Warning: If you are part of my immediate family–do not read this blog post because I am sharing ideas about gifts I have purchased for YOU for the holidays! Thanks!
My Christmas gifts have been purchased, made and wrapped. I am not embarassed about this as I am in major planning mode for this baby and having the holidays under my belt helps!
I don’t just buy gifts. I put a lot of thought and time into picking the perfect gift for family and friends. Even if it means getting ideas from Pinterest that aren’t original. Here are some of this years gifts I am excited to give.
1. Collar Stays
This gift is actually for my husband’s birthday which is just a few days after Christmas. I am very excited about this one. He wears collar stays each day in his work shirts. They are little plastic ones that came with the shirts. Red Envelope offers fancy personalized collar stays. I wrote some of our favorite sayings on his, both silly and sentimental. I think putting them in his shirts in the morning will make him smile and he can be reminded of how much I love him each day.
2. Initial Mugs
Oh how I love these mugs! We have one with an initital for each person in our family. They are dainty and comforting to drink out of.
This year I am pairing them with coffee and books for a few cozy gifts.
3. Date Night Basket
For my parents, I bought them the following items and included them into a big basket. A romantic movie, bottle of wine from Target called “Be Flirty”, a cd filled with love songs, wine glasses, a heart-shaped frame with a picture of them in it, chocolates, candles, and a card game.
4. Cozy Night In Bag
Similar to the Date Night Basket, my friend Holly suggested a “Night In” basket. I bought a cute bag from Thirty-One and filled it with a bottle of wine from Target called “Be You”, a book, a blanket, a box of candy, a box of cookies, an initital mug, a box of tea, and a candy dish.
5. Pearl Tradition Bracelet
My friend Amy gave me this great idea. There is a jeweler in town that specializes in Add-a-Pearl Necklaces. You purchase a chain of pearls and add one pearl to a necklace for a special little one each year for their birthday. I made mine a little different for my nieces (since I think it would get hard getting the necklace back from my sister-in-law every year, taking it to the jeweler to get the pearl added then giving it back), I added 8 pearls to a bracelet for each niece and wrote them a letter telling them that each pearl represents one year of their life and a year that their Uncle Dave and I have loved them dearly! On their 16th birthday, we will add 8 more pearls and finally, on their 21st birthday we will complete the bracelet. A real fresh water pearl bracelet that they can cherish for ever!
6. Fort Kit
I saw this idea on Pinterest and made my own kit for my cousin’s boys. They just had a new baby in their house (a little girl) and I think it would be fun for the boys to build a fort to escape all the pink frilly things surrounding them!
I can’t remember where I first heard about this but I love this idea. A special red plate that members of the family get to eat off of on special days in their life. A job well done at work for dad. Mother’s Day to celebrate Mom. A goal scored at a soccer game. Or maybe “just because”. I bought a few of these plates to give to friends and family with young children.
Here’s a description of the tradition:
It was a time honored tradition among early American families when someone deserved special praise or attention, they were served dinner on The Red Plate. Today this custom, so dear to early American families, returns to remind us a simple reward can mean so much. The Red Plate is the perfect way to acknowledge a family member’s special triumphs . . . celebrate a birthday . . . praise a job well done . . . reward a goal achieved . . . or simply say “You are Special Today”. When The Red Plate is used, any meal becomes a celebration, honoring that special person, event, or deed. It is a visible reminder of love and esteem, a way of showing someone dear to you they are appreciated and remembered. The Red Plate is designed and crafted to become a family heirloom as it is cherished and passed from one generation to the next, marking life’s important milestones. This heart shaped Red Plate is 10.5″ diameter plate and comes gift boxed with a pen. The Red Plate . . . make it a tradition in your family.
A few crafts I’ve made with ideas from Pinterest:
1. Teacher Gifts-You were “Mint” to Teach along with Thanks a “Latte” coffee gift cards!
2. For family and friends-Peppermint Sugar Scrub
3. Some family gifts-