Never Buy Wrapping Paper Again!!

Good Wednesday to you all! I wanted to share some fun news with you...yesterday was my ONE year blogging anniversary and was also the day my 100th follower signed on.....FUN HUH??!! Okay so I am sure you really don't care, but I am tickled pink about it...grins....

So VOCAL POINT sent me an email on this article that I thought I would share with you all.....Some super great ideas on things around the house you could use to wrap your Christmas presents this year! I am so relieved that last night I finished wrapping EVERY present!!!! (Pause, because I am doing a little celebration dance....) So HERE is the link.....Check it out!!

DANIELLE

More Ideas for Christmas!!! (Non-Profits)

Do you have some people on your list that are impossible to buy for??? They have everything???? Well here are a few things we have done or are currently doing this year....You can always give donations to organizations in HONOR of someone for a gift!!!

Gideons International: A Non-Profit group that prints and distributes BIBLES across the world, in prisons, hospitals, hotels, colleges,ect. Another great note about the Gideons is that 100% of the money donated to this organization goes to the printing of God's Word!!!!

 OneVERSE:
Today, nearly one-third of the world's language groups representing 200 million people are still waiting for God’s Word in a language that they can understand clearly.
OneVerse is a program of The Seed Company that enables you to support local Bible translators as they make God’s message available in the language of their people.To see the languages currently being worked on go here!

Your sponsorship gift of $26 provides the resources required for national translators to translate one verse of Scripture into their own language. Go here to see the most frequently asked questions about OneVerse. If you go to ONE VERSE you can pick a beautiful card with a scripture verse on it....to give to your loved one at Christmas time. This card will tell them you made a donation in their honor to further Bible translation in the language you selected. That card is mailed to you so you can give it to them or mail it onto them after putting in a personalized message.I just finished picking out a couple cards for gifts to people we love for this Christmas..the process was very easy to do!!

For the very first time, we donated shoe boxes for Samaritan's Purse Project.

This was such a special time for all of us in our family. This giving project was a real and tangible way for my children to experience "giving". Each child had their own box to fill with goodies of their choice (maybe a few little hints from Mom). The boxes are given to different age groups and so Julia and Zach each did a shoe box for a child that is 2-4 years old.....(Zach made a "boy" box and here you can see Julia and I put together a fun "girl" box) Lance and Caleb did boxes for boys ages 5-7. To keep the giving "practical for our family we gave things we already had on hand. Each child got to  choose a few toys that were gently used to pass onto a special child around the world. We put in toiletry items, paper, markers, stickers, ect. Samaritan's Purse also gives every child a Scripture booklet in his/her own language along with their shoe box full of goodies.

We wrapped our boxes with some fun paper and then prayed over our them before we delivered them. I would highly recommend doing a project similar to this one for your own family! I am sure you will be blessed, as much as have been, with the great conversations that have followed since this shared time.
Even though National Collection Week has ended already, it's not to late to give to this great cause GO HERE for a list of locations you can still drop off boxes to through December 12, 2009!!!! Did you know you can also send boxes year around???? The shipping address for that location is listed at the bottom of the above link....







Our home church offers us a great opportunity each year. We partner with the Slavic Gospel Association to bring the message of Christmas to many Russian, Ukrainian, Belarus children and their families.
It's call Immanuels' Child and here is how it works:You pick up a "Star" (or two or three) and fill the information,then return the start along with your $25 donation per star. That money provides each child with a little package of  goodies (which could possibly be the one thing they get for Christmas). Each gift includes many things: Your signed star, a special gift, Christian children literature, maybe some fruit, warm gloves, or toiletry items,and materials that will allow the local church to follow up on these children throughout the year.

I forgot to mention that after you fill out the star you peel off part of it and keep it as an ornament for your own tree. It's a great visual reminder for us throughout the Christmas season. In year's past we have chosen a star for each child in our family.....In honor of a child who was "our gift".....our children are helping to give other children the "gift of Jesus". This year we did not participate in this program.....only because this year we decided to participate in the Samaritan's Purse Project and give to another great cause the I would love to share with you called Children's Hope International.

