Here you can find the best DIY ideas and projects for your little ones.
Have a look and start a craft project right now. Arts and crafts. Birthday treats. Easy tutorials for various seasons. Advent calendars, Easter egg colouring and and and… enjoy! Arts & crafts for kids and their parents.
Hello new week. With sunshine and a beautiful crisp morning! I am ready continue my gift guides and today it is all about stocking fillers for the whole family!
Which is quite a multi-functional guide actually. And somehow the word ‘stocking filler’ implements small gifts, advent calendar gifts, a little treat for somebody special, or indeed when shopping around for stocking fillers.
I grew up in Germany and Christmas Stockings were not a thing. But we would celebrate Nikolaus on the 6th of December. A tradition where children clean their shoes on the night of the 5th and put them in front of the door. The next morning we would find a small gift or some chocolates inside the shoes. Therefore, if you are a Nikolaus person, this guide is good for you.
At the end of the post you can find a list of all Gift Guides that will be published for this year and I will update the links once they go live.
Ho Ho Ho and some lovely festive weeks until Christmas from me to you!
Please find now my Gift Guide for Stocking Fillers for the whole family:
1. Socks can be a boring present. But not these and their brothers and sisters. Cool socks* are a thing!
2. Wooden toy camera*. Adorable and simply beautiful.
3. Beautiful hand made and hand painted wooden figurines* for endless play!
4. So fun! Apple teething ring*. Hand made, ecological and biodegradable. And it can be can be used for teething, as a bath toy or a decorative object.
5. A must-have for environmental conscious friends. These reusable straws* can be used with hot or cold drinks. The set contains 6 straws and a straw cleaning brush.
6. 100% pure Rosehip Seed Oil* that is both cold-pressed and organic.
7. Great little box of shapes* that is easy to bring along when out and about or on a holiday.
8. Cute mouse in a baby moses basket. Too adorable.
9. Cute cross stitch kit* with everything to get started right away.
10. These fun animal wash clothes* will make bath time endlessly fun. So cute!
11. The healthy Kinder Surprise in a Christmas Format! The PLAYin CHOC ToyChoc Box contains 2 x 10g individually wrapped, deliciously creamy, organic dairy free chocolates and a delightful Christmas card toy to assemble
12. These crayons* are double-sided. On one-side you can find block colours and on the other a multi-coloured pattern. Giving your little ones twice as many options!
Happy gifting and stay tuned for more gift ideas over the following days…
Good Morning!
We are starting the week with a blue sky and it is just what I need. Because one child is home with a very sore throat and I feel a little under the weather too. So bring on the sunshine and we will be back on our feet in no time.
And we are also starting this week with Christmas things. Or better: The very first gift guide of the season.
Normally I am not that early but this one has a very good reason. It is all about personalised items and to make sure that these arrive on time, I am sharing some ideas early.
Personalised gifts are so ON at the moment. And it is very clear why – everyone loves a nice gift, and by adding a personal message, a memory, or make it their own with a name or special date, it just adds so much value and love to it.
I put a lot of time to find some lovely personalised Christmas gifts for you and I hope you enjoy my selection. And there is something for the whole family:
Personalised Zodiac Keepsake Christmas Bauble
A beautiful hand-painted ceramic bauble*, personalised with the name of your choice on one side and their zodiac constellation on the other. A lovely family Christmas heirloom gift! Also perfect for a baby’s first Christmas bauble!
Extra: There is a cool black dots bauble* with gold lettering as well. Have a look!
Personalised Santa Sack
Make your Christmas Eve tradition personal with a custom Christmas bag* ready to be filled with treats for your little one (or Christmas morning as a stocking alternative!)
The bag is the perfect fit for a few little gifts for the kids and can be used year after year. Loving the minimal design and simple aesthetic.
Personalised toddler purse
A handmade small leather bag* for the mini fashionista in your life. This leather bag is the perfect gift for the special little girl in your life. And you can add her name for an extra personal touch.
Teething toys with your child’s name
The perfect baby gift – these cute teething toys* are made from BPA free silicone beads, natural unfinished wood, and lots of love. And they will definitely be the keepsake of baby’s first year!
Stamp your own cookie kit
This cookie decorating kit* allows you to stamp any message into a biscuit, cookie or icing, and can be used over and over again. It is perfect for all sorts of occasions, from birthdays to Mother’s day, Christmas, Easter, baby showers to weddings. And therefore either the perfect gift for bakers and/or people who love to bake. Or to prepare personal and edible gifts!
