Christmas Gift Ideas: Books

One of the items on my Christmas wish list each year is at least one book. I love it when I find a book under the tree, especially if it’s one loaded with inspiring photos. Then, my Christmas Day is set:  after we open gifts and eat breakfast, I spend the better part of the day relaxing on the couch with my new book. (I hope Santa reads my blog…)

 

Books are also one of my favorite gifts to give. So I thought it would be fun to share a few books that would make great gifts for someone on your list, or to add as a last minute addition to your own wish list.

 

First up is Mamarazzi, the perfect book for any mom on your list who wants take better photos of their kids. (And really, what Mom doesn’t want to do that?) In this book, professional photographers share their secrets for taking great photos of kids of every age (including toddlers and teens.) Written by professional photography and mom, Stacy Wasmuth, the book is loaded with tips from Stacy as well as other photography super stars like Tara Whitney (one of my personal favorites.) This is absolutely the kind of book I’d love to find under my tree on Christmas morning—it is the perfect mix of inspiring photos and extremely useful information.

 

Next up is Better Homes and Gardens New Decorating Book. If you or someone on your holiday shopping list has home decorating projects on the New Year to-do list, this book is a must-have resource. The book includes hundreds of beautiful photos and tips to help you “think like a decorator” as you apply the ideas to your own spaces. You’ll also love the organizing tips that are sprinkled throughout the book. If you’re a fan of Better Homes & Gardens magazine (like I am), then you’ll love this book. Inside you’ll find everything you love about the magazine presented in one inspiring package. Again, this is a perfect book for a Christmas morning on the couch – lots of photos coupled with easy-to-read text. I think the only trouble will be staying on the couch Christmas day (instead of jumping up and starting a project!)

 

For the blogging mom in your life, pick up a copy of Mom Blogging for Dummies, by Wendy Piersall. Whether she is interested in starting her own blog, or she has a blog that is ready to go from hobby to business, this book is loaded with current information on all things blogging. Contents include discovering, building and expanding a blog, mistakes to avoid, and examples of other successfully blogging mamas. The real meat of the book offers hands-on guidance for attracting advertisers and sponsors. As with most “for Dummies” books, it’s well organized and can be read cover-to-cover or in chunks to help her quickly get the info she needs when she needs it.

 

Are you giving any books for gifts this holiday season? Or do you have any books on your own wish list? If so, which ones are you giving or hoping to receive? I’d love to hear (and maybe add a book or two to my own wish list!) Thanks for sharing!

Tuesday morning check-in!

So one thing that wasn’t on my to-do list this past weekend was to get sick…but that’s exactly what I did early yesterday morning. So I spent the entire day in bed and that’s why there was no Monday check in post. I’m back with the living today (hooray!) so I’m now ready to check in for the weekend.

 

Play List:

• Boot camp. Check!

• Christmas party. Check!

• Knit. Check!

 

To Finish:

• Finish scarf.  I didn’t finish and I’m starting to worry it won’t be done in time. It may be time for another plan B.

• Shop for out of town family members.  Check, but there is still more shopping to be done.

• Ship gifts for my brother’s family. Check!

• Buy ingredients for Christmas party appetizer. Check!

• Coordinate Christmas Eve dinner. Check!

• Wrap Kailea’s birthday gifts.  Check!

• Bake Kailea a birthday cake. Check!

• Plan meals for Christmas day. We made progress. 

• Talk to family about holiday baking.  Yep, we talked about it. 

• Figure out Plan B for hot chocolate. Check. Thanks for all the ideas!

• Laundry. Check!

• Clean house. Check!

 

Whew…it was a busy weekend followed by an unintended day of rest. How did your weekend go? 

Let’s Get Organized for the Weekend!

Woohoo – it’s Friday! Do you have a fun weekend planned? Can’t wait to hear what’s on your Play List and To Finish List. If you’re new to my blog, every Friday I do a Finish It Friday blog post. The idea is simple:  share your weekend to-do list in the comments and then check back here on Monday to let us know about your weekend. Be sure to include at least one fun thing on your list, or create a “play list,” as I like to call it. You will be amazed at the extra motivation you’ll get by going public with your to-do list. It really is the ultimate in living the “more fun, more done” philosophy. So don’t be shy. Join the fun this week! We’d love to have you join us! Here are my lists:

Play List:

• Boot camp.

