12 Holiday Gift Ideas to Promote Healthy Independence in Toddlers

Used by permission from the author, Cara  

http://www.healthhomeandhappiness.com/12-gifts-that-encourage-healthy-independence-for-toddlers.html

I totally agree with Cara's ideas, as they were included in previous articles I've written before.  Click on the photo for her excellent gift ideas.

Fear/Anxiety Scripture Ring

by Shannon Long - Used by permission

http://www.swtblessings.com/2016/05/fearanxiety-scripture-ring.html#.VzM2PuRbf-O

 

I LOVE scripture rings and just about always have some in my purse or on my desk in case I 

(or someone around me) needs the comfort of some Biblical wisdom.  

In fact I gave a set away to a friend today who is having surgery soon 

and dropped another set in the mail for a friend who is going through a difficult time. 

(I even have a few sets in my ETSY store here & here  and here if you'd like to purchase some!)

Based on the feedback from the May Scripture Writing Plan, 

there are LOTS of us that struggle with fear and anxiety! 

So I decided to take one or two verses from each day and turn them 

into some printable scripture cards. 

There is a card for each day of the month 

and there are 8 per page for a total of 31 cards and 1 blank card. 

I just cut mine out, punched a hole in each one, 

and used a binder ring to hook them together. 

I also tied it with a ribbon because it makes it super easy to grab in a purse- 

and it looks cute! 

You can find the PDF of the verse cards HERE.  

Looking for Scripture Writing Plans?

I'm currently working on updating my monthly Scripture Writing Plans and having them translated into Spanish. As I complete each one I'll be adding it to the folder HERE. Thank you!

No-Sew T-Shirt Pillow Covers

Note from Lois:
     This is not only a great quick and easy no-sew project for adults, but for children as well - even boys!  Who doesn't like to tie knots?  It's a perfect weekend project to do together!        
     Repurpose a favorite T-shirt or transform a tired old pillow you already have.  Or purchase a pillow form at JoAnn Fabrics!  Not only will a T-shirt work for this project, but fleece would be perfect as well.
     If you do sew and have an embroidery machine, a large embroidered motif sewn on a new T-shirt or fleece would be beautiful, transformed into a beautiful pillow!
     Why not teach your children how to make their own gifts? Either a T-shirt pillow or a plain or embroidered fleece pillow would make a great gift for teachers and friends when your children attend birthday!

 To see a video of instructions from Tip Hero:
http://tiphero.com/pillow-covers-without-sewing/

 


Spring cleaning also means it’s time to clean out your old spring wardrobe, too! If you have a stack of old t-shirts that you’ve decided need to go, we encourage you to donate any and all clothes that you no longer want – but what about that t-shirt with the hole in the armpit or the tear at the collar? You can’t donate those! Don’t worry, you don’t necessarily have to throw those t-shirts away. With this fun, simple craft you can turn those t-shirts into adorable pillowcases in a snap! And guess what? You don’t even have to do any sewing. Magic. Watch the video below to see how you can accomplish this simple DIY.

If you’re a novice crafter and you’re a bit worried about sewing, this is a perfect DIY for you! You’re still upcycling the fabric and making it into something cute for your home, but with no need for a needle and thread. If the t-shirt you’re transforming doesn’t match your decor or if it’s a color or pattern you know a friend would like, this is such a thoughtful, customized gift for a housewarming or birthday!

Let’s break down the steps of this DIY:
STEP 1:
Place the pillow in the center of the t-shirt, where your middle section would be, and cut around the pillow. Make sure to leave a few inches of fabric on all sides.
STEP 2:
Cut frayed edges around the two pieces of cut fabric.
STEP 3:
Put one piece of t-shirt fabric under the pillow and one on top.
STEP 4:
Knot the frayed edges of the top and bottom fabrics all the way around.

And just like that, you have a fun, clean-looking pillow case to display in your home! And you did it all yourself, you crafty person, you!

"Papaw Pillows"

by Lois Breneman - 2016

It is always so difficult to lose a loved one.  
 

In December, a year ago, my sister, Nancy, lost her dear
husband, Ed, just two weeks shy of their fiftieth wedding 
anniversary.  Months later I sent her a photo of a great idea 
I had seen to transform shirts into pillows.  While we were 
visiting her, she asked if I would make pillows like that, 
using some of Ed's shirts to give to their grandchildren.  
I was happy to do that for her, and took a box of his shirts 
along home with us.

