2019 Gift Guide
The 2019 Gift Guide is here! You may be overwhelmed with Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and all the other sales, specials, deals, etc… so here are a few ideas if you need a starting point. I hope they help!
*There are some Amazon affiliate links in this post, which means that if you purchase through the link, I earn a small percentage at no extra cost to you. This helps keep the lights on at the blog and the podcast and our family thanks you for your support!
In our home, we’ve been progressively embracing minimalism and in regards to kid’s toys, less is WAY BETTER. They play longer and more creatively, and need I mention that there’s less to clean up? A HUGE plus in my book!
These are some of our favorite minimalist toy options and honestly, they probably wouldn’t need too much more, other than a bike, art supplies, tools to practice with and stuff for digging in the mud (a shovel and a stick and they’ll imagine the rest!)
We are very thoughtful and careful about what we choose to bring into our home now, but these definitely make the cut for us.
Schleich Animals- FAVORITE hands down. Super realistic! My 1 year old can play with them and my 4 and 6 year old still love them. A great long term option for multiple kids.
Magna Tiles- My kids LOVE them. I’ve heard other brands don’t hold up as well but I haven’t personally tried others.
Uncle Goose ABC Wooden Blocks- Made in the US, non toxic and we’ve had them for 6 years and they are still going strong and the kids all still play with them. My brother has a set in German, so that’s fun!
KidKraft Vintage Play Kitchen- We got ours on Craigslist but the kids use it all the time and now my 14 month old is getting in on the action. Felt or wood food are great options but less is more with the amount of play food and utensils. They’ll use anything laying around as food, don’t worry.
Melissa & Doug Wood Puzzles- Again, we’ve had them for 6 years and are still in great shape. We love this set because it’s letters, numbers, and colors.
Lego Classic Tub- Ummm we have hit the Lego stage and both my older kids LOVE them. If your child loves free building, then this is a great set. My son has a bunch of the CITY police and fire sets as well, but he also loves to have enough extra for him to build his own creations without having to take apart his sets.
K’Nex- I couldn’t find our exact set, but both kids love these and make all kinds of things with them.
Only You Can Be You by Sally & Nathan Clarkson- Such a GREAT book! It’s one of my picks for this Christmas for one of my kiddos.
A Year in Brambly Hedge by Jill Barkham- LOVE this series and my kids adore the illustrations and stories.
The Quiltmaker’s Gift- This is BEAUTIFUL and has different quilt patterns and a story that makes me cry almost every time.
When God Made You- Another great story that has AMAZING illustrations
Anne of Green Gables box set- This was my childhood favorite series and currently this set on Amazon is SUPER cheap.
The Green Ember- I love this series almost as much as my son! We listen to the audiobooks as well (performed by Joel Clarkson) and he begs for them during quiet time. Definitely check it out!
The Wingfeather Saga- Another favorite of my son and I. There’s a lot of set up in the first book but it’s so worth it and from there it flys! So good.
Call of the Wild & Free- For the Mama who homeschools or is just considering it, this book was so encouraging, inspiring and I couldn’t put it down!
Julia Rothman’s Anatomy set (Farm, Nature, and Food)- A favorite of homeschoolers for a reason! It’s a great resource and my son loves looking through them on his own and they are also great for nature journaling, etc… . We LOVE ours.
Stockmar Beeswax Block Crayons- Ok, so this one is still on our wish list, but everyone I’ve talked to who has them, loves them and I can’t wait to add them to our homeschool supplies!
Teaching from Rest- Another homeschooling must read. Oh and her book Read Aloud Family? Just as much of a must read. So good!
Watercolor Pan Set- We upped our watercolor from the uber basic ones and my son loves these. Way more color options and a decent starter set.
Lyra Waldorf Colored Pencils- We won’t go back to regular after these. So much smoother and richer pigmented.
Adorning the Dark- I cried in the first chapter and was fascinated and nodding in agreement through the rest of it. Great for any person to explore vocation and creativity. I LOVED it!
Beholding and Becoming- This is such a beautiful book and a great one to keep on the coffee table. Ruth’s art is beautiful and we based a whole nature lesson off of the different types of bumblebees on one of the pages. And the devotionals are so wonderful as well.
Get To Work book- Technically this is a planner, but I am loving it! Great for anyone who has projects they want to get to work on. I love the project break down sheets and the very simple layout. I can use it how I want to without feeling like I have to fill all the boxes and how much water I drank that can be in other planners. It feels a bit like a friendly kick in the pants to do what I need to do and the freedom to be messy or not color coordinated when I’m writing in it. Just what I need right now.
Mom Heart Moments- This is on my wish list, but I got to read a sample of it and it’s a lovely short devotional for each day, which is exactly what I need when days start busy or I can’t get up before the baby. I love everything Sally has written and this is such a great gift for a busy mom!
The Inspector Gamache murder mystery series- I had heard so many people rave about this series and I finally tried it I LOVE them! FYI as far as any triggers go: They aren’t very gory and while there are some “F” words, they are confined most often to one character in more of a joking way. They are fascinating and go in depth on human nature and she does such an amazing job creating rich places and settings and characters you love.
Baby Feeding Set & Baby Teething Set- I WISH I had had these with my first two babies! The bibs are awesome! So much better than cloth that you have to wash. These can be quickly rinsed or even thrown in the dishwasher and they catch the food the baby drops in the front pouch. They are also amazing for when you are having a picnic or eating somewhere other than your house. You can literally just put food in the bib and they eat right out of it instead of having to deal with plates, etc.. And the silicone feeder in the teether set was so helpful and super easy to clean!
Backpack Diaper Bag- I saw this highly recommended by another mom and decided to try it and it is soo handy! It has a hidden zipper on the back for your wallet, a diaper wipes pocket (that I don’t use, but if I used a regular wipes container it would be handy), You can fit bottles in an insulated front pocket, it opens from the top with plenty of room for notebooks, laptops, ipads, journals, etc… to stand up straight without flopping over, and a secret zipper on the back to get things from the bottom. It’s super affordable and I don’t know how many diaper backpacks I tried and returned before this one stuck.
Gracelaced Art- I LOVE Ruth’s art. She is also the author of the Beholding & Becoming book from above and she has so many great prints in her shoppe. I still have the prints from her wall calendar three years ago and I love them.
Leuchturm 1917 journal- My personal favorite for bullet journaling.
Staedler Fine Point Pens- I have lots of favorite pens but these are fine point and great for writing in my bullet journal when I need some happy color.
Breezy Tulip Artwork- I LOVE Breezy’s artwork and she’s such a wonderful person. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to interview her for Season 2 of my podcast and I can’t wait to share that with you. (a little sneak peek for you guys!) . Also, I saw that she is offering 20% off her Etsy shop through Dec 7th, so definitely check it out!
Midwinter Carols Vol 2 by Joel Clarkson- Joel is such a talented composer and this is my new favorite instrumental album for winter, but also check out his other albums!
Salt Lamp with dimmer- The one I have was a gift so I’m not sure exactly where she got it but this is very similar. I LOVE mine. It lives on my nightstand and offers such great ambient lighting and I love the dimmer function. It makes my bedroom a much nicer place to be in the evening.
If you were still trying to check gifts off your list, I hope this gave you some inspiration. Anything you buy through one of these links will support either my family or one of these other awesome people and we thank you!
May your Advent and Christmas be filled with grace and peace, and the miracle of Christ’s love.