We got such a passionate response from our children after completing the Samaritan's Purse Project that when we heard about Children's Hope International and what they are doing for poverty stricken communities and orphans we knew this was something we wanted to be a part of. Children's Hope offers us many opportunities to help others in a long lasting way. Donations levels start at as little as $10 (which will purchase seeds for an orphange to plant a garden). I loved that this organization isn't just throwing food at people, or putting a bandaid on the many issues. This organization focuses on equipping people with life skills. You can provide needy people with chickens....giving them eggs....and....giving them chicken to butcher. You can provide them with seeds...which will grow a garden...which will provide them with food to eat.....food to sell.....giving them an extra income as well...which lead to a whole host of other things they can provide for their families/orphans. I am excited that this organizations offers such a range of things we can donate for: chickens, water wells, surgeries, food, richshaws (special bikes used for taxi's...to earn income), school books, and the list goes on and on!!!!
Here is what decided to do with our kids...again remember we are really trying to reinforce "giving" in a sacrificial and real way our children can understand, remember and apply in their own little life.

Each year we have decided that $100 per child is what we spend on Christmas. So this year I told the kids (the oldest three) to decide on their own how much they would like to spend out of that $100 on giving to Children's Hope International.....they got to pick what the item was they wanted to donate. I was really blown away by what the result were from my two oldest! They each chose two items they wanted to "purchase" for the orphans. The items they chose also took up $45 of their Christmas money...meaning we have $55 left to spend on them......Zach at four is still more focused on what "He" is getting and not so much the concept...but he still chose one item to spend his money on. I was so moved by their generous giving. I felt like along the way I learned that I think it was maybe me that was struggling with the thought that I only had "such and such amount of money" to spend on them....and that they might not feel like they even got anything.....HOW STUPID HUH??!! Stupid but honestly how I felt as first. I know that is just how the world would make me feel...not what the Lord would be telling me. I realized that while I am striving to teach my children to be generous and open-handed with the things the Lord had given, the Devil doesn't stop working.....in fact he works even harder!

Okay so I am so sorry for the EXTRA WORDY post.....just wanted to pass on a few more things for your consideration.

DANIELLE

Gift Ideas for Kiddos 8-10 years old....

Well I just realized this never posted last week like I had planned it....oh well...here ya go!

Mp3 Player
 I don't know about your kids, but our boys LOVE their music. Their dad might have had something to do with that. I know personally I wouldn't spend the money for them to have fancy IPods at their age but you can get Mp3 players pretty cheaper, around $20....I got mine for FREE with CVS Bucks last year...

Modeling Kits
Lance, 8 year old, loves to build things. It can be anything from an electrical set, to a wooden car model, to our physics kit we reviewed this past year. He loves to figure out how things work together as a system. His passion is inventing!!! He is always thinking of the next greatest creation...then goes and makes it. So for little men like him I say go for a kit of some kind.....

BB Gun/Nerf Guns

Well Lance absolutely could not live without his BB gun! He has actually had his for about 2 years now. I thought 6 yrs old was way to young for one, but Justin thought he was responsible  enough to start learning gun safety and how to shoot. Well Justin was right he has always been very respectful with all the things that come along with the privilege of owning his own "gun". We live in the country with no other houses close to us which makes this a doable gift for our family. You'll also find this gift is not to hard on your wallet either...about $20 or so.....BB's a cheap too...you can get about 2500 for $10 or so.
Keep in mind that Nerf guns are great for winter play inside or if you live in town where you don't have the opportunity to shoot a BB gun. They run as cheap as $10 and you can buy additional "bullet packs" in quantities of 15 or more for around $4.

