mountains. They even offer a new sexuality and vitality program with sex experts and Erotic Weekend authors, Drs. Lana Holstein and David Taylor.

Oprah calls it her "favorite spa in America right now." And she will be going back again soon.

Oprah said:

I believe teachers need a big time break, so get ready, pack your Dooney & Bourke duffle bags because you're going to Miraval with the works. And you get to bring a friend. Maybe I'll see you there.

Other generous products included:

Apple Bottom Jeans by Nelly, the Sweat & Suit rap-meets-R&B artist turned clothing designer

Museum Automatic Arte Watch by Movado with an Hermes-style (my words not Oprah's) wrap-around silk scarf band. The watch comes with two scarves and costs just under $1,000.

Gourmet Florida Key Lime Bundt Cake

Italian Water Garden Tea Service

SpecialTeas Fine Tea

Williams-Sonoma Home Bedding - including a 990-thread-count blend of silk and cotton sheets made in Italy along with a plaid wool blanket

The Magellan RoadMate 700 which just became available last week.

The Magellan Roadmate 700 offers a powerful dash-mounted navigation tool with turn-by-turn voice prompts, making it easy to get to new and unfamiliar locales anywhere in the U.S. and Canada. It also features a bright color TFT LCD screen, touchscreen input, WAAS reception, and multiple ways to select your route and then view it on screen.

The Roadmate 700 is one of the few GPS devices that is ready to go as soon as it is unpacked. Its 20 GB internal hard drive comes preloaded with detailed road maps for all of the U.S. and the southern (most populated) section of Canada, so you won't have to fiddle with selecting map regions from a CD-ROM and having to transfer the data from a PC.

"It works in any car," Oprah said.

The teachers oohed and aahed when she added, "In any car, in any city. It even works in Europe. It's an electronic map with a voice."

Together with a windshield mount, this product retials for $1,500. However, at the time of publishing, it is available for $999.

The $199 Dell Pocket DJ which stores up to 2,500 songs and plays continuously for ten hours

"Happy Jammin' y'all," Oprah exclaimed, as she presented the "DJ"!

Sony VAIO S260 Notebook computer worth $1,899.

For those interested in purchasing this machine it is, as of today, available - with a mail-in rebate - for $1,797.99.

While it was not promoted on the show, we discovered in our research that Dooney & Bourke has created a VAIO Tote Bag -- a great way to carry that new Sony laptop.

Bebe Winans' A Christmas Prayer & Starbucks Gift Card, only available at Starbucks.

Bebe Winan even came to the show to sing Oprah's favorite holiday song.

For further details on each of Oprah's "2004 Favorite Things" and where to find them (if not here), go to:

Oprah, if I didn't have my job, I'd want yours.

Inspire & Be Inspired (R).

Here's to healthy, adventuresome, soulful and fabulous Christmas surprisin' "teacher lovin'" living!

~ Jennifer Carolyn King