My Christmas Gift Guide

Mary Kate has a Christmas Gift link-up.  Gifts is my number two Love Language, so I am jumping in with both feet.

Oldest to Youngest:

Peter is 17.  He wants ugly sweaters.  I am thinking about getting him  Axis And Allies because he "might" be going away to college this fall, and all the nice boys I knew in college played Axis And Allies all weekend long.

Now, there are about a hundred different versions of this game.  If anyone would care to enlighten me on what a beginner or novice-level nerd should get, I would be most grateful.

His other "toy" may very well be an Uncle Si Chia Pet Planter, because honestly, who wouldn't want one?  Especially in college!

Susan is 16, and a junior in high school, which means that sometime in the not-too-distant future there will be a Junior Ring Ceremony.  In lieu of a class ring, she has asked for a Claddagh ring.

Patrick gave me my Claddagh ring in college.  It's a James Avery ring.  James Avery is a beautiful silver jewelry company that has locations in Texas.  They also have an online store.

James Avery is still making Claddagh rings.  This one is a little different than mine, but still lovely.

She also wants a ukulele.  Fortunately, her godfather is of the musical persuasion and has agreed to take on that task for me.

And of course, she's getting clothes.  As she said today, "Clothes are fun!"

I found a few lovely and reasonably priced items at Avery Lane Boutique.  Susan specifically asked for "things with elbow patches."

Can you see the elbow patches?

Lucy is a 14 year old freshman.  Her wishlist wasn't much different than Susan's, with the exception of one item.  She asked for a crossbody hipster bag from Vera Bradley.  The discontinued patterns are on serious markdown through the outlet.

If you aren't a member of eBates yet, what are you waiting for?  LL Bean, Vera Bradley, and GapKids are just a few of the stores I'm getting cash back from thanks to eBates.  When I'm online shopping, it actually literally PAYS to use eBates.

Sending a wedding gift?  Bed, Bath, and Beyond is on eBates.  Kohls?  Disney Store?  Sephora?  They're all on eBates.

We try to give each child a book, a toy, and an article of clothing.  "Try."  I don't really consider a hipster bag a toy, so I'm considering The Resistance  board game for Lucy.

Susan got Telestrations  last year, and it was a huge hit.  She played it with family, she played it with friends, she even brought it to sleepovers and on vacation.  I'm hoping The Resistance has the same appeal.

Edmund, age 10, and brand new fully fledged Boy Scout, recently received a catalog from JM Cremps:  The Boys' Adventure Store.  He carried it around with him for over a week, and finally surrendered it to me, after circling the things he wants.

That little gem, the Estwing Sportsman's Axe, was circled A LOT.  There Is No Way That Is Going to Be Under My Tree This Christmas.  

I think it's time we did another family read-aloud of Where the Red Fern Grows.

Edmund will likely be getting some other (safer) items, such as a headlamp,

And a Mad Bomber hat, which he asked for.  You can see his father sporting a Mad Bomber hat in my header up above.

And maybe this 7 Wonders board game that got great reviews.  We like The Settlers of Catan and Ticket To Ride very much.  This seems like the same high quality.

Edmund's stocking will be filled with Rainbow Loom Rubber Bands.  He uses Susan's loom.  The neighbor kid comes over and they make bracelets for HOURS!  They had me look up YouTube videos of different patterns to try.  Edmund has even invented some of his own patterns!  It counts as a homeschooling class, right?

Jill, age 2.  The question is what NOT to get her.  Little kids are so easy to buy for.

She wants a kitchen and this Kidkraft Retro Kitchen was on sale at Costco Online in October, so that's taken care of.  It was much cheaper than the Amazon one.  I like this kitchen because it's not one unit.  We are pressed for space in our tiny toy room, but I'm hoping the sink part will fit under a window.

Jill's Disney Princess obsession is off the hook.  She has been eyeing the Disney Princess Barbies everywhere, but Santa found something a little more wholesome and age-appropriate with the Melissa & Doug Celeste 14" Princess Doll.

Though I prefer to avoid licensed trademarks on our toys, clothing, etc.  I will share with you that I bought the Disney Princess Toddler Bedding Set with Rapunzel, Aurora, Belle, Cinderella for her brand new toddler bed today.  I'm good, but I'm not that good.

It was that or Hello, Kitty, which weirds me out because of all the Japanese adult dressing-up strangeness that goes on with her.

I'll get something less polyester-y soon.

Jill and a very special goddaughter of mine are also getting copies of the MOST GORGEOUS version of Little Red Riding Hood, which is a Caldecott Honor Book and illustrated by the very talented Trina Schart Hyman.  With the books, I am pairing the red riding hoods from Etsy that I mentioned here, and if I get around to it, baskets for goodies from Cost Plus World Market.

That about wraps it up for my children, but I only covered one of my eleven godchildren.  I might have to write another post about them and link up again.

Head over to Mary Kate's for more gift guides!