• Christmas party.

• Knit.

 

To Finish:

• Finish scarf. Maybe...hopefully. Could be tough but I am going to try. 

• Shop for out of town family members. 

• Ship gifts for my brother’s family. They are purchased and wrapped; they just need to be packed and shipped. 

• Buy ingredients for Christmas party appetizer.

• Coordinate Christmas Eve dinner.

• Wrap Kailea’s birthday gifts. (Her actual birthday is on Sunday / party was a week early.)

• Bake Kailea a birthday cake.

• Plan meals for Christmas day.

• Talk to family about holiday baking.

• Figure out Plan B for hot chocolate. (If you know of any great hot chocolate dry mix recipes, I would love to hear it! Thank you.)

• Laundry.

• Clean house.

 

Okay…I think this is officially my longest list Finish It Friday list ever! My motivation needs to kick into overdrive and I may need to find a few little Elves to help me! Wish me luck by joining in the fun and sharing your to-do list in the comments. Thank you and have a terrific weekend!

P.S.  By the way, if you've been considering signing up for my Organize Your Paper Clutter online workshop, now is a great time to do so. This workshop is on early bird sale now through December 16th. You can learn more here and grab your spot while the savings are great. Let me know if you have any questions about our workshops and how they work, or about this workshop in particular. I'm happy to help! 

Christmas Gift Ideas: Homemade Gifts

I know I just blogged last week about getting inspired by things I see on Pinterest for Christmas! Gift-giving is no exception. In fact, if anything, I actually have too many ideas for homemade gifts this year. I also find myself wishing I were more skilled when I see some of the projects out there. I am drooling over Aby’s knitting abilities. Take a look at this scarf she made, and just wait to see the gorgeous scarf she is knitting for her mom. So pretty!

 

I love the idea of homemade gifts, but I don’t think I actually “do” homemade very well. Maybe that’s just because of my perfectionist tendencies, but really… stuff doesn’t usually turn out the way I see it in my head. So I’ve learned that when I pick something to make as a gift, it needs to be a very low cost investment and have very few steps. (Less to mess up, and less money down the drain if it doesn’t turn out!)

 

That’s why I am loving the up-cycled scarves made from t-shirts. I’ve just made one for my step-mother, and my girls loved it so much that I might make one for them, too. Here is my scarf. I think I'll add a contrasting flower for a bit more embellishment. 

 

 

I’ve also pinned lots of ideas for teacher gifts, and my daughter, Joy, has picked out a very simple sugar scrub for her teacher this Christmas. Her teacher is frequently using hand sanitizer and then lotion, so we decided this is perfect for her! It’s so simple that Joy will make it herself. I will even turn off my perfectionist tendencies and allow her to make her own label and embellish it however she wants to. In the end, she will proudly hand her teacher a useful, consumable, heartfelt, hand-made gift. How sweet is that?

 

Do you sew? Paint? Crochet? What handmade gifts will you be giving this year?

 

Happy Holidays,

Christmas Gift Ideas: Experience Gifts

When my husband and I asked our children what they most enjoy about the holidays and what would make this Christmas even better, we were a little bit surprised by their responses. It’s the wish lists and the toy catalogs and the presents that seem to garner most of their day-to-day holiday chatter, but their answers to this question were unrelated to all of that. They are most looking forward to the festivities that allow us to spend time with family and friends, and they would like more of that.

 

One of their favorite traditions is a “white elephant” gift exchange we have each year in my family. It always produces hilarious results. No money is spent on these gifts. And even more interesting is the fact that this exchange is only for the adults, and we do this after the little kids have already unwrapped all their gifts. To me, that just proves the point that what they really want, what they’re really excited about, are the experiences. The time together. The memory-making. The relationships.

 

It’s important to my husband and me to nurture this in our girls. I don’t expect them to tear up their wish lists anytime soon and declare a non-consumerist holiday, but I do have ideas. For starters, one of their gifts from us this year is going to be a booklet with coupons they can cash in for experiences with mom and dad. These include things like going out for hot chocolate together, letting them plan a family game night, having me come eat lunch with them at school, and play time together. (I found this fun printable to use.)

