It can be tricky trying to decide on the perfect present and gift for smaller children. But, it doesn’t have to be! Here’s a list of my kids favourite tried and true gifts.
Legos
Everyone knows legos are classic fun, creative staple toys. It’s one of the few toys that always makes the cut. It truly fosters my kid’s creativity in a way many toys (beyond magformers and learning resources cubes) have. The classic sets are your best bet for a first kit or even as an addition to your collection. They have the most bricks, especially the bigger cubes, and allow the most freedom to create whatever your kid wants.
Magformers
This is one of my kids’ favorite toys. They are basically cool shaped magnets but are super high quality. There are other knockoff versions, but i can’t speak to them as I wasn’t willing to find out whether they were good quality. Magnets are hazardous if ingested to both kids and pets, so it wasn’t worth the risk.
Tablet
This one will depend on your budget, preferences, and reasons for use. I like the iPad for obvious reasons. The UI is practically flawless. Everything syncs seamlessly, and it’s almost virus-proof. LOL. On the other hand, I like tablets for their affordable price points, UI freedom. I’m an android girl at heart.
Edible playdough
Instead of buying Play-Doh 4 kids five and under, it’s safer to make your own playdough if they have curious Minds. Obviously, your kids shouldn’t eat this as a snack; however, they won’t get sick if they eat some. This is a fun option because you can add all types of colors and flavors, and textures you wanted.
Water table
If you have a backyard or garden- a water table is a nice edition to foster free play.
Tent
My kids love tents, and I think all kiddos do because it helps create a safe space to play, wonder, or even think/cry. The kind of tent you buy and how you set it up gets to be unique to your littles. You can purchase a pop-up tent to give your kids a space to pretend. You can get extra fancy and create a more comfortable reading nook or an area to process emotions and feelings privately. Think: “a feelings corner kind of thing.”
Barbie dolls
I struggled to write this one down. I have this thing, this love-hate relationship with barbie. Considering that barbie now offers their fashionista collections, I’m a tiny bit more comfortable sharing this one. Barbie dolls give kids, yes boys too, the ability to play pretend in their own way. And now, barbie offers a bigger INCLUSIVE collection, which is extremely important.
Train track
I placed this one in the five and under section; however, train tracks are suitable for kids of any age.
Stuffed plush animals
But those of you that just rolled your eyes, I know it’s parents. We have more than enough stuffed animals; however, if your kid likes playing pretend like most stuffed animals are the easiest way to allow them to do this. A bonus is that they are mostly lightweight and are easy travel companions.
Paint & supplies
Art and craft supplies and finger paints are an excellent option for smaller children.
Art easel/ whiteboard
An art easel provides a more fun environment to paint, draw, or color. It also doubles as a tool for homeschooling. Same for whiteboards. Easy to use, fun, and multiple uses.
Play laptop
Play tablets are a fun way to introduce technology and feel grown-up like Mummy and Daddy.
Playphone
Like a toy laptop, play-phones gives kids their grown-up feel with lots of new buttons and sounds to explore.
Kids piano
If it wasn’t already obvious, I’m a massive advocate for introducing instruments to children at a young age. I believe that the piano is one of The best first instruments because they are one of the most Indestructible options on the market. No, I don’t suggest allowing your child to use a real Piano unless supervised. Piano’s are on the higher end of the price tag and should be treated with care.
Musical mat
Another option is the musical mat. This is handy because they are quite sturdy, and kids can play with them using their little hands or feet!
If you’re looking for the best gift for the blogger, writer, or entrepreneur in your life, then look no further. Seriously. I’ve been working from home in the online space for almost a decade y’all and everything on this list is the best thing you can buy any blogger, new or veteran. (And I’ve tried and purchased A LOT of products smh) I’ve done the work for you, now all you need to do is pick one (or a few of these investments), attach a card, and voila! All done. *dusts hands* I only share the services, products, etc that make the cut. Things I LITERALLY use ALL THE TIME. This isn’t a post stuffed with nonsense affiliate links to make a quick buck. I abhor wasting money on crappy services and products and you wont find any of that rubbish here.
