10 DIY Holiday Gift Ideas For Kids

Kids can go crazy at Christmas. Some of them ask for a real pink pony, some ask for less specific stuff, such as something that can turn into anything at anytime (true story!). At this time of year, many parents find themselves in trouble trying to fulfill their kid's not-so-rational desires (and even less rational ideas of where to fund said desires from). To the rescue I come, with a list of links (because, let's face it, I'm not that creative) that will provide you with easy, affordable, and super awesome gift ideas for the littlies in your life:

1. DIY Art Easel: Remember the girl who wanted something that can turn into anything, her parents can get away with this! She wants it to be a pet? draw a little puppy! two minutes later she wants it to be the whole American Girl doll collection? erase and get drawing again. Solved!

2. DIY Heart Hair Clip: The ultimate stocking stuffer for little girls. We all love 'em.

3. Glitter Playdoh: You just can't go wrong with this.

4. DIY Train Table: This is a great way to upcycle some old furniture. My own son would adore this!

5. Buzz Lightyear Jetpack: Easy and cheap to make, and sure to be a hit!

6. Kitchen Set: What a great gift! And you get brownie points for upcycling instead of buying a plastic set!

7. Angry Bird Hooded Towels: Going for the win!

8. Kids Sleeping Bag: An outdoorsy kid will think this is the best present ever!

9. Glitter Flats: If you can only afford some basic, plain flats, make them an awesome gift by adding glitter to them, and make a girl's day!

10. Sock Monkey: Fisher Price toys are great and everything but they are so pricey and so much plastic! Nothing beats making the special kids in your life something from the heart, such as this adorable monkey!


So there you go. Kids are going to get a million toys from everyone, so why not be a little different and give them something more personal? I have already started making the easel for my son (photos to come), and will probably continue with the Buzz Lightyear Jetpack (the kid bloody loves it!). Not only will you probably save money, but those types of gifts are the most memorable ones.

DIY Advent Calendar

December has officially started, and with it the holiday season has now begun in full force. I love seeing the streets fill with lights, seeing Christmas trees everywhere I go, and even listening to carols. Ever since I was little, the holidays have filled me with such joy, and I get all giddy with the excitement and the good energy this time of the year brings. 25 years old and I still enjoy Christmas like the next kid. My 3-year-old is now a lot more aware of the festivities, too, and therefore excited about what's to come, so I set out to find something special and meaningful, something to start creating magical memories for him about this time of the year.

That's when I suddenly started seeing hundreds of DIY advent calendars popping up on my social media feeds, such as here, here and here. Even though I am not very crafty, I was adamant that I wanted to recreate them and make my own calendar for him. It is definitely not as pretty as the ones you'd find at the store, but there was something so special about sitting one afternoon with Sean and making this for our kid. It made me really proud when it was finished, and I couldn't wait for Tommy to start opening the little pockets (most of them are little chocolates or candy, some are other small surprises).

Making it was easier than I had envisioned, and it only required some wrapping paper, some sort of cord (twine is great, but if like me, you only have wool available, that works too!), and somewhere to hang the pockets from (we just went downstairs and grabbed a branch!). From there, it was only a matter of wrapping the little presents and hanging them from the branch. It doesn't get any simpler than that (although it could get a little prettier haha). I'm certain Tommy will enjoy it as much as I am, and hopefully this can be something that we do every year.

Here's to hoping that your holidays are filled with laughter, love, compassion, smiles and lots of yummy yummy food!
Do you have any special plans for the holidays?  what is the most meaningful holiday tradition you have?

Socially Conscious Christmas Gift Ideas

There are two types of people in this world: the earlybirds who have already started their Christmas shopping, and the ones who leave it until the last minute and find themselves running around on Christmas Eve trying to find the perfect gift for Aunt Muriel (which, let's face it, will either end up being a book voucher or a fruit basket). I have been known to be the latter. This year, however, I decided to be different and hopefully have around 30% of my list crossed off by the 1st of December. A girl can dream...

With that in mind, I started thinking about what sort of presents I would like to give this year. I also really want to try to be less commercial with my shopping, and be more socially conscious about who I am supporting. Small business owners often have amazing and creative stuff, and definitely more original than mainstream. Also, since they aren't mass-produced, the quality of the products is likely to be better.

If, like me, you want to get a head start with your shopping, here is a list of some rad small businesses and how they can help you out. Or, you could wait until the 24th and come back to this post to make your life easier. You are welcome.

1. For your bad-ass mom who loves the simple, elegant things in life: this Turquoise Oracle necklace from Soul Makes

 
2. For your little sister who is an aspiring fashionista: these cute heart-shaped Silver earrings from LilyEmme Jewelry

3. For your classic and sophisticated father, this messenger laptop bag from Sew Much Style

4. For your little bro who lives for comic books: a cellphone case from Bluez Skiez

5. For your bestie who has recently developed an obsession with all things pink and vintage: these vintage drop earrings from Jacaranda Designs

6. For your eco-conscious, meditative and somewhat hippie aunty: an opium, sandalwood and soy candle from VoodooWick

7. For your pet-loving little cousin: a rad pocket journal from Mountains Of The Moon.

8. For that friend you always take with you to pamper yourselves: a bath bomb gift set from Elegant Rose Boutique

9. For your stylish and ever-so-practical workmate: this fun green and ivory tote with leather bottom from Milo And Molly

10. For your boyfriend's newborn nephew: a too-cute-for-words hat from She Makes Hats

11. For your cousin whose life-long idol and role model is Julia Child: a super chic apron from Annabel's Aprons

Wedding Gifts For The Couple Who Already Has Everything

My fiancé and I have been living together for four years now. Even though we have moved a lot (and I mean a lot!), we still have pretty much all the basics for our house. And we even plan on making another big move circa 2015. For some guests, this might pose a problem, as we don't exactly need any more salad bowls. Like us, many more couples are living together way before getting hitched, so I decided to compile a list of some thoughtful gift ideas to give to the couple that already has everything. Even if you don't have a couple-to-be to give these to, the holidays are approaching so here you can find an idea or two for some of the people on your list:

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10 // 11 // 12

All these gifts are thoughtful, heartfelt and original. Take #1, 5 and 6, for example: no matter how prepared a couple is before getting married, there are always going to be bumps along the way, maybe even times when it seems easier to just walk away. Books like these make you realize that with a lot of love and patience most obstacles can be overcome. 

Gift #2 is a very meaningful one, specially for a couple who comes from two completely different parts of the globe. 

The personalized stationery (#8) and cutting board (#9) are just too cute, as are the picture frames that serve as mementos of their journey as a couple (#12).

If you want to give them something that carries a lot of meaning, try #10, which is a Health, Happiness and Wisdom reliquary box, with best wishes for the newlyweds; or #11, which allows the couple to send each other messages in a very original way.

If the couple is very traditional, but you don't want to give them just some boring old gifts, #3 and #4 are some creative alternatives to the typical "his n hers" gifts. And if they are the adventurous type, they will surely appreciate the Waxed Canvas Travel Zip-Case (#7), perfect for storing passports, cards, letters, notebooks or anything else they want to store in style.