I made the shirt-pillows so a 14-inch pillow form would fit 
into each one.  Some of the shirts needed to be lined with a
solid cotton fabric for added thickness.  If the shirt had 
buttons down the front, the buttoned front was used as the 
opening to turn the pillow right-side-out after sewing the 
other three sides.  If there were no buttons, I sewed in a 
zipper.  

These buttoned shirts were now ready for a pillow form.

The other four shirts were sewn with a zipper closure, so 
a 14-inch pillow form could be added by my sister after 
she received them in the mail.

 

In making the tags Nancy used a special photo of each 
grandchild with Papaw.  She laminated the tags and 
punched a hole so she could attach the tag with twine to 
the zipper tab or button on each pillow.  

I thought these tags were such a special loving touch! 







The grandchildren were so happy upon receiving such a 
special and meaningful gift from their dear Memaw - a 
gift they will always cherish as they remember the many 
wonderful times they had with their beloved Papaw who 
loved the Lord with all his heart and lived a godly life 
before them.






Another photo of the youngest grandchild, Samara...





                                                   ...and Timothy!  



One year after their Papaw's graduation to heaven, they 
were all so happy be able to still hug him (in a way) with 
their "Papaw Pillows!" 

The 2 Best Gifts for Your Friends Who Blog

http://doanewthing.com/the-2-best-gifts-for-your-friends-who-blog/

December 21, 2015 by Christa

Gift guides are everywhere this time of year. There are gift guides for the guy in your life, the most unique gifts, favorite toys and I especially loved this guide to gifts that give back.  

Of course, there are gift guides for bloggers filled with amazingly helpful items like planners, e-courses, high-powered cameras and blog coaching.

But do you know what your blogging friend really would love from you?  Especially if she is relatively new to blogging and trying to build her following?  Well, I am going to tell you. And GOOD NEWS!  Both of these things are FREE for you!

Those of us who write are passionate about what we do. We do this for lots of different reasons …

for a worn-out young mom to have a space of her own,
for a smart Bible-girl to share her dedication to God’s grace and glory with others,

for the crafter of words to offer hope in the broken places and, yes, for the empty nester filling the newly open spaces in her heart and calendar.

No matter their personal reason for writing, the ultimate goal for most bloggers is for people to read and be inspired, learn something, be encouraged or entertained. So here are the two greatest gifts you can give the blogger in your life.

SHARE THEIR CONTENT  

Read more
http://doanewthing.com/the-2-best-gifts-for-your-friends-who-blog/

Our Plans For A Simple Christmas + 25 Non-Toy Gift Ideas

You are here: Home / DIY Holiday / Our Plans For A Simple Christmas + 25 Non-Toy Gift Ideas

Our Plans For A Simple Christmas + 25

Non-Toy Gift Ideas

With the lights  twinkling on the tree behind us, my husband and I sat and contemplated Christmas and what we want it to look like in our family. We each have beautiful childhood memories of Christmases past and now it’s our turn to share the magic. We thought a lot about possibly having a non-toy Christmas.
(In sharing this I want to be sure to tell you that this is what works for our family and I’m not under the assumption that it must work for everyone.)
One thing we both feel very strongly about is making sure that the Christmas we teach to Scarlette is not a completely consumerist one.
This is hard for me. Scarlette is (and will be) an only child, long awaited and much celebrated. I (and my love of a good deal) want to give her the world.
Plus, I am a gift giver. It’s my love language. I just like to give people stuff. And I love my Black Friday sales with the best of them, y’all.
I counted the gifts we purchased for Scarlette last year on one hand. “It looks so small” I lamented. First World Problems at their finest, right?
What do we want her to know? That Christmas is about giving. Namely, the gift of a Christ child to a world who was in desperate need of a Savior. And that we give in that spirit, of presents and of time and of love, to honor the greatest gift ever bestowed.
So we drastically changed how we do gifts around here. For her birthday, she got one toy and a special cupcake outing from Mommy and Daddy. (And if you’ve seen this video, you know that she was the happiest kid ever.)
Instead we’ve decided to focus on advent activities and gifting to our community. We still exchange gifts but on a much smaller scale with more intention.
Now that we’re on our third year of Christmas/birthdays in this vein and figuring this out a little more, here are 25+ suggestions for non-toy gift ideas! (some referral links included b/c coupons!)