This subscription will allow the blogger or entrepreneur in your life to have an even better listening experience on the go. i can guarantee you that youtube has nearly ever answer or tutorial your blogger will need, and the lack of ads will be a very much welcomed experience.
Every blogger should have their own website. Having this will allow them to monetize from the start and have the best start possible with a site and domain they own. Instead of building their business on another companies platform.
Canva is an easy to learn program created for non-designers. However, don’t let this throw you off because this program can make anything and everything a blogger could need to monetize and develop products.
This is similar to Canva. It was created for anyone, including non-designers, to create the products they need to fast. i find that Picmonkey can be a smidge more challenging to learn with more capabilities and control over images, etc. is created.
Despite what most bloggers believe, you can blog solely from your phone if you needed to. How can I be so sure? Because I do it! If you have a reasonably new smartphone, there’s so much you can do with it. Even if you don’t or choose not to blog solely from your phone, you’ll be able to get so much on the go!
Honestly, it doesn’t matter whether you choose a physical or digital planner. Only that you plan! And every blogger will need a planner, and a specific planner geared towards blogging is incredibly helpful.
This gift is a fantastic idea because it’ll allow your loved one to purchase blogging tools or snag the subscriptions of their choice! Like canva, adobe spark, or even MS Word.
Local cafe gift card
This gift is unique because it’ll allow the blogger in your life to get the opportunity and workspace to, you know, blog! Focused uninterrupted working can be difficult for many entrepreneurs whether or not they are work at home moms, and now they can have the funds to get free coffee and snacks!
Having a good quality chair is a wise investment because bloggers will spend a significant amount of time sitting down. This isn’t the best for our spine, neck, or body overall, and so a good chair will aid in proper posture.
Every blogger and writer should have a desk or desiccated workspace, but a portable can be useful, especially in small flats and apartments! They can literally move the desk around their home with ease and have a space to work.
This isn’t completely necessary, especially for newer bloggers; however, bloggers or those with a heavy focus on video marketing will want it. It’s great to up the quality of your videos, even if you have a MacBook! Its auto-adjust light features are priceless.
The type of headphone you purchase will depend on your loved one’s needs. I have every kind of headphone because, well, I need them, LOL. The most common option is wireless headphones. These are my favorite because nothing is standing in your way when you’re out and about. I can cook and easily listen to a podcast at the same time.
This is a must for new and veteran entrepreneurs because we all experience low on battery at some point. Also, this is something everyone should have in the arsenal! my two favorites are these:
One is strong enough to charge your phone and other mobile devices. While the other is powerful enough for a laptop! The worst feeling is running on a 2 percent battery with no outlet or cord around!
So, this is a personal fave, and most people either love or hate this method! HAHA, Juvenile or not, post it can transform the way an entrepreneur plans. Seriously. And because they are one-time use, they will need an endless supply. Do your blogger a favor and buy a ton worth!
I can’t mention post-its without mentioning Trello. I am a planning freak, I mean guru, LOL and Trello is pretty much the digital version of post-its. So if you’re keen to save our planet or prefer digital resources and like post-its, this is your answer.
If you arent already familiar with Appsumo, you should be. This is a well-known, reputable company that every blogger needs in their arsenal. They offer a ton of access to many tools and services for LTD (lifetime deals)! And have a generous 60 day (unheard of) return policy with fantastic customer service. I know because I tested them. Vetted and verified, check!
Alright, similar to a quality chair, your blogger needs a laptop riser. The best option for THEM. It doesn’t need to be expensive but effective. Using a laptop riser ensures that their computers will remain at eye level, which is essential for bloggers spending an obscene amount of time behind a screen. This ensures their posture is straight, and neck strain doesn’t occur.
