Skip to main content

Gifts for a range of ages

Two of my cousins have boys, only boys, ages ranging from 5 months up to 9 years.  When Christmas comes around, it can be expensive getting (or even making) gifts for all of them.  What I prefer is to think up something that works well for a wide range of ages and make just two, one for each family of boys.

Last year I made two of these canopies.  I printed up little fliers of what the gift was so they wouldn't have to actually open it amidst all the holiday hoopla and then transferred the packages directly from car trunk to car trunk, a foresight that was much appreciated by the mothers. With the exception of the newest babies, all the boys will be able to use the canopies for imaginative play -- indoors or out!  (And as we all know, babies grow quickly, so they'll be able to join the fun in practically no time at all!)

Yes, it's only February, but I'm already thinking of Christmas 2010.  I think it would be fun to make some I Spy books for the boys, and even for my nephew since he'll be nearly four by then.  I had Miss M help me gather up "red things."  Oh my, she had so much fun doing it that we'll definitely be repeating the "task" if only to keep her occupied for a time!


 I pulled out a piece of red fabric from my stash and took pictures of the red stuff she collected.  I think I may re-shoot on a different background though.  It seems a bit hard on the eyes.  Or maybe I just need better light.  It was a very dim wintry day even though I laid everything out by the front windows!  Well, winter won't stick around forever and eventually we'll have nice sunshine again.  By then maybe I'll find some nice cheap photo albums to assemble my pictures into.  (I'll be sure to share when I do!)

Labels

Labels:

Comments

  1. mallorymurrayFebruary 22, 2010 at 4:32 PM

    Those canopies are soooo cool! Is it wrong that I want one as an adult?? :) What a great gift idea!

    And p.s. - holy cow. 37 first cousins?!!?

    ReplyDelete
  2. ChristephiFebruary 23, 2010 at 4:42 AM

    Hubby loved the canopies too. He was jealous for our kids and made me promise to make one for them too...someday.

    My mom's 7 siblings + my dad's 3 brothers = lots and lots of cousins!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

No More Quiet Time

I  have always thought it sounded trite to speak of “falling in love with Jesus.” But trite or not, isn’t that what I want for my children? To learn to “love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:5). With that in mind, and having run across this blog post on Pinterest several months ago, I created a morning devotion basket for the kids and I to use. You see, up till now, I would typically find time to read the Bible and pray away from my children. Away from distraction, away from the demands of dust and dirty dishes, and away from the 437 questions a four-year-old asks every day. Then I realized I was doing them a major disservice by disallowing them to see me in the Word regularly. If I want them to love the Lord God, then I must show them how I love the Lord my God! Our new routine is to wake up in the morning, prepare a simple breakfast — usually cold cereal for the kids, toast and tea for me — and sit d...
Post a Comment
Read more

She Made It!: the Get to Work Apron

This weekend Miss M decided she wanted to sew something.  I was elbow deep in a sewing project of my own, so I told her that if she wanted to sew, she would have to do it all by herself.  I set up my old sewing machine on a little table for her and answered her questions, but otherwise she did all the work herself! First, she picked a project from Sewing School . (affiliate link)   She choose the Get to Work Apron.  It's a cute tool apron that helps you carry your tools or supplies with you while you work.  Then she picked some fabric from my stash.  She cut out the paper pattern and traced it onto her fabric with a piece of chalk.  (We had to have a little talk about placing your pattern near the edge of the fabric and not smack-dab in the middle!) Then she cut out her pieces and pinned them together, right sides facing.  At that point I gave her a piece of plain white printer paper to practice sewing straight lines on. ...
4 comments
Read more

Homeschool Sanity Saver: Meal Planning for a MONTH

Last year while on my blogging hiatus, I did something crazy. I planned meals out an entire month or more in advance!   And it was heavenly. I give a lot of myself during a typical school day. My energies are consumed with many, many details. Did this child read today? Did she understand math? How many minutes did that lesson take? Do I need to supplement this topic? How long until they need a break? Did we cover everything? Is that spelled correctly? What is 7x12? How are we doing for time? Did I take my vitamins? Do we need to be anywhere today? And on and on.  By the time our lessons are over, I am frequently suffering from decision fatigue. I just cannot make choices about what we will eat for supper.  I will literally stand in front of the fridge or cupboard staring at ingredients for 15 minutes, then give up and order Jimmy John's. To relive myself of this burden, I have discovered that having a meal plan in place is essential. I have enough physical energy t...
2 comments
Read more