Experience Gifts

Right now our three year old daughter, Scarlette, is in ballet class because she asked to be. (She did not get that from her rhythm-less mama.!) She knows that the classes are a gift from her grandparents and I find that really special. I’m thankful to them for being a part of giving her new experiences and creating special memories with her when they take her on outings. I typically visit GROUPON’s local things-to-do page to find some fantastic experience gifts for over half off. This year I bought some great packages for family members through them!
1.) Memberships to a children’s museum or the zoo. My dad took Scarlette to the zoo this year and she talks about it all the time. Seriously. ALL THE TIME.
2.) Paint Your Own Pottery trip. We love doing this. It is so fun and you don’t have to make something you bring home, you can have your child make something like a pretty vase to donate to the local nursing home.
3.) Tickets to the movies, theater production, or concert. I’m wishing that Super Why Live would come anywhere near us because my three year old would have the time of her life at a show like that. Fandango lets you personalized their gift cards with a photo, which is a cute way to give a movie ticket gift!
4.) Gift certificates to a favorite ice cream/cupcake shoppe. Because we all scream for ice cream. Except Scarlette. She screams for cupcakes. Or also just randomly, for no good reason.
5.) Gift certificates for a family outing, such as ice skating or mini golf. Or, if they are teenagers and are embarrassed to be seen with you because you feel the need to dance in public (MOM) then maybe for a friends outing. (I was scarred for life, y’all.)
6.) Crafting or baking dates. My mother made Scarlette this canopy for her bed as her Christmas gift last year. Scarlette was SO excited about it. And my favorite gift from my Aunt every year from the time I was a little girl has ALWAYS been her homemade butter mints. Of all the gifts I received at our family gathering, I always looked most forward to when I opened my tin of homemade butter mints from her.

Subscription Gifts

Don’t think kids can’t enjoy things like magazine subscriptions! Scarlette gets Ladybug magazine every month and she loves it. She enjoys getting the mail with me and having a “pwize” in it. We also love our subscription boxes. Most offer a one-time option in addition to a 3,6,9, and 12 month plan so there is something for every budget.
7.) Magazine subscription (we love Ladybug, Highlights and National Geographic Kids)
8.) A Book-Of-The-Month Club! Lollipop Book Club mails a lollipop and a book with a specially inscribed note each month. I love that idea! You could even probably do the same thing yourself for less, just remember to mail the book each month! I also love the look of GiftLit because you can choose from all ages, including read-aloud family books!
9.) Monthly Craft Kit. Kiwi Crate is a monthly craft club for kids. Each month you receive a box with supplies and instructions to make themed crafts that encourage creativity and learning. This is our favorite one, we got a subscription for Scarlette last year and she really looks forward to her box every month and my niece is getting a subscription this year. You can save 50% on your 1st month subscription to any Kiwi Crate Family Brands PLUS free shipping with code HOLIDAY50 – For kids under 4 their Koala Crate is fantastic and they also have Tinker Crate for older kids that is more STEM focused.   Similar crafting kits are: Green Kids Crafts and Babbabox.
10.) Monthly Learning Kit. Little Passports is a monthly travel adventure kit. It’s for an older age range than Scarlette, maybe 7+ but it is so cute! You can do the world edition or the USA edition and “visit” different countries/states each month!
11.) Baby Essentials Subscription. If you have a baby, then a subscription or bundle from The Honest Company is a great choice for you. You can do the diaper subscription and get eco-friendly diapers + natural wipes delivered monthly (WHO DOESN’T LOVE THAT?!) or you can get natural bath & body products, kid’s toothpaste and more. And let’s be honest: your baby has no idea what is happening on Christmas. The diaper bundle is where it is at. This makes such a great gift for a new mom!