Another important one is blue light blocking glasses. This protects their eyes and is so so important. Read this article, my blogging friend shared about her experience. Now, her experience may not be common, but it isn’t something you want to dismiss! If they wear glasses, I love using Zenni.com to purchase affordable options with blue light blocking features! The prices and styles are excellent. If you don’t care about fashion or don’t wear glasses, consider these you can have delivered to your home in a day, right from amazon.
This subscription is great because it allows an affordable and easy beginner to create and edit video content. They also have an app that I love, which makes filming and editing on the go easy.
Krisp is another one of my TOP favorite subscriptions! They appeared on Appsumo first, and I am totally bummed, I missed on the offer. This service allows bloggers to record and listen to content without background noise! Imagine the blogger in your life attempts to record a video for their website, podcast, or course…and the dog won’t stop barking, the cat continues purring, and the kids decide to play karaoke for the millionth time?! Well, with this service, you can continue to record without the fear that these sounds will make an appearance on your videos!
Loom subscription
Loom, similar to screencast but much easy to use for non-techy bloggers and not as robust, makes it easy to quickly screen-record content and share. I use both loom and screencast because I love the simplicity of loom when I’m in a rush. But need the editing tool options in Screencast-o-matic for complicated videos.
Let’s stop and take a break here for a moment. If your blogger isn’t already using Grammarly, sign them up RIGHT NOW. Grammarly offers a free version, and it’s a wise service to use. Even the most experienced writers make mistakes, and this helps to proofread a ton. The premium subscription version is great because it has many features bloggers can use that aren’t available otherwise.
Omm writer
Omm writer has a soft spot in my heart. This program is incredibly cheap and offers wonders to those writers that want the total ambiance experience. This program eliminates all distractions, has proven effective calming backgrounds and music to support your writing sessions.
This simple item is more for conscious than anything else, really. Everyone should have one, just in case to support and provide an extra sense of privacy.
VPN service
Another tool to protect your privacy is a VPN. Using a VPN will not only protect your online activity but allow you to view websites and use services from areas you otherwise would be unable to do.
Music brain.fm subscription
Going back to “ambiance,” this service is scientifically proven to enhance your productivity. It’s an extremely effective way to get “in the zone” fast!
Books for bloggers
As a self-proclaimed neek, I love a good book. Check out this post to read some of my favorite books for bloggers.
Sendowl is a service that will allow your blogger to sell and deliver digital products and services! So they can start making money! The only negative here is that this service doesn’t allow one to purchase annual subscriptions, so you’d need to gift one month only or provide the funds for the whole year.
ESP= email service provider. Every blogger needs to focus on building an email list. It’s one of the best ways to remain in control of your income as you own your list. You can contact them anytime, and it’s one of the easiest ways to make money fast. An annual subscription to a service like Mailchimp, Mailerlite, or Convertkit is best.
Socialbee is an excellent scheduling service that can manage all of your blogger’s social media posts and strategies. Full disclosure, I snagged this one on app sumo with a lifetime deal, and it’s so worth it!
Toggl
Every blogger needs to KNOW where they spend their and how long it takes to complete a task. It’s so easy to think. We only spend 1 hour on social media or a half-hour editing our web design, when in reality, it’s around 3 or 4 hours. This service is a great way to monitor your tasks so you can plan better.
Dropbox
Online storage can be a lifesaver to many of us, and frankly, we should also use some sort of “cloud” service. Dropbox is an excellent option for bloggers as it allows them to save and access their work from any device! And depending on the plan you gift, they may have the ability to “share” links, which is great when sharing products with their readers or collaborating with others.
I probably should have listed this way up top, considering that nearly every blogger will need a theme for their website design if they aren’t designing it themselves. This gives them a pretty look without tech headaches.
Plugins
If your blogger is using WordPress, they will use plugins for sure! at some point or another, they’ll need some. Read this post to gauge an idea of the best plugins to use.