 

I’m also asking them to think of things they would like to do with their grandparents, aunts and uncles. That way, when asked for gift ideas, I can offer up suggestions of experiences my children would enjoy with them.

 

I like this idea so very much for a number of reasons. 1) Experiences are clutter-free! I won’t be nagging anyone to put away their Date with Dad or Ice Cream Excursion. 2) It’s far less consumer-driven than most of today's holiday gifts. 3) Though there will be costs associated with some of their coupons, several are free. Plus, the spending gets spread out a bit, which helps our December budget! 4) It reinforces the idea that gifts are not always things. 

 

Here are a few experience gift ideas for children:

• Take a lesson together (art, cooking, fencing, karate).
• Go on an educational fieldtrip to the zoo, museum, historical sight, science center.
• Make a movie or dinner date.
• Offer to teach them how to do something you do well (knit, bake, sew).

 

For the adults on your list:

• Make a movie or dinner date.
• Rather than just a gift card to their favorite store, plan a shopping spree with them.
• Take a class together (art, cooking, dancing, rock-climbing).
• Consider the recipients' hobbies and interests, and consider an excursion based on those. Wine tasting? Photo safari? Bird watching? Garden tour?

 

The possibilities are nearly endless. I think the key here is to choose something your recipient would enjoy. It shows you know something about the person and that you are interested in being part of their world. Plus, it gives you the time and space to nurture your relationship and make memories together. Now that is a gift!

 

Happy Holidays!

Christmas Gift Ideas: What was the best gift you ever received?

Do you still have some Christmas gift shopping to do? I sure do. This may be hard to believe, but I actually enjoy doing my Christmas shopping in December instead of spreading out over the entire year, or getting it all done in November. Usually Jay and I will pick a day and finish up all of our shopping in a single day. Seems crazy, but it’s really quite fun.

 

If you’re like me and still have some shopping to do, then you’ll be happy to learn that over the next two weeks Jennifer and I will be putting together a series of gift idea blog posts. As always, we’d love to hear your ideas and thoughts! So please leave us a comment any time you’re inspired to do so.

 

One of my favorite ways to generate gift ideas is to think about gifts I would like to receive, or special gifts that I have received in the past. One of my very favorite gifts was my Cuisinart Food Processor from Jay. I love to cook and still get giddy when I pull out my Cuisinart. Another favorite, believe it or not, is the bread machine I got from my mother-in-law one of the very first Christmases that Jay and I spent together. We still use that bread machine, all these years later. So if you’ve heard that kitchen appliances are impersonal gifts, think again. For this girl, a kitchen appliance is one gift that will make my heart sing for years to come.

 

It isn’t all about cooking with me, however. I have other favorite gifts. One that pops to mind is the Lisa Leonard necklace my Dad gave me a couple of years ago for Christmas. I wear it nearly every single day, and since I love it so much, I’ve also given Lisa’s necklaces as gifts. Her jewelry is definitely heart-felt and personal—which I think is the essence of gift giving.

 

If you’re stuck for ideas for someone on your list, thinking about your favorite gift ever is a terrific way to generate some ideas. And it can make for some wonderful memories and stories, too. For example, I asked Jennifer today about her favorite Christmas gift ever, and this is what she said:

 

What’s the best Christmas gift I ever received? My answer to this is a bit atypical, because I didn’t actually receive the gift myself until 10 years later. See, when I was a little girl, I wrote a letter to Santa Claus asking him to bring my mom an amethyst ring. My parents were divorced, and I told Santa that my mom didn’t have someone to buy her jewelry. That Christmas morning, there was a package for my mom under the tree. She got that amethyst ring! When I turned 18, my mom gave the ring to me since I was old enough to have it, and as she said, I was the one who had asked for it after all.  I cherish that ring because to me it encompasses what Christmas giving is all about – giving, joy, selflessness, magic, wonder, and most of all, love.

~Jen

 

I love that story. In fact, when Jennifer told it to me, it gave me goose bumps. (Which I love getting.) I'm also really inspired by what Jennifer wrote—that Christmas giving is about joy, selflessness, magic, wonder, and most of all, love. When you think of it that way, it really takes the pressure off of finding the “perfect gift,” doesn’t it? A gift that is heart-felt, and given joyfully with love, well that’s the best gift of all. 