Archery Sets
If you don't feel like your son would be ready for a BB gun consider an archery set to start with. Our six year is getting one for Christmas this year. Even though we felt like Lance was old enough at 6 yrs. for the BB gun, that's not the case with Caleb. We bought Caleb a compound bow (18lb) at a local Sporting goods store for $30. It only came with two arrows so grandma is getting him some extra arrows to go along with the set (they will set you back about $3.75 a piece). Justin already bought a foam target at an auction for $1 a couple months ago, but if you don't have one those already you'll want to pick one of those up to. I also want to add that the arrows the kids have a "blunt ended" which are intended for target shooting only....just in case you were picturing the super sharp ended ones which are intended for hunting.....

Learning Laptops
A couple years back we were given one of those "Learning Laptops" for the kids. They have all kind of games, ones for fun and educational ones as well, but no actual internet hook-up. I like a couple things about these sorts of laptops. I like that this is something they can do independently during their own quiet time. I also like that is starts to familiarize the kids with the keyboard. They have all sorts of them to pick from. AMAZON has lots to choose from here! Of course, they have these computers starting as early as preschool and then they advance from there. It looks like one for this age range will run you anywhere from $60 to $80.

Hope those are more fun ideas for you to consider....Again sorry that I only have boy suggestions at his ag....Also once again remember these are just suggestions based on my honest opinion of products that we have bought or been gifted. None of these suggestions are related to a review or done for compensation.


Want more suggestions? Check these links for suggestions  2-4 yr. olds and then 5-7 yrs. olds

DANIELLE

Gift Ideas for Kiddos 5-7 years old....

                         V-Smile pocket or  Game Boy.....
The like the concept of the V-Smile pocket it's a portable game system, and ALL the games are totally educational at the same time....imagine that coming from me who would've guessed...smile.... My older boys both had one....we could use the same games in the home system and the pocket version....BONUS! I do want to give you a heads up that I think there I would do some more homework on the quality of these products. We have issues with the home system just randomly not working and also the same issues with the pocket version. We did have good luck with the customer service department and they sent us completely NEW products with NO CHARGES to us at all. It had also been a couple of years ago...maybe even 3 years since we purchased these....so they may have newer versions with those bugs all worked out now. Our boys started on the V-Smiles are 4 years old and played them up until this year...so they played them for about 3 years. They are 6 and 8 now and were ready to move on to something else...."not all educational games, Mom." I think was the direct quote I got from them......
So we went online and bought 2 Game Boy Advance systems for about $15 each off Ebay. They actually don't make new games for these systems any more but you can buy used games at "used games stores" all over the place and online of course. I don't mind that they have them I don't refuse to spend an arm and a leg on getting them the newest and most available thing.....
With all video gaming and computer time I think it is important to enforce a time limit. We often use these products as a reward for completing school work or chores in a timely manner....I also have let them "earn time" for doing extra things around the house...just to enforce the idea that these products are a luxury not a need.

Pets
I think this is a great age to introduce the responsibility of taking care of a pet. They are old enough to take care of a cat or dog themselves each day with food, water, grooming, and spending time teaching and loving them. I would highly recommend doing your own research before getting any pet. Know the costs that will come along with regular and irregular maintenance. All of our pets are outside only pets....so you will need to also decide that before deciding what to get.....and remember "There is NO such thing as a FREE pet." I always love it when I see a sign that says "FREE kittens" or "FREE puppies"........don't fall for it.....know what your getting yourself into..smile.....


Lincoln Logs
My boys play with there Lincoln Logs quite a bit......I think they go through spurts though.....sometimes they will play them for days in a row and other times they go weeks without dumping them all out!! I like them for their durability...even when they become swords instead of "logs"....not that something like that would happen at my house.....just saying.......
Legos
It seems like even more often that the Lincoln Logs.....my boys are always pouring out the LEGOS!!! We have this 5 gallon bucket we keep them in....ya we have that many....smile.....and they boys claim they can't really see what they have to work with if they don't pour them all out on the floor. Okay so they have a point....as long as they are the ones to clean them up....smile....LOVE LEGOS....I love all the creations they build with I love the "sets" of legos you can buy that give you step by step instructions on how to build amazing things!!! Legos range in all prices. You can buy the really small sets that build a little car for under $10 and then the sky is the limit!