Web security subscription
Unfortunately, hackers are an inevitable part of blogging, and all bloggers will bear this fight at some point or another.
Blogging courses
I’ve taken more blogging courses than I care to admit. Wayyyy too many to list here. So, I’ll list a few of those most impactful ones below for every blogger at any stage. If you want to read reviews of all the courses I’ve taken and blogging ebooks, click here.
Theres a ton of chatter going around about whether or not tailwind is still useful or worth it. Personally, I say yes. If you are genuinely strapped for time or are forgetful like ahem, myself, this tool makes scheduling Pinterest pins and Instagram posts a breeze.
If you aren’t aware, a tens unit is a small device that uses a mild electrical current to provide pain relief. they come in all price ranges, and you can purchase them from practically anywhere. Now, you absolutely should, not must consult your doctor is using one. Some people cannot use these due to certain conditions etc. However, I use one (because it’s safe, i can, and got the okay from my doctor first) because it helps immensely with neck and back pain.
This is one of my best recommendations because it’s so easy to lose track or put your health on the back burners. Bloggers spend a considerable amount of time behind a computer screen, which doesn’t allow for much blood circulation. A step tracker is a fun, encouraging way to keep track of your steps to ensure you meet that 10,000 a day goal!
I created this gift guide with new homeschool moms in mind. I’ve been homeschooling for nearly ten years now and I’ve learned a thing or two on what keeps the engine running without blowing up. These items listed are the things I use on nearly a daily basis and have multiple uses so you get as much of your money’s worth as possible!
Whether your friend is a new or veteran homeschooler, it really helps to have something to plan your days and write it all down with intention. There’s no right or wrong way to do this; however, I always encourage a physical paper planner over digital any day. Science supports the notion that our brains prefer paper over a digital screen. Physically writing your to-do list down will enhance your memory, create better focus, and more.
I’m all about minimalism and frugality; however, its space and finances allow, having a dedicated desk for work is excellent for focused and training the mind to prepare for work.
And with whiteboard comes a need for-you guessed it, markers! I recommend grabbing a sizeable multi-colored pack. It’s helpful when you need to explain different concepts or have a visual learner where the different colors will better grasp the material.
However, this is not a must; it is definitely nice to have much cheaper than laminating in a store. Laminating your homeschool materials will help it last longer and allow you to treat the materials as a whiteboard since you’ll draw and erase on the papers.
This one is for the parent, obviously. LOL. Depending on what subjects teaching, you may find that you’re sitting in a chair for hours on end. It’s helpful to have something to make that makes that more comfortable.
I recommend having a separate laptop for school work. This isn’t necessary, so if your finances don’t allow this, don’t feel like this is another nothing. However, especially if you have sensitive items on your laptop and intermingle the two together. Having a dedicated laptop for your child helps them learn how to use them and allows you to control what happens on that laptop.
If you have a younger child, this probably won’t be an issue. However, if your kid is older, you may want to start thinking about this even if you completely trust your child. You’ll want to keep an eye on what they’re doing on the laptop, and an easy way to do this is to install apps that can watch and restrict activity and websites.
If you don’t already have a smartphone, then I highly recommended it. You can do a ton from your smartphone as it’s pretty much a small computer in your hands. You could find material prep directly from your phone and even teach on the go if you needed to.
If you didn’t already know, you’ll be printing on a ton of papers for school, especially if you favor the traditional way. Printing adds up, and it’s best to buy your own printer. I recommend any HP printer because of their cheap ink service that will allow you to get less expensive ink than any other printer will. I made a mistake and purchased a canon printer, and although it’s great, the printing cost adds up because the ink cost so much money.
Now that most of us work and school from home, I highly recommend getting this membership. Most of us are unaware of the laws in our States or countries regarding homeschooling. And sadly, many schools shy away from homeschooling and discourage it because they do spending every time a student doesn’t enroll. Some states and countries make it a living hell while it illegal in others. Having this membership is nearly the closest equivalent you can get to have a service and lawyer in your pocket fighting for you and your rights.
