Handmade for the Holidays | Gifts for Boys + a Sweet-n-Sassy Shoppe Giveaway

When it comes to Elijah, he is probably the easiest kid in the world to shop for. He has the most creative imagination on the planet and could seriously play with the wind and be entertained for hours. We have slowly started to venture away from plastic and battery operated toys, and want to move toward more natural and handmade items. We also like to keep things simple, yet still inviting. These are all great gift ideas that would be perfect for Elijah, as well as you little guy too!

• Earth Grown Crayons are handmade crayons that are all-natural, eco-friendly, and biodegradable. These crayons are made from natural soy wax and nontoxic mineral and organic pigments, and the best part are these fun shapes that your son is sure to love. These adorable Up North crayons are great for your little outdoors man, but there are so many others to choose from. One of my favorites are these People Skin Color Crayons. A great way for you child to visually see the diversity in our world through their own works of art.

• Lindsay over at Sweet-n-Sassy Shoppe makes the cutest handmade bow ties and neck ties that are sure to make your little dude the handsomest guy in the room. Seriously! Elijah has received so many compliments on his bow tie. Both ties and bow ties come on an adjustable strap that allows you to increase the size as your child grows, and closes with a sturdy metal hook in the back. Superior quality for sure!

• What little boy doesn't love Spider-Man, Iron Man, and all the other super heroes? These Wooden Peg Doll Super Heroes from Discover Art by April are a perfect alternative to those plastic super hero toys. Each peg is hand painted and varnished for years of action figure fun. I love toys like this because they make a great keepsake once your child has outgrown them. 

Right now, April is offering free shipping, but with the coupon code sixcherries, you can also enjoy an additional 15% off your entire order. Thanks, April!

• This Super Hero Toy Tote from Jonah Bonah is perfect for corralling all of your boy's toys. Wouldn't this be a cute bag to keep those wooden peg dolls in? Fill this bag with your child's favorite little toys and he is ready for a sleep over at grandma's house, or to just keep in the car to contain all those toys our guy likes to carry along with him everywhere.

• Shannon over at Kung Foo Kids makes the most unique pieces, and I love this Log Pillow that she has in her shop. Perfect for your nature loving, dirt digging, little guy! I can see all the little boys using this pillow while watching a movie or playing their favorite video games. 

Right now, if you order from Kung Foo Kids, you can get a whopping 20% off when you use the code AWESOME at checkout! How awesome is that?

Giveaway Time!

Lindsay from Sweet-n-Sassy Shoppe has so kindly offered to give one Six Cherries on Top reader $30 shop credit. Don't have a little boy? That's okay! Sweet-n-Sassy shoppe has a variety of items for both boys and girls! 

Enter below for your chance to win!



a Rafflecopter giveaway

All product opinions are exclusively mine and not influenced in any way.  Six Cherries on Top Disclosure/Terms of Use.

                    

Handmade for the Holidays | Gifts for Girls

 

If your girls are anything like my girls, Barbies just don't cut it in our house. Barbie usually ends up headless and nude and in a corner. Pretty much all of those types of toys end up discarded at the bottom of a toy box within a few days in our house... my girls don't even give it weeks. They want, want, want, in the moment, but the joy they get from these types of toys never lasts very long, and I cringe at the thought of my wasted money.

Here is a list of gift ideas that I know my girls would love and that I am sure your little princess would too. I have 3 girls, my oldest being 15 and these are definitely ideas for girls of all ages. Even I wouldn't mind having a few of these myself.

• Katherine over at Stitched Boutique makes a variety of handmade items, including gifts for mom, but these Hootie Hoot dolls are my favorite by far! We love collecting handmade dolls, and these unique handmade stuffed owls are perfect for any little girls collection. Her custom que is currently closed until the new year, but she informed me that she will be posting a few ready to ship Hoots the end of this week and next week. 

 

Katherine currently has a sale in her shop and is offering free shipping with the code FREESHIP. 

 Or, all Six Cherries on Top readers can use the code: SIXCHERRIES for 15% off their purchase. 

