The 9th Day of Christmas with She Plans
Welcome to the 7th annual 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways!!!
12 Days.
12 friends guest posting sharing a Christmas idea, recipe or favorite with you.
12 great giveaways for you to enter along with one GRAND PRIZE for someone who comments to enter all 12 days!!
Today’s idea comes from me {and the giveaway is from my new friend Ashley over at She Plans Esty shop.}
But before we get to today’s idea and giveaway, I wanted to tell you about a free resource from me based on my new book releasing next month. (And be sure to check out the pre-order incentives for the book. Zondervan is giving away all sorts of cool stuff if you pre-order one or more copies before midnight January 5th. Click here for details)
This free email resource is called 5 Days to Sweet & Salty Speech.
5 characters from the Bible.
5 lessons for our lips.
If you need a little help in the area of watching your words, this 5 day free devotional will help. Enter your email below to sign up!
Now for the 9th Day of Christmas Giveaways…..
Book ‘Em
One of my favorite gifts to give through the years has been book-based baskets. In my first book Homespun Gifts from the Heart, my co-authors (and dear friends), Trish and Kelly, and I devoted an entire chapter to book baskets and bundles. This is a unique gift-giving idea that encourages reading and is a snap to come up with.
Simply chose a book your recipient would love to read. Then, brainstorm on the topic (or leaf through the pages) to find items to round out the gift. Combine the items in a basket, add some clear cellophane, a ribbon and gift tag, and voila! You have a hit on your hands. Here are a few examples.
The first time I ever witnessed this idea was when my daughter received a Laura Ingalls Wilder basket. In it was an antique copy of Little House in the Big Woods. The rest of the surprise contained items Laura had gotten for Christmas in the late 1800s—a shiny new penny, a peppermint stick, a heart-shaped cookie sprinkled with white sugar, a tin cup, and a rag doll named Charlotte. (You can also do this for a younger child by using the book Christmas in the Big Woods}
Know someone who is a culinary whiz? Try a cookbook with some measuring spoons and cups or a gadget such as a pastry blender or fancy chopper. Add jars of spices and seasonings and a fancy bottle of fruity spritzer for your loved one to sip on while cooking. Tuck a small wooden spoon into the bow.
What should you to give to a baseball lover? Pick up a biography of a Major League legend such as Hank Aaron or Willie Mays, or even a football standout like Tim Tebow. For an MLB player, round out the basket with some Big League Chew gum, a bag of sunflower seeds, a Baby Ruth candy bar, and tickets to a ball game. For filler, use peanuts in the shell, just like at the real ballpark. For a football player, add some wrapped football chocolates, some chips and dip for watching a game on TV, a referee whistle and tickets to a local college or NFL game.
For a little whippersnapper, Curious George books are easy to build a theme around. Check out his antics at a candy factory (give with fancy chocolates or candy-making supplies), or making pancakes (include a mix, fresh blueberries, a pancake turner, and bottle of real maple syrup) or at the zoo (tuck in a stuffed animal and some gummy creatures or animal crackers).
And my new favorite, It Will Be Okay by our Proverbs 31 president Lysa TerKeurst. This darling story about a fox, a farmer and a tiny seed teaches children to trust and not fear. It would be perfect given with a stuffed fox, a packet of seeds for planting, and a warm fuzzy flannel shirt to wear, just like the farmer.
Your turn! Name someone on your list. Ask yourself, “What is a book they’d delight in reading?” Now . . . build your basket. GO! {Head to Amazon to search for books}
Now….today’s AWESOME giveaway…..
Here is a book for you! My new favorite planner from She Plans Etsy shop.
Oh I love a paper planner. Sure, smart phones are great, but there is something about holding a paper planner in your hands or having it open on your desk.
These planners are fantastic! With month-at-a-glance and week-at-a-glance sections (laid out vertically–the best!) and each daily space includes:
• Today is Special section to note birthdays & celebrations
• Today’s Priorities section to list your top priorities that you want to hold yourself accountable to.
• To Do Today section for all other daily to do’s as well as any timely appointments for the day.
• Evening Plans for meal planning, late night practices, or anything you’d like to accomplish at night.
You might want to order one of these for a friend for Christmas. Ashley, from She Plans, set Sunday, December 14th as her “make it there by Christmas” deadline.
Of course, if you want one for yourself for the new year, head to her site for ordering details. They are MORE than worth the money and keep you on top of your tasks in an oh-so-pretty manner. Click here to see all the awesome designs and products.