If you aren’t crafty or tired of pinning craft pins on Pinterest that you’ll never complete, consider investing in a membership like green craft kids. I’ve used this membership for many months because we love the simplicity of the service. Each month your kids will receive a prepared box of crafts with instructions, and all the materials don’t need to complete the said craft. And if you’re like us, receiving packages in the mail is always a tonne of fun.
Investing in YouTube premium will provide your family with so many benefits. Besides watching videos with no ads, which was great for children, you get YouTube music too. You’ll have the ability to download videos to accompany any subjects of your teaching. Kids will especially appreciate this as it won’t feel like schoolwork, but like watching a movie.
Any and isn’t necessary at all, and I personally do not use one. However, many of my homeschooling friends use them and find that their caves have a lot of fun with them. Having fun is one of the essential components for enjoying homecoming.
Annnnddd, they can use it for painting or coloring. You can also use it as a teaching prop. Another fun way to assess whether your kids are retaining the information is to have them play the teacher and explain our parrot the material back to you.
Can you stay close to a friend who lives miles away? Maybe you grew up together, but jobs and marriages have taken you to different countries. Maybe you met online, and you’ve never lived in the same time zone.
If you don’t want your friendship to fade away, you’ll need to work at nurturing your connection. It’s challenging but rewarding.
Holding onto old friends gives you the stability of having someone in your life who knew you at different stages of development.
Any relationship may have more potential when you choose it deliberately rather than hanging out together because it’s convenient.
Discover the secret to maintaining a long-distance friendship. Use these suggestions to make the separation work for you.
The Secret to Staying in Touch with Friends and Family When You’re Stuck at Home or Far Away:
Embrace change
It’s natural to grieve when a close friend moves away. Remember that relationships shift over time, and the transformation may be positive. You could wind up valuing each other even more.
Be intentional
You will need to work harder at staying in touch and making specific plans. A precious friendship is worth the investment of time and thought.
Act natural
At the same time, you can overdo it. Enjoy ordinary conversation and pleasures instead of feeling compelled to come up with big news and adventures.
Type less
Texting is convenient but choose a more personal touch when possible. Try video calls and handwritten notes. Plan to get together in person whenever you can manage to be in the same area.
Build support
As much as you love your remote pals, you need contacts in your own time zone too. Keep making friends close to home.
Here are Specific Strategies You Can Use to Stay in Touch That Work:
Share activities
Friendships usually involve doing the same thing in the same place, but they can also handle multiple locations. Play games online or read the same book so you can discuss it when you call.
Take vacations
Coordinate your leave time. Plan exotic getaways or visit each other at home. Enjoy having a free place to stay when you’re out of town.
Use snail mail
Send cards for no occasion or write a letter. Let your friend know that you’re thinking of them.
Think local
Keep your friend up to date on what’s going on where you live. Forward an interesting news story or your review of a new Korean restaurant.
Schedule standing dates
You’re more likely to be consistent if you adopt a regular schedule. Call each other on Wednesday evenings or Sunday mornings.
Take pictures
Make it easy for your friend to envision your life. Take a group photo with your office buddies. Post a picture of you attending a concert or your daughter’s soccer game.
Go into detail
You may need to provide more context when you’re talking with a friend you don’t see often. Fill in the background and explain how you’re feeling.
Share your calendar
The logistics can become complicated when you have lots of mutual friends spread out around the country or across the world. Consider creating a group calendar to help you keep track.
Send gifts
Your friends will love receiving surprise presents from you. Present them with a gift certificate so you can buy them a cup of coffee or help decorate their home. If you’re the DIY type, knit them a scarf or bake them some cookies that you can ship overnight.
Long-distance friendships can thrive. Make a commitment to putting in the necessary effort and seize each opportunity to get together face to face.
