Category "Christmas"

7 Alternatives to Store Bought Christmas Presents for Children

Princess Diana - December 20, 2014 - Christmas, Kids

Children will naturally beg for the toys, games, electronics, and clothes they see advertised and sold in stores.

But parents and family members wishing to give more creative and unique Christmas presents will enjoy selecting from these alternatives to store-bought gifts.

RECORD YOUR OWN READ ALONG STORYBOOK

Pass on your favorite childhood books and stories to the next generation by recording yourself reading one of them out loud. Give a copy of the book and your recording as a gift. This gift idea can become an annual gift giving tradition.

THE MONEY BOX

The money box makes giving and receiving cash fun. Add a festive touch by decorating the box in Christmas wrapping paper.

33 Awesome & Thoughtful Stocking Stuffers

Princess Diana - December 19, 2014 - $20 or Less, Christmas

Not all stocking stuffers are created equal. Just because something is small enough to fit inside a stocking doesn’t mean it should find itself there Christmas morning.

Don’t bother with trinkets. Instead, fill your loved ones’ Christmas stockings with some of these thoughtful treasures!

By using our Amazon affiliate links to shop, you will be supporting SunburstGifts.org, making it possible for us to provide you with more thoughtful, heartful gift ideas in the future!

favorite chocolates, candy or snacks (include their childhood favorites!)
digital tire pressure gauge with the correct pressure written on it (the one my husband gave me has the tire pressure written on a small piece of tape)
gas gift card
car wash/detailing service gift card
favorite restaurant gift card
personalized stationery
candle of their favorite scent
framed photo of the gift recipient as a child at Christmas time
thank you cards
Forever Stamps Continue Reading

Automatic Snack & Treat Dispenser

Queen Darlene - December 18, 2014 - Birthday, Business, Christmas, Father's Day, Food & Drinks, Gifts for Him, Host, Housewarming

httpvh://youtu.be/ovOZhEJTW0s

I love magic! Who doesn’t? With a wave of the hand – out pops a snack!

When I saw the SnackMan Motion-Activated Dispenser that makes healthy munching easy-peasy, I knew it would be the right gift for my husband’s sister and her spouse for Christmas.

They always try to eat healthy and this fun gadget creates a smart way to have portion control. The SnackMan Motion-Activated Dispenser features three settings: Small Handful, Large Handful or Bowlful. Once set, the same perfect portion is dispensed every time.

It looks like magic because with a simple wave of the hand, out pours your tasty snack treat. Continue Reading

A Letter to Your Child | Christmas Tradition

Princess Diana - December 17, 2014 - Birthday, Christmas

I started a new Christmas tradition in my family by writing a letter to my child.

Life moves at lightning speed, and each year I want to take the time to stop, reflect and remember all of my child’s happy moments full of fun, love and laughter by writing about them in a letter.

write-letter-to-child-christmas-tradition

This Christmas gift idea will be cherished far more than any wrapped present under the tree.

I must admit, the whole process intimidated me at first.

How am I supposed to cram a whole year’s worth of stuff into a single letter? I don’t have time to write pages and pages! What should I focus on if I can’t write about everything?

I stopped freaking out when I thought – KISS. Keep It Super Simple.

Focus on the cake and worry about the frosting and sprinkles later. If all I end up with is cake, it will still be awesome and better than nothing. (That just popped into my head. I’ve never thought of comparing a letter to a cake before… It must be because I haven’t eaten dinner yet… even though it’s almost 8:30 p.m.!)

So I came up with the basic ingredients for a letter to a child:

Individual and Family Memberships | Experience Gifts

Princess Diana - December 16, 2014 - Birthday, Christmas, Experiences, Family, Father's Day, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, Wedding

I have thoughtful last-minute gift ideas for you that will create year-round fun for the lucky gift recipient or their entire family!

What is it? Individual and family memberships or annual and season passes.

You can easily purchase these items online and they are easy peasy to wrap. Best of all, experience gifts make the most memorable type of gift! That’s my “experience” any way.

Envision this… children will have you to thank for their trips to the water park, families will have you to thank for their zoo outings, and couples will have you to thank for their season tickets to a performing arts theater.

If your gift is loved, it can become your annual Christmas gift tradition!

For a “thoughtful twist,” pair the membership or pass with a small related gift item, such as a stuffed lion with a zoo membership or a pair of ski goggles with a season pass to a ski resort.

