Gift List

I don't know about you, but I've been shopping quite a bit these last few weeks, trying to get ready for holiday parties, gift exchanges and of course two separate family celebrations. I've got gifts on my mind, so I thought I'd share some fun little ones with you right here. You'll see some themes in terms of what my latest discoveries have been: (note)books, organizing tools, things to help me be a better mom and tea, wonderful tea...pour a cup and get shopping!

1. The Meal Planner: As described on Cooking After Five, a great website that has inspired many meals in our house this year, The Meal Planner is a slim and practical notebook specifically designed to help you efficiently plan your weekly meals and keep your kitchen organized. I've been using one for a few months now and I love it! Each 2-page spread includes space to plan your meals for the week and space to create a grocery list. As a working mother, if I don't meal plan, our family doesn't eat homemade food. So I was happy to discover this treasure and I think it would make a great stocking stuffer, Hanukkah present or even New Year's surprise for a loved one. You could even use it to record feelings around hunger and fulness throughout the day. Oh, and if you buy it in December, $1 will be donated to Share Our Strength.

2. Teavana Perfect Tea Maker: I have been eyeing this product for years. At $19.95 I'm not sure why I waited so long to buy one of my own. I've given it as a gift, and always secretly wanted to receive it as a gift, too. But alas, I bought it myself just a few weeks ago in the midst of a bad cold.  While I love coffee, I also like tea. I just don't love bagged tea, and I most certainly don't like when loose-leaf tea gets in your mouth due to a poor infuser. Anyway, this teamaker is fantastic! It makes delicious tea and filters out ALL of the tea leaves and particles. If you're looking to kick the soda habit, I highly recommend some of the flavored teas (Youthberry is AMAZING!), as it's a wonderful afternoon pick-me up that leaves you feeling refreshed and healthy.

3. My Body Is Special and Belongs to Me!: I discovered this book in a post on one of my favorite blogs, Pigtail Pals.  This book teaches children exactly what the title suggests: that "my body is special and belongs to me!"  A simple yet extraordinarily important concept for young children to learn.  My daughter and I started reading this book together a few months ago, and even at two-and-a-half, I think she at least gets some of the concepts. She also loves the book. Now she asks for "body book, read me body book!"

4. Moleskin notebooks: Yes, I am suggesting you buy notebooks as a gift. They are that wonderful. I'll admit that any organization-related products are always top on my list, but these notebooks are a new discovery I just had to share. I like to always have a notebook with me, and the sleek design of these notebooks allow them to fit easily into a purse (and some of the smaller ones certainly would fit into a man's jacket or pants pocket). Anyway, enough said. For the right person (like me), these notebooks would make a wonderful gift.

5. School Years: Disclaimer. I don't own this product. Yet. But it's on my personal wish list. I have used the MomAgenda weekly planner for the past year and I love it.  As described by MomAgenda, this product is essentially a portfolio that helps you organize important mementos from pre-K to 12th grade, like report cards, school pictures and writing and artwork samples.

6. HealtheTracks: Oh, how I love this book, and oh, how I wish I'd known about it BEFORE my daughter was born. I'm still trying to play catch-up on about two years of information. This book is something your children will thank you for later.  It keeps track of everything from doctors appointments, first teeth and antibiotics taken, to immunizations, surgeries and bruised knees. If kept up-to-date, this is a book your child will call you to recite information from when needed on college applications or who knows what else. When I had to get travel shots earlier this year, I wished I had a book like this for me. I also see there is a similar book for adults 50+. I think this may be my new gift for new parents. Check it out.

7. Williams-Sonoma Food Made Fast: Weeknight: I received this as part of a wedding gift and both my husband and I still sing it's praises. This book helped teach me how to cook restaurant-quality meals at home, pretty easily. It has beautiful pictures and easy-to-follow recipes that are sure to inspire you in the kitchen.

8. jigsaw2order: This site allows you to create a jigsaw puzzle out of a photo. I don't know about you, but when I think of the holidays, I think of family, baking and sitting around a coffee table working on a jigsaw puzzle. Last year, we received one of these puzzles (of one of our daughter's baby pictures), and we just took it out for the first time during Thanksgiving. Our daughter couldn't get enough of it (and neither could we).

9. Bread and Jam for Frances: This is a wonderful children's book that is sure to appeal to parents of picky eaters (and probably to the picky eaters themselves)! I think our daughter is still a bit young to sit through every word on every page, but she still likes it. As her attention span increases, I look forward to getting through more of this book with her in one sitting. If you know the parents of a picky eater, this would make a great holiday gift.

10. Books that will support a healthy relationship with food. The holiday season is upon us, which means dieting commercials will abound. If you know someone struggling to tune OUT all these dieting messages, why not share some of these books that will support their healthy relationship with food and with themselves.

Happy Holidays!

Comments

[Nicole]

Thanks for including The Meal Planner in your gift guide! I also agree with the suggestion to give Moleskin notebooks. They are the world's perfect notebook.