I would love to do a gift basket with a hand made cook book of my favorite recipes and add in the ingredients for an appetizer, main dish and dessert. :)
A boredom buster gift basket for the kids when they are sick or really any time filled with a variety of crossword puzzle books, coloring box with colored pencils. And some other favorite books that they would like.
I think the Polar Express would make a great addition to a train themed gift basket. The pictures are incredible. I’m a big fan of Jan Brett and any of her Christmas books would be easy to work with. The Night Before Christmas would be fun to put in a candy themed gift basket.
Praise of Purpose: A Year of Uplifting Words by Linda Grabeman. It’s a wonderful devotional and then I’d add a journal, pretty pens, highlighters, tea, chocolate.
It’s supposed to be Praise on Purpose
I love all the ideas that have been shared! I thought of the If you give a mouse a cookie series too, but my kids also like the books Firefighter Ted, Doctor Ted, and Artist Ted. You could add supplies fitting to each–dress up clothes, doctor kit, paints, etc. I have a son who likes books by Rick Riordan and I have picked up a couple for Christmas. I might just have to get creative to add something to them! My daughter likes Judy Moody and I found a mini mystery book for her. That one seems a little easier! Thanks for the great idea.
I love any of the Little House books.
A Book entitled “The Candycane”. Its about candy maker in a small village who creates a new and interesting candy for his granddaughter, thus the candaycane is invented. I would include assorted candy, including the candycane, in pretty drawstring bags, a pair of mittens, woolen hat and scarf, miniature nativity and Christmas glitter stickers.
Anne Marrow Lindgberg’s Gift from the Sea. In which I would include, salt water taffy, a notepad, pen and bookmark with a sea/ocean theme.
I would choose a Bible for a child’s gift and give them a fleece blanket to wrap themselves up in while they read it each morning along with a CD of Steve Green’s Hide it In Your Heart’ for them to enjoy, too.
Jesus Calling or Beth Moore’s new devotional book with a journal, nice pen, & some hot cocoa. :)
I would love to get “You Are Special” for my teenage daughters, and include some of their favorite things- certificates for ice cream, some chocolate, bath fizzles, big fluffy towels……….
And it would be fun to put together! Love the idea!
I would do a candy cane themed basked with the legend of the candy cane, candy canes, and peppermint hot chocolate. Thanks so much for the chance to win. I love a paper planner, too!
A photography book. Digital camera and photo album.
monk5 at charter dot net
Bad girls of the bible by Liz Curtis Higgs. Include jewelry, makeup, nail polish, chocolate. Anything decadent.
Little By Little, it’s a story about a playful river otter who doesn’t give up and finally learns to swim. What a great lesson for little ones who can sometimes become discouraged seeing friends doing something they haven’t quite mastered. God creates us each uniquely and beautifully!
I would love to do a basket based on “If you Give a Pig a Pancake”…it works for adults and children…put all the ingredients for pancakes, syrup, etc. in the basket. Or any of the others…If you Give a Moose a Muffin, etc.
Another fun one for women is The Yada Yada Sister books…book, journal, etc. For the gardener…A farmers almanac, seeds, new gloves, etc.
Oh how I love books…giving and receiving…Beautiful ideas. The calendar looks fantastic. I am so much of a paper calendar girl. It drives my techy husband crazy.
Merry CHRISTmas
Cookbook with the ingredients for your favorite recipe.
I love to give bibles as gifts. Maybe with a devotional or journal with pencil highlighters.
gooseberry
The Story of Santa…..if shows the joy of giving
Since my husband and I are expecting our first child my mind goes to a book called “God “Gave us You” by Lisa Tawn Bergren. I would include that book, a stuffed Polar Bear, and a few items that were special to that child such as their favorite candy, a coloring book with their favorite character, a small item that they loved when they were a baby such as a blanket so they could know they meant so much to us we kept their baby items, and other things that they enjoyed. After they got the book I would tell them about the items and read the book with them or if they are old enough have them read it to me. Not only is it a fun gift, but it can create a sweet Christmas memory and even a timeless tradition.
I would choose I Love You fro put me in the story. You can put the child’s name in the book and it also talks about loving them even when they are bad. I thin k this is a good book about loving unconditionally.
I think a cookbook, spatula, cookie cutter, and whisk is a cutest idea or a how to knit book with yarn and needles.
The Friendly Beasts by Rebecca St. James for a child along with some animal figurines.
I would get Max Lucado’s book “You Are Special” and then I would find things that would make them feel special. A girl would be easier than a boy because you could get bubble bath stuff, hair decorations, and stuff like the spray on glitter that makes them shiny