• Growing up, I had a fabulous dream catcher that always hung above my bed, and gave a small one to my oldest daughter when she was younger too. These are a great gift because whether you believe their "magic", just having one as reassurance is sometimes all a child needs to sleep better through the night. Winged Whimsy has a great variety of affordable mini dream catchers that are on sale right now and perfect as a Christmas ornament but this larger "Mermaid" dream catcher is my favorite in the shop if you are looking for something bigger. Either one can certainly be enjoyed all year long.

• These Crayon Artist Cases from Our Little Messes are perfect for on the go. My girls LOVE to draw and color and this makes a great gift for in the car, at a restaurant, or to throw in an overnight bag when going to Grandma's house. Even my oldest daughter would love something like this to protect her expensive artist pencils when she needs to carry them along with her.

• Joy over at Little Miss Frilly is a mom of 6 (just like me, and plus she's my sister! ha!) and has been crocheting for years now. She makes the cutest little hats and other accessories for children to adults, including these fabulous wrist warmers. They are great for those who feel restricted with a full glove, especially when all you want to do is turn up the music on your ipod, like all of my girls.

 

Right now, all Little Miss Frilly Facebook fans can enjoy an additional 10% off their entire purchase. 

Just follow her HERE, and then use the code FACEBOOK at checkout in the Little Miss Frilly shop. 

• Lately, neutral colors have been pretty popular, even with younger children, and these Neutral Colored Felt Bow Hair Clips from Ktnunna (Kay-tee-none-ah) would make a great addition to just about any little girl's outfit. Even if the neutral colors aren't your little girl's cup of tea, there is a variety of other colors to choose from as well.

 Khristi's pieces are super affordable but she is so kindly offering 10% off with the code 10off
or $1.00 off any felt order with FELTLOVE when you checkout over at the Ktnunna shop.

All product opinions are exclusively mine and not influenced in any way.  Six Cherries on Top Disclosure/Terms of Use.

                    

Handmade for the Holidays | Gifts for Dad + a BlissBain Soap Company Giveaway

 

I don't know about you, but for me, gifts for Dad are always simple. Almost so simple that we often try to make it difficult for ourselves when trying to buy for the men in our lives. We must always remember that men pretty much stick to the same things. They aren't all wishy washy like us women whose likes change as much as our panties. These are gifts that can definitely be customized to a man's liking.

• This toiletries bag from Felix Street Studio is ideal for a business man who travels often or even a man who likes to take his family on vacation. Felix Street Studio specializes in finely handmade personalized toiletry bags made of leather. Select the leather of your choice, have it engraved with your guy's initials and he has a stylish piece to take with him on the go. 

• What man doesn't love to cook out on his grill? These hand-blended dry rubs, spice rubs, and seasonings from Caboose Spice Company are the ideal gift of any man passionate about barbequing. Throw a few of these in a basket along with a new set of grilling tools and you have an awesome all-in-one gift. Right now, you can get Free Shipping on orders over $35 by using the coupon code FREESHIP13 at checkout. You can also get FREE gift wrapping also! How awesome in that?

• Haute Mess Threads has some of the best men's aprons I have ever found out there. I love this Star Wars apron that fits his personality to a tee. Not into Star Wars? There are a variety of other fun aprons for men that will surely make your man stand out at your next cookout. 

• This Beer Carrier and Cap Catcher Set from Nest Well is something I have been wanting to get my Dad for awhile now. Such a great novelty item for any man's outdoor kitchen or man cave. Your man not into beer? Then it is still a great gift for those old fashioned soda bottles. Fill it up with some of your man's favorite sodas and it's another awesome all-in-one gift. I have several men in my life that would love this set. 

• BlissBain just opened up their men's line of body soaps (including soap on a rope) and shaving soaps that are wonderful! The shaving soap has an amazing scent and leaves your man's skin soft and smooth.

How about a giveaway?

Marsha over at BlissBain is so kindly offering to give one Six Cherries on Top reader a men's old fashioned shaving gift set. The set comes with one Hardwood Musk shaving soap scent, one old fashioned shaving brush, one shaving mug, and one peppermint lip balm. An awesome gift for Dad!


