Christmas Gift Ideas {for everyone!}

I’m often asked about our favorite resources and suggestions for gifts, so I thought I’d share a few of our favorites over the years ~ for both the kids {and me too!}. Please know that this is NOT our list from this year, but rather a ones that have been birthday or Christmas gifts from us or grandparents over the years. :)

 

 

Mom’s {or Dad’s} Stocking Stuffers

Here are a few of the cd’s that get constant play at our house Michael Buble’s Christmas, Mercy Me’s Generous Mr. Lovewell, Lincoln Brewster’s Real Life, and Jesus Culture ‘Come Away’.

Books for Mom

A few of my favorite books that I’ve read lately…

~ A Stray Drop of Blood and Jewel of Persia by Roseanna White

~ Here Burns my Candle and Mine is the Night by Liz Curtis Higgs

~ 24 Family Ways, Ministry of Motherhood, Heartfelt Discipline,  Mission of Motherhood, and Seasons of a Mother’s Heart by Sally and Clay Clarkson

    

Movies for Mom

I’m a HUGE fan of period dramas, so the bulk of my dvds all hinge around Jane Austen novels and similar eras of history. Here are a few of my favorites: BBC’s Sense & Sensibility and Persuasion, the Elizabeth Gaskell collection {includes Cranford and North and South}, and then the Lark Rise to Candleford series. I {sadly} have all of the Austen-related movies…and {ahem} multiple versions of some.

School Gadgets

The one thing that gets the biggest use? The Scotch laminator…’nuff said!

Around the House

One of my favorite things is fresh homemade bread…and reading…and taking pictures. Below are a few of the tools I love to use.

~ Bosch mixer and Nutrimill wheat grinder

~ Norpro 12” loaf pans

~ iPod Touch and iHome docking station

~ Kindle with a lighted cover

~ Canon Rebel Ti1 and 50mm lens {my ‘go-to’ lens}

  

 

Kid’s Stocking Stuffers

We love Seeds Family Worship CDs, the Pick and Draw card game {for the whole family!} and the What’s in the Bible? dvds.

Bibles and Books for Kids

~ Little Hands-on Bible, Hands-on Bible for Kids, and the NIrV Discoverer’s Bible for Young Readers

~ Audiobooks ~ We LOVE Adventures in Odyssey and a few of these other great compilations: Chronicles of Narnia, The Secret Garden, Anne of Green Gables, and Little Women, the Bible Eyewitness Collector’s set of 36 CDs

~ For the Girls ~ American Girl series, Sisters in Time series, Nancy Drew series, and the Imagination Station series

~ For the Boys ~ the Imagination Station series and Kaleb LOVES the Usborne books that we have by Anna Milbourne

   

Games for All

Younger Kids ~ Hi Ho Cherry O!, Chutes & Ladders, Uno, & Candyland

Older Kids ~ States Sequence, Parcheesi, regular Sequence, and Yahtzee

Everyone ~ The Wii is a favorite along with a few of these games: Outdoor Challenge, Wii Sports Resort and the Wii Fit.

 

Favorite Toys

The Girls

• Only Hearts Club dolls, horses, stable….we love these bendable and poseable soft dolls! {Can also be found at Target}
• To go along with the 18” Our Generation Dolls ~ the girls have a Guidecraft Doll Table and Bunk Beds that we love {super solid!!}.

The Boys

• Trio blocks ~ King’s Castle and the Batcave are the two favorites and we have various other small sets
• Schleich Castle {we don’t have any of the action figures}
• Legos ~ need I say more?

 

 

That’s a quick sum-up of the things that are used daily/weekly around our house by our family…well, minus Rick. His toys tend to be more electrically focused…namely his guitar and accessories and a fun game or two for the PS3…or the same music that seems to be on my iTouch. :)

 

Most all of the links that I’ve included are to Amazon, which is where I typically do a lot of our shopping. Some of the items are linked to other sites if I know of a better deal. Most links are affiliate links, but they are all from products that we use AND love. Please know that if you purchase anything through an affiliate link, you give back a small percentage to our family…thanks!