Digital Gifts

Some people dislike giving digital gifts because they like having something to unwrap. But you can still make a cute present out of something like a Netflix subscription by printing out the gift code and wrapping it up in a fun popcorn tin!
12.) Online Learning. We use www.abcmouse.com for early learning and we love it. Scarlette gets to do a lesson or two on it a few days a week and it is such a great learning tool. It is designed for toddlers up to Kindergarten age and is full of educational lessons that are presented as games, puzzles, books, songs, and more. She earns “tickets” for each lesson she completes and trades them in for prizes. She’s currently obsessed with buying things for her fish tank with her tickets. (This link will give you the first month free to try it out)
13.) Netflix. Netflix is our go-to in this cable-free house. It’s such a great gift because it has an entire kids-only section with tons of family favorites and educational shows. We watch a lot of the nature shows. And after the kids use it, mom and dad can totally have a movie date night in.
14.) Educational App. I love the Kindle Free Time Unlimited App that I have for my Kindle Fire. It’s only $2.99 a month and it is full of educational games and books that I can let Scarlette read without worrying about her accidentally deleting my stuff or buying billions of dollars of e-books.
15.) Gift cards. Gift cards to Amazon or iTunes for digital books, apps or music are good bet for the teen crowd. Or thirty year olds with a penchant for YA dystopian fiction series. Just sayin.’ Fandango gift cards are also a great idea because there are a ton of good YA movies coming out this year!

Learning Aids

And if you just really like wrapping stuff, I love getting hands on learning items for Scarlette. Musical instruments, craft supplies, etc. are all helpful to this homeschool-ish mom and things that my kid enjoys.
16.) Extracurricular activity items. If your child is signed up for ballet, a tutu makes a great gift. Just ask Scarlette. I can’t get her to take off the one she got for her birthday. It’s kind of a problem, actually.
17.) Musical Instruments. We love these rhythm sticks by Hohner Kids. And by “we” I mean “Scarlette.” No parents like these. Also, this harmonica is like, five dollars. And it’s a harmonica. Everyone likes the guy who can play a harmonica! We also have this wooden xylophone and this little drum that Scarlette loves. This year Scarlette got this kid’s cd player for her birthday – she LOVES listening to books on cd (this set is her favorite) and singing along to Frozen karaoke in the microphones. I liked it because it also has an mp3 and usb hookup so I can download music for her online.
18.) Arts & Craft Supplies. It’s so nice in the winter months to have a go-to craft bin in the house. Chenille sticks, googley eyes, glue, feathers, construction paper, scissors, popsicle sticks, watercolors, markers, etc. are all great things to bundle together in a little craft set. I normally pick these up at craft stores or you can grab an oversized arts and crafts bucket like this one. We store ours in these stackable ArtBins.
19.) Books. I love giving and receiving classic books. I think you can’t go wrong with classics like Shel Silverstein’s Where The Sidewalk Ends, Anne of Green Gables, The Secret Garden, Where The Wild Things Are, etc. and I am all about fostering a love of reading in kids. Oh, and I love LOVE the Jesus Storybook Bible.
20.) Learning Activities. I’m against ant farms on account of how I read the Scary Stories books when I was a child and still have nightmares but I do love nature stuff. Scarlette has a magnifying glass we use to look at bugs that was her favorite gift ever. On her list of things that she is thankful for, number two is BUGS. I also love things like these wooden pattern blocks that my dad gave Scarlette for her birthday. We can do so many learning activities with them that even though they might be technically a toy, I give them a pass. I also love Lisa’s printable activity sets.
21.) Clothes. Okay, that might have nothing to do with learning but I had no category for it. Technically, we’re learning how to dress ourselves over here. Well, the three year old is. But kids need clothes, y’all. They grow real fast. I also think that some of the handmade locket necklaces would  make a great, sentimental gift for a teenage girl. And I’m all about building a dress-up box out of clearance sales and thrift store finds because imaginative play is brain power. Or maybe not, I just made that up but I bet it’s good for kids or something.

