Guest Post: Gift List

I'm so delighted to have a "guest writer" on A Writer's Heart today, who happens to be my own lovely mother! Take time to read her fabulous post! I hope you enjoy! ^_^

I am extremely pleased to introduce myself to you as Shantelle's Mom!  She is a gem and I love her to pieces!

I am a wife of almost 22 years, homeschooling mother of 8 children, whom I cherish more with each passing day.

Christmas is approaching, and if you are from a large family like ours, so are some birthdays and perhaps some weddings and other family events. I am excited to share with you our favorite, tried and true items we have discovered over the years that we think may help you in your gift giving.

Gift Ideas from our House to Yours

• CHILDREN & FAMILY

Our doll has made it through many moves, being left outside in the dirt and stuffed at the bottom of the toy box over the last 10 years and her hair is still nice!

High-quality animals for display or pretend play. These are some of the favorite gifts my kids have received. You can find these at Walmart and other farm supply stores too.

Spot It is a fast and fun game that the whole family can play together! It's one we like to pull out when we have new families over.

One year we bought these neat cars as a family gift. Big and little kids alike enjoyed them. Unfortunately ours got stolen and we haven't splurged on new ones yet.

Although we bought these Science DVD's for schooling, all the younger siblings like to watch them too! Wes makes science interesting, even for those of us who don't have much interest. He also has Chemistry and Physics.

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• BABIES

I love that these are just pure Maple wood and made in the USA! Our last baby loved these and they still look new!

Another one of ours liked this teething ring.

A friend gifted us Burt's Bees Organic PJ's when our last baby was born. Very soft and very much a favorite. I have found several pairs of these at TJ Maxx.

Relaxing, Soothing, Comforting CD. Jesus Loves Me sung, by Kristy Nockels', on this CD is simply beautiful!

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• DADS, MEN and BOYS

After seeing such rave reviews, I bought my Dad this for Father's Day. It really is a great massager and helps relieve tension in the neck and shoulders. I will definitely gift again!

We found one of these at a garage sale and love it for hauling wood into the house. Handy and keeps everything clean!!

Every year our son would request a toy dirt bike for his birthday, and every year it would soon be broken. Until he found this one online. Not only is it sturdy enough for his toddler brother to play with, it can be taken apart, has suspension and looks really cool!

The men in our home are always happy to open a bag of good old beef jerky! Walmart carries this brand, which seems a little healthier.

We have an Alaskanite lantern like this, but they are out of stock. Here is one that looks a lot like it with great reviews.

This is seriously the coolest little flashlight I have ever seen! Our oldest son gave this with his Father's day gift and it's perfect as it fits in your pocket (or purse, ladies!) and is unbelievably bright! Takes only 1 AA battery. Hubby uses it for hunting all the time. Just keep an extra battery in your pack. ;)

We have several of these bright flashlights and highly recommend them. Ours were purchased at Costco.

A great tool to help diagnose what is wrong with your car.  A couple men in our family have these.

Gourmet coffee, and one of the healthiest ways to make it as well! Works perfectly for steeping loose-leaf tea too.

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• MOTHERS and WOMEN and YOUNG LADIES

Super fun to journal and get creative with! I like that they don't bleed through the paper like other colored pens do.

I bought a small pack of these at Walmart during their back-to-school sale.

I love this beautifully illustrated and well directed prayer journal! Whimsical drawings throughout are meant to be colored.

Adult coloring books are wildly popular right now and I like to give them as gifts. This one has inspirational saying amidst fun coloring.

Not too detailed.

This is another item that is on my list to buy! Love this one!

Great for older girls up to adults! (this one's on our "to buy" list)

I tried every other cheaper sharpener there was before buying the same one my mom has had for years. It's the best! Break out the colored pencils, girls!

Traditional hymns that you can sing along with! Did I mention their lovely voices?!

What woman doesn't like chocolate? This bar satisfies my chocolate craving while boasting a mere 7 grams of sugar per 1.7 oz. serving!
If you have an Aldi's near you, it's cheaper there. In fact, I was just in Aldi's today buying a bar and another woman points to it and says, "The best chocolate you can find".  Warning: The 85% is  for the woman who likes really dark chocolate or can't have much sugar.

I bought this several years ago after a lot of research on ways to clean up household air. I love the soft and relaxing light it gives off and have even used it as a night light.

This is a great diffuser that won't brake you budget. I have been using mine for many years. Use a well-review essential oil as there are cheap ones that are not always pure.

We like Eden's Garden's JOY.

NOW brand is also known to be good. And Ylang Ylang has a lovely floral smell and is known for balancing homones.

Another brand I have been told, by Naturopaths, is Aura Cacia. Tea Tree oil is something I grew up using for infections, bacteria, viruses, and cleaning. It's something we always have in our house.

Purchase from JCPenny HERE

The best bath towels I have ever came upon. Soft, absorbent, Not too bulky, perfect size, 100% cotton. Maybe I'm weird, but I'd love to receive these towels for a gift! You can find them on Amazon, but JC Pennys always seems to have a sale on them.

Thanks to our son, who has a degree in computer technology and did a lot of research for us, we bought this SLR camera and our blooming photographer has taken some gorgeous photos with it! Great camera!

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• CHEFS          

This has been our all-time favorite peeler. It works well on everything from sweet potatoes to kiwis.

Another favorite utensil.

Every chef needs some "tea towels". These are great for personalizing, decorative stitching, or a child's hand-print.

We received this Bosch mixer for a wedding gift 22 years ago and it is still going strong! In fact, I just made a huge batch (22 cups flour) of french bread.

I bought my Vitamix blender used and love it! This is an amazing blender that will last you years! I know someone who bought one 20 years ago and still uses it every day!

I was so excited to find this great cookbook that my old neighbor authored on Amazon! Mine is just as much a display piece as a recipe book, with extra-extra thick pages full of scrumptious looking dishes and their recipes.

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Do you have a favorite item that you would buy again in a heartbeat? One that makes you so excited to give? What was the best gift you have ever been given?