Personalised Christmas Box
This bespoke and sophisticated Christmas Eve Box*, is made from natural pine wood and fully customisable!
Individually designed, this box will create a lasting Christmas Eve tradition year after year.
Your personalisation will be engraved onto the top of the box. On top, you can also add a personal message that will be engraved to the bottom of the box or inside of the lid.
This really pushes a sustainable Christmas too!
Colourful name keyring
Absolutely lovely engraved and hand-painted name keychains*. Perfect stocking filler or teacher gift. You can select the tassel colour as well.
Personalised Christmas bauble
These custom snow globe tree baubles* are so perfect to gift to the people you love. Hand-crafted to fit your custom wording! And you will get a glass ornament with a sisal tree, white snow confetti, hanging twine, and a bow. Gift boxes are available if you would like to send this directly to the lucky receiver.
Custom Cross Stitch Family Portrait
These beautiful hand stitched pieces* make wonderful gifts for Christmas as well as basically any other occasion.
You can capture your family in these beautiful hand stitched hoops, even add the pets. And then you either gift it to your beloved husband or wife or your parents / grandparents. Instead of a framed photo!
Garden Seed Box
These floral garden seed boxes* are the perfect gift for any passionate gardener!
These are hand-crafted, and each box displays a name of your choice within a seasonal floral design. Each seed box contains four wooden dividers ‘Veg’, ‘Herbs’, ‘Flowers’ and one left blank for you to personalise yourself at home.
Personalised Leather tidy tray
Cool tidy tray* made from vegetable tanned leather. And this is such a versatile product – the perfect accessory for the contents of your pockets, everyday jewellery, office accessories or keys.
You can personalise it with initials, a name or a date and make it unique to you.
Wooden letter with felt balls
This Alphabet letter* will make a stunning addition to the nursery, playroom or any room in the house! You can choose the letter and the felt ball colours. And then you can either hand it on the wall or put it on a shelf.
I hope you got inspired by these personalised christmas gifts! Ho Ho Ho!
And pssst, it is not too late to get this year’s Advent Calendars in the house before December 1!
You know that I have a very soft spot for books and reading in general. And so do all my children. My eldest is the biggest bookworm and probably transferred some vibes to her brother who also enjoys reading. Leonor, now 7, was so eager to start reading that she literally raced through the stages and is reading chapter books already.
For myself – I love to read and actually do not take my phone with me when I go to bed but read. And in some cases, this keeps me awake longer than a phone because once I love a book it is really hard to put it down.
Long story short – there are a lot of books in our house, for big and small, and I never left any behind throughout our moves. I just cannot! Book stores have a magnet and we all enjoy spending some time in there (great rainy day afternoon activity…). Josephine is four and cannot read yet, but she sure adores books and loves to browse the covers.
And I will never say no to buying a book. mainly because I share the addiction but also because I believe it is a fantastic hobby that I want to entertain. Obviously, it is also much better than staring at a screen or playing online games.
So when publishers or writers contact me it is the same – I just cannot say no. And when Emily from Parrot Street contacted me about her children’s book subscription I was happy to try it out with the kids. And to share it with you, of course, too.
Let’s have a look at the mission of this fun children’s book subscription called Parrot Street:
The goal of our book subscription is to introduce you and your child to books, authors and genres you may never have discovered. There are so many books out there, beyond the classics and the bestsellers, that we think your children will love reading. And we are careful to choose titles that aren’t pitched at any specific gender.
Every book is hand-picked by Emily and her partner Sarah. And they create a bespoke activity pack to accompany it. Which I think is a genius idea. Children love to ‘make things’ and receiving a book in the mail is great but much more fun if there is something else with it.
The subscription is aimed at children between 5 and 11 years. When you sign up you can choose between the Parakeet or Cockatoo reading groups. Parakeets are younger readers (aged approximately 5-8) and Cockatoos are more confident readers (aged approximately 8-11).
We received one each including the fun activity packs:
The parcels fit through your letterbox and have your child’s name on it, kids love to receive mail. It is like a monthly little treat!
‘Inspire their love of reading with a monthly book subscription designed to help your child unlock the many benefits of reading. Children who read for pleasure do better at school. It helps to develop imagination, creativity, empathy, and confidence. Our subscriptions encourage the reading habit by making it fun.’
Everyone in each age bracket is sent the same book. Like a real book club! Emily and Sarah research new titles and speak to publishers to find great books that are not on every bestseller list. The priority is to select a wide range of books that are not aimed at girls or boys specifically. And that is well written, with great characters, and lots of themes to get us thinking. A brilliantly bookish gift for both keen and reluctant readers.
