When we went to Disney World last week I asked the Post Office to hold our mail while we were gone and it has been so much fun to go through everything since we’ve been back! I receive some pretty fun things to review or try during the year, but when it’s this close to Christmas it feels extra special when I open each box. Since my Friday posts are all about my holiday gift guide I thought I’d sneak in a special “what I’m loving” edition today. (affiliate links included)
This might have been one of my favorite boxes to open after our Disney trip because Madi immediately swooped in and stole two of these for her own little Christmas tree in her room. The entire time we were in Disney World Madi loved looking at the Christmas ornaments, but we were a little worried they wouldn’t survive the flight home. These gorgeous Hallmark ornaments capture perfectly the look and personality of three of her favorite characters, and when she realized they played music/talked? Well. Let’s just say they immediately found places of honor on her Christmas tree and have been shown off to all visitors. The Frozen ornament plays “Do You Want to Build a Snowman” and Dory goes through a variety of cute sayings from “Finding Dory.” Han Solo would be perfect for the Star Wars fan on your Christmas list, and if you have a Disney fan in your home, these would make amazing stocking stuffers!
Want to win all three ornaments shown above? Just leave a comment on this post and tell me about your favorite Christmas ornament and I’ll choose a winner on Monday!
I shared a video of this cute little photo printer on my Facebook page a few weeks ago and have had so much fun with it! If you have someone on your Christmas list who loves the latest and greatest tech gifts, definitely check this one out. As you can see in the photo, this photo printer is the same size as an iPhone (the normal one, not the Plus), prints wirelessly, doesn’t need ink (it’s somehow magically already in the paper), and the photo paper comes with a back you can remove so your photos turn into stickers! The app is really easy to use – I’ll be printing some of Madi’s favorite Disney photos today for her to add to her autograph book.
I’m probably pretty late to the game on this one, but before we left for our trip I ordered two of these lip kits (you get a lip gloss and a lip liner) and I really like them! I don’t usually wear a lot of makeup, but these are easy to use and the colors are great. I grabbed Posie (a gorgeous deep pink) and Koko (a nice neutral) – you can find them on Amazon but I’d actually suggest hitting up Ebay to find a better deal!
My husband is very particular about the coffee mugs he uses. They have to have the right handle, the right balance – it’s quite a process to find a mug he likes. Last April I received one of the Starbucks ” you are here” mugs as a gift from Colorado and it passed the test – so when we were in Disney his only souvenir goal was to find a Magic Kingdom Starbucks mug. We finally hit the Starbucks on Main Street at the right time (aka no line!) and found one – and then grabbed one in D.C. when we got off the plane. I have a feeling we’ll be collecting these for awhile! They’re such a fun reminder of our travels, and super practical. Plus, a great last minute gift if you’re traveling over the holidays because all you need to do is find a Starbucks! (don’t buy them on Amazon, I just have this link because they don’t have them on the Starbucks site and I wanted to show you the mug – they’re really only $11-$16.)
While I do love a coffee mug, I like my gifts when we travel to be a little more sparkly. In Rehoboth this past summer I bought my first Alex and Ani bracelets and then, in California, I bought another one. So, of course, I had to find an Alex and Ani bracelet when we were in Disney and conveniently the store in our resort had a lovely selection. I ended up with this fun Tinkerbell bracelet, but you can see all the other options on the Disney website (and use code CHARMS for 15% off!). I’m going to add the Minnie Mouse bracelet to my Christmas list when I’m done with this post 🙂
Devotionals for Kids
Every night at bedtime we snuggle on Madi’s bed to read a Bible story or devotional. We’ve been doing this for years, so we try to find a new devotional to add to the mix at least once a year. I recently received the Berenstain Bears Bedtime Devotional and the Brave Girls 365 Devotional for review, and we honestly love them both. They bring life to Scripture in a way that our 5-year-old can understand and both books give real life, age appropriate examples of how to incorporate the Bible lesson into the next day’s activities (praying for friends, helping around the house, being kind to a teacher, etc.) When we read a Bible story or Scripture Madi has heard before it makes my heart happy when she stops us and shares what she knows about the story – she’s hearing the Word and it’s sticking!
Val Marie Paper Prayer Journal
My original intention was to include this beautiful prayer journal in my gift guide, but I loved it so much I wanted to make sure it got a little extra love. These would make wonderful stocking stuffers for your girlfriends or Bible study group. Each prayer journal is beautifully designed to help you focus your prayer time. With sections for prayers for our world & nation, community, loves, family, friends, hurts, personal requests, and a section to record answered prayers, scripture, and quotes these un-dated prayer journals are inspirational and helpful. I happen to struggle to focus during quiet time and love a good list, so this prayer journal is the best way for me to get those thoughts out of my head, organized, and at my fingertips to celebrate answered prayers. Plus, the order keeps me from going to God with a list of my own “wants” and helps me to intercede first for others. You can grab these journals and more beautiful Val Marie Paper items here.
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That’s the list for today! Be sure to leave a comment to enter to win that Keepsake Ornament trio, and if you haven’t subscribed to the blog yet be sure to do that so I can send you the complete 2016 Gift Guide in a few weeks!
The Hans Solo ornament is a favorite of my husband and sons but my daughter and I prefer the frozen or dory ornament. Last summer I was luck enough to get a couple dozen Hallmark keepsake ornaments for a dollar each.
My favorite ornament is this cheerleader ornament with a pull string that makes the arms and legs move. I got it back in 1994 when I was in college and it has been a favorite ever since! 🙂
I love that!