 

We’d love to hear your story. What’s the best gift you’ve ever received? Thanks so much for sharing!

Monday Check In!

Happy Monday my friends! It has been a really busy Monday...sorry I didn't get the check in post up earlier. I hope you had a great weekend...and that it was a nice mix of fun and getting things done. Here's my update...

 

Play List:

• Birthday party! Check…and a great time was had by all.

 

• Get Christmas tree + decorate it. Check…and a great time was had by all. (Seriously. We love getting our tree…it's one of the highlights of the season.)

• Knit. Check…lots of progress was made.

• Make a batch of hot chocolate. Check and yuck. It did not turn out. 

 

To Finish:

• Finish final preparations for birthday party. Check! The treat bags were filled...

 

And supplies were gathered for the craft activity, which was making friendship bracelets. This was Kailea's idea and the girls seemed to enjoy it a lot. 

 

• Laundry. A partial check. I still have a bit to do.

• Clean house. Check! 

• Decide on appetizer for next weekend’s neighborhood party. I’m going to bring cheese and crackers including this marinated cheese recipe. (Doesn't that look yummy?)

• Wrap some Christmas and birthday gifts.  Check!

• Review holiday master list…and make plans for the upcoming week. This one’s on today’s list. 

 

All in all it was a really nice weekend! I was feeling a tad bit under the weather yesterday, so I didn't get as much done as I would have liked. But was still a good weekend. How was yours?

Let’s Get Organized for the Weekend!

Happy Friday my friends! I hope you had a fantastic week. Are you ready for the weekend? I think I am. I know for sure I’m ready to make some weekend plans. If you are, too, join me for this week’s edition of Finish It Friday by posting your weekend to-do list in the comments. It’s a fun way to make the most of the weekend ahead. 

 

Here’s what’s on tap for me…

 

Play List:

• Birthday party! Since it’s a sleepover, I’ll be taking the week off of boot camp. I think my muscles stopped hurting from last week’s boot camp around Wednesday…so maybe a week off will be good. LOL.

• Get Christmas tree + decorate it.

• Knit. (I’ll share more details about this project in an upcoming post.)

• Make a batch of hot chocolate. (Ditto.)

 

To Finish:

• Finish final preparations for birthday party.

• Laundry.

• Clean house. We did about half of the weekly cleaning last night. Will do the rest this afternoon before the party begins.

• Decide on appetizer for next weekend’s neighborhood party. If you have any suggestions for things you love to take to a get-together, I’d love to hear them! Thanks.

• Wrap some Christmas and birthday gifts. 

• Review holiday master list…and make plans for the upcoming week. 

 

Whew—I’ve got a busy weekend ahead! I hope you have a great weekend. Thanks for sharing your to-do list in the comments! 

Printable Birthday Party Checklist

Around here, we’ve been getting organized for my daughter’s birthday party. Her party is tonight and it’s a sleepover! So we’ve been busy tying up loose ends and putting the finishing touches on the plans and preparations. 

 

In the past for my kids’ parties, I’ve used a party planning spreadsheet that I put together years ago. But this year, Jennifer and I collaborated on putting together a printable birthday party checklist, with a few more details included. Fun and oh-so helpful to have all the plans in one spot. 

 

Here’s a sneak peak…

Download a copy of the Printable Birthday Party Checklist here:   Download Birthday-Party-Printable

 

The form includes a place to track who is invited to the party, parent contact info, and a gift log. The parent contact info is really helpful if you’re going to be at a venue away from home or if kids are spending the night at your home. It's also helpful if your child is inviting new friends to the party and you don’t already have their parent's info. The gift log will make it simple to send thank you notes once the party is over.

 

There’s also a task checklist, shopping list, and menu planner, as well as a planning time line and a birthday party schedule so you can plan activities and assign them to time slots. This last one helped ease my mind the most, because it helped me see if we had enough activities planned to keep the party-goers engaged and having fun. 

 

I hope this helps you simplify your future birthday parties! What tips do you have for organizing a fun birthday party, and keeping track of all the details? I’d love to hear your ideas…so I can tuck them away for next year's birthday season.