Here are some ideas for types of membership and passes that make wonderful Christmas gifts.

INDIVIDUAL & FAMILY MEMBERSHIPS

Deck the Walls with Christmas Cards

Queen Darlene - December 11, 2014 - Christmas

Everyone sing with me!

Christmas-card-tree-thoughtful-sunburst-gift-idea

click to enlarge

Deck the walls with Christmas cards,

Fa la la la la, la la la la.

‘Tis the season to branch out,

Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Place the cards in the shape of a Christmas tree

Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Use painter’s tape or removable adhesive squares

Fa la la la la, la la la la.

I didn’t say it would rhyme. You probably had to sing it a couple of times to get all the words in but I think you got the message!

I love displaying our Christmas cards from friends and family to enjoy during the holiday season. This year, I used my cards as decorations to make a Christmas tree on my wall.

Drive a Lamborghini | Experience Gift

Queen Darlene - December 4, 2014 - Birthday, Business, Christmas, Experiences, Gifts for Him

Dennis, our boss, always enjoys experience gifts so for a Christmas present, his staff gave him a gift certificate to drive a Lamborghini. Varoom! Varoom!

drive-a-lamborghini-christmas-gift-thoughtful-gift-idea

Dennis drove three laps in a Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder worth $214,000

We got the idea from Gotham Dream Cars which had a Groupon to drive premier exotic cars such as a Ferrari or a Lamborghini. They were going to be in Oklahoma City during the early part of December. This would work perfectly as it would not interfere with his holiday travel plans.

For that “thoughtful twist” we gave him a gift box to open which contained a remote control race car replica of a Lamborghini. It was charged up, ready to go, and as soon as he took it out of the box and set it on the floor, he quickly learned to “drive” it.

We told him he did such a marvelous job driving the toy race car that we thought he would like to drive a real Lamborghini.

Record Your Own Read-Along Story Book for Children

Princess Diana - December 2, 2014 - Baby Shower, Birthday, Christmas, Kids

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asUW89v7eRo&feature=youtu.be

One of my favorite books as a child was The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams. After reading it, I hugged my favorite stuffed animal even harder so that it too would become Real.

The Velveteen Rabbit book and a stuffed bunny

Pick your favorite childhood story, record yourself reading it, and give the book and the recording as a gift to a child. Pair it with a matching toy or stuffed animal if you can.

When threads on it started to come loose, I grew excited because I knew I was getting it even closer to the day the nursery magic Fairy would turn it into Real.

The Velveteen Rabbit is a timeless story about the power of love and the bond that forms between a child and his favorite toy. Now that I’m an adult, I’ve realized that it’s also a story about loving someone for who they are and not how they look and about being real to yourself and to others.

I bought a copy of The Velveteen Rabbit for each my sister’s three daughters, J’menii, Jeah and Jozlyn, so I could share this amazing story with them. On the inside page of each of their books, I wrote:

Always be real to yourself and to others because God made you one-of-a-kind. Continue Reading

Super Bungee Chair | Unique Gift for Kids

Queen Darlene - November 28, 2014 - Birthday, Christmas, Kids

Looking for that unusual gift that would be perceived as cool, fun and something no one else would have? I found it. A Super Bungee Chair by Bunjo!

My nephew is 10 years old-not a baby-not a preteen-but definitely growing up. I wanted to give him something totally different and something he would enjoy year round.

I remember how my brothers loved their bean bag chairs as kids. Their unconventional chairs looked cool, and they used them to watch TV. So when I saw the bungee chair, I knew my nephew would feel the same way.

The Super Bungee Chair is designed like a soft, flexible hammock just right for gaming, watching TV, reading or just hanging out. It also has side pockets for gaming devices, TV remotes or snacks. It looks like no other chair!

Fun Themes for Christmas Gift Exchanges

Queen Darlene - November 20, 2014 - Christmas, Family

Have you ever thought of having a theme for your family’s Christmas gift exchange? It takes some of the guessing out of what to get Aunt Bev, Uncle Bob and Cousin Larry.

My friend, Elise, and her family plan a fun theme idea every year for their Dirty Santa gift exchange. They have a very large family – with many aunts, uncles, first, second and third cousins along with grandparents and grandchildren. One year they had an All Things University of Oklahoma theme for Christmas. It was a hit because they are huge OU fans. Elise says it’s one of the few things they all agree on! Continue Reading