The Gift Of Giving

I think it’s important to teach our kids about charitable giving from a young age. Here are a few ideas organizations that I personally like and support, but having your child research, learn about, and choose a charity that is personal to them is awesome. It’s a sweet opportunity to teach our kids about giving beyond ourselves.
22.) Giving to a local need. We do something for families in the local NICU each year at Christmas time and ask that our friends and family consider donating in Scarlette’s name, to share a little bit of the hope that we have now and that we so wanted back when it was us there during the holiday season. You can make blankets or crochet preemie hats or any number of things!
23.) Sole Hope. Sole Hope is an organization that does medical work in Uganda and helps local men makes shoes for the kids there. I got to meet them last month and was so impressed with them that on my next Girl’s Night, I made my girlfriends watch the video and cut out shoes out of old jeans with me. It’s not at all annoying to be friends with me y’all. I think it’s a good organization for older kids/teens to be a part of because they can host fun shoe-cutting parties and be actively participating in the mission.
24.) Freeset. Freeset is a fair trade business that employees women who are trying to escape the sex trade. (I know that seems heavy for a Christmas gift but well, the greatest Christmas Gift the world received was born into a pretty heavy burden and I think it’s especially important to remember these girls in this season.) The women make beautiful bags (and laptop sleeves!) so this is another gift that you can wrap up while giving back. Another organization that I was able to meet face to face last month who truly impressed me.
25.) Light Em’ Up Giving. Check out Courtney DeFeo’s Light Em’ Up guide, with tons ideas for random acts of kindness that you can do with your children during the holiday season. I love the way this is set up, with printables and helpful ideas. We’ll be doing some of these with Scarlette this year and I am really looking forward to it.
26.) Choose A Gift Catalog. Several reputable charitable organizations like World Vision have gift catalogs that you can browse with your child. Scarlette loves farm animals right now so we’re going to discuss giving a family the gift of livestock and then I’ll let her choose from there.
We’re not totally anti-toy. After all, I hit up the Target Secret Toy Sale to stock up on books and gifts. But we do try to keep the balance weighted towards more handmade gifts, experience gifts and secondhand gifts than lots of brand new piles under the tree and this has been what has helped us
Whenever this topic comes up among my girlfriends they always ask how we broach this with family members. We definitely don’t want to take away the joy of giving from others or infringe our own feelings on anyone else but we did share our hearts with them and ask them to consider experience or non-toy gifts. We’re thankful that her grandparents were incredibly understanding of our space (our house is small and I have a problem with clutter. Like, I make a lot of it.) and our hearts and purposed to honor our requests. Plus, I send them videos of Scarlette taking the ballet class they gave her and that is just the gift that keeps on giving, y’all.
(And if you are looking for gift ideas for the grown-up kids in your life, I’m partial to an Amazon Prime gift subscription. Two day shipping + free kindle books + free movies/tv shows is basically the gift that keeps on giving.)
 I’d love to hear any suggestions you might have for non-toy gifts!

For more gift ideas and to enter to win some awesome holiday prizes from Pottery Barn Kids, The Land of Nod, Boden and more, visit my 2014 Family Holiday Gift Guide!


Other Christmas Tutorials & Freebies: 12 Fun Free Christmas Fonts | Love You Latte Gift In A Bag | No-Sew Tutu | Free Photo Christmas Card Template | DIY Photo Color-A-Magnet | Printable Calendar Sticker Magnets | Free Christmas Card Template

Tiny Teacup Terrarium

Creative Ideas

from www.allfreekidscrafts.com

  

Collect all of the materials listed above to create your terrarium.

I got my pebbles at Target in the vase section.  I bought my charcoal at the pet supply store in the terrarium section...Go figure! You can find Spanish moss at Michael's or JoAnn Fabrics and a ton of other places.  Any old potting soil will do. Keep in mind the size of your container when selecting plants. You would be surprised how much room all of the stuff takes up inside the jar. I used mostly ground cover like Irish moss or baby tears that I had growing around my yard. If you have a large container you could do a little Bonzai tree or a succulent plant.  I think herbs will work too.

Wash your glass container and lid with hot water.

Layer the ingredients in order.  I used a large spoon to add the dirt.

Start with a good sized scoop on top of your moss and then add your plant.

Use a couple of fingers to help protect the little guy while adding more soil around the edges and use your spoon to press it all down.

Now's the time to add your little figurines to create a world all your own.

Once you've got everything placed, give it a couple sprinkles of water, secure your lid and VOILA!  Your very own portable world of enchantment.

Monitor your tiny garden for the first few days to regulate the moisture level.  If it gets too steamy in there remove the lid to let it evaporate a little.  If it seems a little dry you can mist it or add a few more sprinkles of water. Once it has become established it will pretty much take care of itself!  You shouldn't need to water more than every 2-3 weeks.

You won't believe how simple it is...with all the ingredients and about 3 dozen glass jars I have saved up in all different shapes and sizes. I couldn't resist making a whole gang of them.