With my three oldest being boys I am sorry that I don't have any girl ideas to give you.....Hope this helps to "fuel the fire" on ideas to shop for......and again I am not being paid or compensated in any way from any of these companies. These are just my honest opinions on different products that we have bought or loved ones have gifted to us over the years. Thanks for stopping in!!!

DANIELLE

Gift Ideas for Kiddos 2-4 years old....

Snap N Style dolls have been a great pick for Julia. She is 2 yrs. old and ready for Barbies and all but this is a great product a friend told me about. This is one of the sets she got for her B-day. I picked up one for $10 at a local retail store and the set included ONE baby, 2 onsies, 2 hats, a little purple teddy bear (smaller than the baby), 1 blanket, and the bed. The onsies simply snap onto the baby by pushing them up against her....making it easy even for a two old to take them off and put them on. Julia loves playing with them!!

TJ Berrytales is my first suggested gift. Zach who is four still loves listening to "TJ" as he tells each story....There are little cartridges that go into the back of TJ and then a play,pause, and stop button. Tj can simply tell the story to younger kids, or if you trust them not to destroy the cute books they can follow along. We got this many years ago and all my kids have enjoyed him. You can buy additional books at $15-$20. When I looked up a link for TJ they started at $179.00....maybe this is a newer version that what we have, because I am positive that our cost more like $40 or so.....

BRAIN QUEST CARDS

You are looking at one of the best products I know of, Brain Quest cards!!!! I honestly can't say enough positive things about this lovely simply product. Ages 2-3 is the first set that is available as far as age goes. We have them all the way up through 2nd grade. These cards are double sided any ask 3 question per card. I love them because they are sooooo much fun yet educational for the kids to enjoy. My kids love them because they are colorful, challenging, and engagaing. They love that when we sit down to do them that they get some great one on one time with mom. Yet they are also set up for older children to complete them individually.  There us such an asssortment of these cards per package that the kids do them over and over without boredome as well. Yet another plus to this product it is affordable.....$10 at many retail stores!!

 

 LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Leap FROG!!!!!! We have 5 Leap Frog Dvd's and I can't wait for yet another new one coming out this spring!!! If my kids are going to watch DVD's or TV I would like them to get more out of it than just vegetating on the couch. I want what they watch and take in to be stimulating, engaging, and educational....No not everything we watch falls into this category.....I totally LOVE how these DVD's are educational without being to corny for even my older boys to still watch when the younger kids want to watch them. They have fun music and just a great learning approach. Caleb and  Zach learned their letters and their sounds very early because of these great DVD's. Again they are very affordable for everyone!! Around $10....or cheaper!! GO here and buy them for $7.96 each.....scroll down to the bottom and keep looking on the right hand side to see the other Leap Frog dvds available!!

So there are a few suggestions for the 2-4 age group!! Just FYI for you all these are all products that either I bought myself or they were given as gifts to us from family. I am not getting paid or asked to review these products by any of the individual companies. So they are just my own honest opinions to help spur you on in trying to find budget friendly, and kid-friendly gifts for your loved ones!

A Week of Gift Ideas!

I thought is would be fun to pass some gift ideas along to you all. All ideas will be things we have either bought ourselves, gifts we have been given, or products we have reviewed....I am not being compensated by any of these companies and of course are all based on my personal opinion.....so feel free to take it or leave it! Either way I thought it would be fun and something great to kick off the holiday shopping season. So starting Monday, November 30th, we will start our FUN!! So I hope you'll stop be each day and join me.....

DANIELLE