A Few Of My Favorites Things, Part 2 (Christmas, 2020)
Recently, I featured gift-giving for the younger crowd (click HERE to read!), but this week we’re gonna cover the rest of your Christmas shopping list. We’ll use similar themes but, DAHHHHLING, don’t you worry about repeats. (I know you’re busy, too, some I’m keeping this short and sweet!)
FULL DISCLOSURE: I don’t give gifts I wouldn’t love to receive, so if you’re wondering what YOU want under the tree from St. Nick, this post is a double ring-a-ding-ding!
Technology
Are there arguments in your family about which charger belongs to whom? Do you have a “charger squirrel” who keeps taking yours and claims the broken one isn’t hers? (The people and stories in this post do not represent anyone I know, of course!) I’ve got a great stocking stuffer for your entire family and it’s one of my favorite finds this year! Hobby Lobby’s Cable Critters: Blind Cord Protectors come in so many different cute animals and not only identify but also protect chargers from damage and fraying. We have the unicorn, bunny, and panda, but you can check out their cute selection. (Grab some extras–they’re only $4.99.)
OLEBR’s 3-in-1 Charging Stand for smartphone, smartwatch and AirPods is a gift that keeps giving. If you had one of these for your family members, no one would be arguing about who stole which child’s charger now, would you? Haha, what a brilliant idea in this day of too many amazing, electricity-dependent technologies. ($25.92 as of writing this post, and there’s a 5% coupon, too.)
The newest Apple Watch Series 6 is out and hot on the market but when I did the research, every tech list for 2020 said the AppleWatch 5 series was their #1 pick for smartwatches. I just upgraded from the Series 3, so who am I to argue? I love the always-on feature. Walmart had some of the best prices but Amazon has plenty of options, too. The Series 5 watch face comes in 40 and 44 mm sizes but still fits your existing watch bands, thankfully. I just invested in a few cute ones from Altar’d State ($15-25) and was concerned they wouldn’t fit. Thanks for thinking ahead for me Apple! Crisis averted!
Home
Maybe this is a weird stocking stuffer, but I’m in love with a stain remover I found at our local grocery store called Dr. Spot Stain Remover. For over a year, this little trooper of a laundry bar soap has gotten out blood, chocolate, grass, coffee (this is a real problem for me!), curry, grease, spaghetti sauce and so many others I cannot recommend it enough. All you do is wet the stain and then start rubbing it until it disappears. I have no idea how or why it works, just that it’s saved so many shirts, jackets, and jeans (Yeesh! Apparently, I am a very messy person!) that I’m forever indebted to Dr. Spot Laundry Soap Stainer Remover. ($6.99 plus tax and shipping)
Food and beverage gift boxes or “Of the Month” subscriptions are some of my favorite gifts for the person who has everything or who doesn’t need anything because it gets consumed! My favorite aunt often sends Harry & David’s gift box towers (they know I ADORE their pears and chocolate-covered cherries) or, for the person who loves to cook, Stonewall Kitchen is just amazing. There are tons of different price points with each company that will work for most budgets.
Let’s be honest. I love to cook and have times when I am like a whirling culinary dervish, a cross of Rachel-Ray-meets-Barefoot-Contessa in the kitchen. Then there are other times when I am so uninspired I need help just to feed myself, let alone others. (Must be creative ebbs and flows, anxiety, or the stress of quarantine!) One of my favorite splurges this year is my NYT Food app subscription. From simple recipes with easy new twists to exotic and more complicated suggestions, I can find French, Moroccan, Indian, Thai, Caribbean, and everything in between, all inspired in a newsletter of options by one of my favorite food journalists, Sam Sifton and his team. The app is actually FREE but limited (you can’t save favorite recipes, some recipes you don’t get access) and I had less guilt just paying for the subscription after using it for three months gratis. ($1.25/week or $40/year)
Faith
Of course we had to dive into one of my favorite things in the world. JESUS and FAITH.
Christmas = Jesus
(Photo by Olenka Sergienko on Pexels.com)
Do you find delight in the little things? The Candace Cameron Bure S.A.L.T. Jar 05 – Pray was one of this year’s small surprises that packed a big punch I found back in July. S.A.L.T. stands for “Simple Acts Little Things” and Candace made sure these SALT jars are brimming with meaningful prayers and scripture. (And, yes, we’re talking D.J. Tanner from Full House!) This jar is specifically created to give you fresh ideas on how to pray for loved ones. Every tiny card comes with a scripture or prayer. With 52 cards, you can choose to read one a week or use them daily. I’ve been guilty of leaving them on a favorite person’s keyboard, guitar, shelf, car seat, or tucked into a bag with a thoughtful gift. ($14.99 plus tax and shipping)
Spiritual warfare is real and we are living in a very dark world right now. (Merry Christmas, Y’all.) While we know as Christians we stand in a place of victory in our testimony and the blood of Jesus Christ, we cannot deny satan’s influence in our world. Two books were landmark literature when they were published and stand true holding a wealth of biblical knowledge and powerful prayer. There have been few resources I’ve used more in this harrowing year than Mark Bubeck’s The Adversary: The Christian Versus Demon Activity by Moody Publishers (formerly printed as Warfare Praying). “Having sold more than 350,000 copies worldwide, this bestseller will help the reader triumph in the battle against demonic activity by relying on the almighty and powerful Son of God.” (Christianbook.com) Bondage Breaker: Overcoming *Negative Thoughts *Irrational Feelings *Habitual Sins by Dr. Neil T. Anderson and Harvest House Publishers should also be required reading for every Christian.
Commentaries are the lifeblood of biblically-sound sermons series, books, Bible studies, and speaking. I have used the platinum library at Logos.com for two years and it has saved me more time researching than anything else and includes books I would not have access to read. Instead of dusting bookshelves or trolling from website to website to find what you need, Logos is all housed online or on your computer. You can compare translations, discover original meanings in Hebrew and Greek, look at maps, read about ancient traditions and lifestyle, and see what experts in their field have written about different texts. Small group leaders and serious Bible study students will be blessed by this gift. There are different levels of packages available starting around $260.
Fashion
I’ll just flash some images for you to consider here. Click on the links to get more ideas. Of course, these are all from Altar’d State, but you might find other options anywhere you shop this year.
In case you missed, it, I posted Part 1 of A Few Of My Favorites Things for Millenials/GenZ and LOVED some of the items we sourced. Maybe you’ll want them for others on your list, too. I’m also including a list of recent posts just for you below, because, well, sometimes the holidays are hard.
xoxo,
The Church Girl Writes