Romantic Gift Ideas

by Lois Breneman - Heart to Heart - August, 2014

This month my husband and I celebrated out forty-sixth wedding anniversary together, which started me thinking on romantic gift ideas.  I'll be glad to share these with you.

1. Photo shoot for the two of you or a photographed portrait of you as a couple.  One year my husband suggested we get our photo taken on Valentine's Day, before going out for dinner, which I thought was romantic.
2. Horseback riding for just the two of you.  Through the woods or on the beach would be especially fun.
3. Written invitation for dinner at a favorite restaurant or an upscale restaurant where you've never gone
4. Handwritten original poem about your love together
5. Hot air balloon ride.  My dear husband planned this for one of our anniversaries years ago. It was delightful, with breakfast served before our launch!  A memorable time on the "Gorgeous Darl'in" hot air balloon, all planned by John!  Sailing is another activity which we both enjoy as often as possible, and I consider it to be romantic as well.  It costs a lot less too, especially with an old sailboat waiting for us in  back of our house.

6. Car ride with a surprise lunch planned.  We made a day of leisurely cruising on Skyline Drive to see and photograph the gorgeous autumn leaves and we hope to do this again.  This was an especially romantic trip, since my parents honeymooned on Skyline Drive in 1939!
7. Handwritten list of the attributes that attracted you to your spouse in the first place.  Entitle it, "How Do I Love Thee?  Let Me Count the Ways!"  I've saved all of these poems, of course.

8. Handwritten letter about all the things you love about your spouse today, and why you want to grow old together.
9. Rent an RV for a get-away together.
10. Silk sheets and chocolates
11. A personalized CD with your favorite love songs or selecting a piece of art together for your home.
12. A get-away at a Bed and Breakfast.  John also planned a trip at a beautiful bed and breakfast in a beautiful, quaint town for the two of us.

I think it would be romantic to just sit together and go through scrapbooks of your years together. Over the years I have tried to keep up with simple scrapbooks including all our family trips ever since we were married, with all the basics as well as pictures and souvenirs.  I have also made a "Bare Bones List" of all our family vacations, including the dates, destinations, activities, and names of those who went.  That list has been helpful when wondering where we went during a particular year. 

These are just a few ideas you may want to consider to do to add romance to your lives, instead of the usual flowers, jewelry, or dinner.

The Most Important Gifts to Give Your Children All Year Long

by Lois Breneman

Grandparents, you can team up with your children's parents and help with some of these!

Listen To Them Talk – Just listen!  

Play with Them - "175 Things to Do Together with Your Family" can be found here. 

Slow Down and Stop Being So Busy – How may times do we say,“Just a minute!”

Teach Them How To Cook – Give one-on-one time as you do this.

Teach Them How to Work – Work along side of them.

Read to Them – Read to them early and later read books together as a family.

Stop Bad Habits – Your children will be happier if you do.

Tell Them Often That You Love Them – Even if you think they already know.

Hug Them Often – They say we all need tens hugs a day.

Teach Them About Jesus – Be sure they know the plan of salvation.

Have Family Devotions - Use the time you have to teach truths of the Scriptures.

Live the Christian Life Before Them – Be a model for them to follow.

Take Them to Church – And go with them.

Spend Time at Home - Provide a peaceful life by not involving them in too many activities.

Make Them Available to Their Grandparents – They have a lot to offer your children.

Christian Parenting Handbook: Coming April 29 - Special Offer of over $400 in Parenting Resources

by Lois Breneman - 2013 - Heart to Heart Newsletter

I've been privileged to have been asked to be on the Launch Team for this very practical parenting book, based on sound biblical principles.  The authors are Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller.  

Quite a few articles by these two skilled authors have appeared in the Heart to Heart Newsletter in the past and have always been excellent biblical advice.  Just do a search for "Parenting" to find many of their articles.

In reading over the advance electronic copy of this new book, I am excited to get a copy for each of our children as an early Christmas gift (you girls didn't see this, did you?)  What a terrific and meaningful gift!  You will find parenting advice for children of all ages, including teens. 

Don't miss this amazing offer for parents!  If you purchase this new book during launch week, beginning April 29, you will receive more than $400 in parenting resources.  Here's the info: http://www.biblicalparenting.org/parentingshifts/tcph.asp