Be sure to enter below for your chance to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

All product opinions are exclusively mine and not influenced in any way.  Six Cherries on Top Disclosure/Terms of Use.


                    

Handmade for the Holidays | Gifts for Mom

When thinking of ideas for Moms, I tried to think of items I would love to have myself. Items just for me, and not for the rest of the family, or for cooking and cleaning.

• I personally feel a sense of accomplishment when I am well organized in my daily life. Therefor, having a planner to keep up with appointments and everything else that needs to be done is definitely a great gift for Mom. We all have no less than a million things to do, it seems like. I love this family planner from Plum Paper Designs because I can use one planner for multiple aspects of my life. It has 7 customizable sections for your most important events and to-do's. Right now, if you spend $90 at Plum Paper Designs, you get $15 off for Cyber Monday. Just use the code: CYBER15. Get one for Mom, yourself, and a friend. 

• When I am not enjoying a hot cup of coffee, I am drinking a tall glass of iced water or tea, and enjoying it in a Hustle Mama Handmade tumbler would be divine! These are great for on the go or around the house as well. You can choose your fabric design and matching straw and sip away. 

• I am a collector of pouches and I love these beautiful pouches from Paisley Sprouts. These pouches are great for makeup, loose change, or corralling all those loose items in your purse. Paisley Sprouts does instasales too so be sure to follow Allison on Instagram to grab one of these as a gift for your Mom.

• BlissBain soaps are my favorite and I know all the Mom's out there will love them too. They are cured for 4-6 weeks making them last a long time and come in a large variety of amazing scents. They are also made with goat's milk and coconut milk and make your skin ultra soft. 

•  I have been wanting a pair of crochet slippers for awhile now and Jay's boutique has some of my favorite designs. Any Mom would love to put a pair of these on her feet through the cold winter months. 

All product opinions are exclusively mine and not influenced in any way.  


                    

Marshmallow Popcorn Balls

I shared this post last year as a guest over at Summer's blog, Crosbie Crew, and thought I would do a repost this year over here in case you missed it. These are simple treats that are sure to be a big hit with anyone, and only take minutes to make. I even provided you with an awesome little set of gift tags to print out and attach that will surely make you look like you spent all day making these bad boys. 

One thing that comes with having a big family, is having lots of friends. My kids like to give their friends gifts during the holidays, but we have to carefully watch how we spend to make sure we don't go over budget. Some of the most inexpensive gifts can be food treats, so we tend to make a lot of them. This super simple recipe for marshmallow popcorn balls, is a take on two of our favorite fall treats... Rice Krispie Treats and popcorn balls. Hope you enjoy!

 
Marshmallow Popcorn Balls

---

You will need:

• 3 tablespoons of butter
• 1 10 oz. bag of marshmallows (or 4 cups of mini marshmallows)
• 1 regular size bag of microwave popcorn; popped, cooled, and unpopped kernels removed
• Sprinkles of your choice

Melt the butter on medium low heat and starting to caramelize. Add the marshmallows and heat on low until completely melted. Remove from heat and add the entire bag of popcorn and stir. Pour into a bowl and let cool. Once the mixture has cooled, divide mixture into equal amounts and mold into balls approximately the size of a baseball. Shake or roll on sprinkles to finish them off.

The actual recipe is very similar to the recipe for Rice Krispie Treats, except you replace the cereal with popcorn, and I like to let my butter caramelize a bit. You can use any style of popcorn, such as homestyle or butter. I prefer the butter just because I love the salty sweet favor combo.

To give these as gifts, you will need large lollipop bags and any type of festive ribbon that can be found at craft stores. You may think that the sticky marshmallow may stick to the bags, but it actually doesn't. Place the marshmallow popcorn balls in the bags and tie off with a ribbon, and that's it. You can even add a fun little gift tag. I have created some below for you to enjoy.

Right click and save to computer. For personal use only!

I would love to hear if you try this marshmallow popcorn ball recipe or how you use these gift tags. Be sure to stop back by and let me know!

 

                    

gift guide: go-to gifts for the lady who has everything (guest post)

Thanks so much to Joni for having me today! I'm excited to share about a few go-to gifts for the ladies in your life - mom, wife, sister, girlfriend ... specifically those ladies who seem to have everything. Come on ... we all have at least one of those on our shopping list this year, right? You can usually find me on my lifestyle and parenting blog, That Mama Gretchen. Most days I'm writing about my sweet kiddos - Jemma & Max - and the adventures we have! I hope you'll stop by! Maybe when you need a quick break from Christmas baking or gift wrapping.

For this little virtual shopping tour I've broken my ideas into two categories - what you can buy and what you can make. First up ... what you can buy.

 Ohmygoodness - how sweet it this ring?
 You can order any word up to 15 letters. Pick a child's name or word of inspiration and you're sure to make someone very happy!

 Shake it like a Polaroid picture ... come on, shake it! 

This awesome little camera would make any photo or Instagram lover thrilled.

 Dutch oven heaven over here! And don't you just love this apple green?

Gift a few of your favorites recipes along with it and you're set!

 I have one of these gorgeous cowls and love it, absolutely LOVE it!

It comes in a plethora of colors and is the coziest accessory for winter.

You may battle me on this one, but I'm pretty convinced that the NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight is the best e-reader. It's lightweight and it doesn't have internet (and therefore you won't get distracted from your reading). Etsy has a ton of lovely case options too!

Last, but not least, well for this category anyway, I highly recommend perusing Groupon and Living Social for experience type gifts. For someone who has a lot, they often don't need more stuff. Am I right? Or, am I right? Making memories can be a super fun gift. Recently I've seen great adventures like a bread making class, pepper spray self-defense class, pedicures, and city tours by segway. Browse around and see if you find something that fits your special someone.

Now, a handful of ideas for your crafty folks out there. I've personally tried each of these DIYs/recipes, so you can rest assured that they won't be too hard. I mean, I managed to complete them with two babies squabbling for my attention :)

• Sour Cream Banana Bread - This bread is divine!
• Instagram Coasters - A sweet, personal touch to any living room, wouldn't you agree?
• Crochet Cowl Pattern - I consider myself a super beginner and I was able to YouTube the few stitches I didn't know and whip this cowl up in a few hours.
• What a Difference a Day Makes Print - Order one or attempt to make your own on PicMonkey
• Soap Dispenser - Mason jars are all the rage! To got the extra mile with this project fill it up with my favorite soap - Ginger Pomelo from Caldrea.
• Custom Dinnerware - Just think of all the thing you could write ... a Bible verse, song lyrics, or a special memory.

For more homemade ideas, I adore this list of 25 Handmade Gifts Under $5 - talk about cheap chic!


Alright, the ball is in your court now! Get your shop and/or craft on and you'll be set for Christmas before you know it! I'd love to hear your gift and craft ideas too - so please share your favorites in the comments. 

....................

thanks so much to gretchen from that mama gretchen for sharing this wonderful gift guide today. be sure to stop by and say "hi" over at her place as well. 

 joni - sixcherriesontop (at) gmail (dot) com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | instagram

big family, small budget: giving homemade gifts

homemade gifts have come a long way from the things we made as kids to give to our mommy and daddy and other relatives at christmas. although clay ashtrays and finger paintings were acceptable when we were 6, i just don't think they have the same charm coming from anyone older than 12 at the most. there are so many forms of homemade gifts that can be given these days that are super simple and just as lovely as something you would buy at a store.

however, you shouldn't just make someone something because you think you are going to save money. you should still carefully consider the person you are giving your gift to. don't make someone a gift they aren't going to be able to actually use. a scarf would be pretty useless for someone who lives in a warm climate. 

here are some links to some great homemade gift ideas that someone you love may enjoy...

homemade christmas gifts at disney family fun
101 simple handmade gift tutorials at everything etsy
50 diy days of christmas at the paper mama 
gifts from your kitchen at talk crafty to me

what are some of the homemade gifts you are giving this year?

joni - sixcherriesontop (at) gmail (dot) com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | instagram: mamacherry