What are those activity packs you want to know?
Each activity pack comes with games, puzzles, instructions for craft projects and more, and is inspired by that month’s book.
Bonus: A small bonus gift accompanies one of the activities in the pack too!
Do you have a little bookworm at home that loves everything books? Or you want your child to discover the amazing world of books. I think this club is great for everyone. You could start with a 3 months subscription to try it out. They even give you the possibility to add another activity pack for siblings to enjoy the monthly mail together. And if you have children in different age groups you can easily add them to your account.
To sum up: I think it is a great idea. And I do love the fact of receiving a personal package with a great book every month plus an activity pack. It does engage reluctant readers more easily!
By the way, books make great gifts and you can gift a subscription or buy a gift voucher.
PS: Parrot Street donates to a charity for every pack sold!
All images by Paul & Paula
We received packs for the children in return for this post. No compensation. All words and opinion are my own!
Ho Ho Ho! Christmas is getting closer and to make sure that your countdown game is on point when December 1 arrives I found some really good Advent Calendars for you.
It is a big thing in Germany and a tradition that I grew up with. And that I love. Even as an adult I would not say no to an Advent Calendar, because it is just part of the festive season and so much fun. Naturally we continued the calendar fun once we started a family and it is a ‘regular’ during every month of December.
And personally I like the calendar to be personal. Of course you can buy one from supermarket but a tradition is more beautiful if you can re-use the same advent calendar again and again. And fill it with some little gifts and treats yourself! This is also a great way for a more sustainable and responsible Christmas time.
Another option are DIY calendars that you can build together during a family craft session for example.
Either way, I am already wishing you a beautiful Advent time and lots of cute treats on the countdown to Santa.
And I hope that the Advent Calendars I put together for you will make it a bit more fun:
Minimalist paper house advent calendar
Very sweet DIY advent calendar to shorten your wait for Santa. It consists of 24 houses in four different sizes. Once put together you will enjoy a Swedish village that is delightfully understated and makes every minimalist heart skip a beat.
All you need are scissors, a bit of glue and some treats and little gifts to fill the houses.
Pssst, there is a forest version as well!
Santa shaped Christmas advent boxes
Cute Santa advent calendar. Simply pop up the boxes and fill them with sweets and other little treats. Overall, each pack includes 24 boxes and 1 sticker sheet to assemble your own advent calendar.
Handmade Personalised Fabric Advent Calendar
This fun and colourful personalised advent calendar is perfect for counting down to the big day. Featuring a gorgeous Christmas design with metallic gold accents, it has 24 pockets ready for you to fill with treats.
Bonus: Your child’s name will be hand stitched onto the calendar. The perfect way to start a tradition.
Advent Calendar with small Christmas ornaments
This Christmas Ornament Advent Calendar can be used year after year. Simply hang the cotton twine under your mantle, down the stairwell or anywhere you wish to spread some Christmas cheer. Place one ornament in each cotton bag, and then tie the bags. Each day, open a new bag and hang the enclosed ornament on your Christmas tree. For a child you may want to add a little chocolate or candy in the bag as well. I love the idea of decorating the tree a little every day. It adds to the sparkle.
The set includes: 25 Hand-Stamped numbered cotton draw string bags, 25 wooden ornaments, 25 lengths of Bakers Twine, and 10ft Natural Cotton Twine to hang.
Cookie advent calendar
Yes! This is an edible calendar. And it can be personalised and it exists as a gluten free option too. Beautiful, different, and sweet!
This Christmas kit includes a set to make your very own advent calendar village, and your choice of a canvas hanging.
You will receive a pack of 25 templates to make your own Christmas inspired town, a page of 25 Christmas activities to put inside your houses, and detailed instructions. And you can personalise the hanging if you wish!
Felt advent calendar
This calendar panel is made from 100 percent cream coloured felt with 25 hand stitched pockets to fill. It is adorned with a personalisable scrabble letter name and Scrabble numbers from 1-25. And if you are looking for little gifts to put inside, the shop has some lovely hair accessories as well.
Printable Advent Calendar
This is a digital download and perfect for a last minute decision. (make sure to have high quality paper like thick white card stock on hand though!)
All in all, this cute Advent Calendar contains 7 different illustrated house shaped boxes. And is adorned with beautiful winter elements and patterns for your Christmas village.
Personalised and pre-filled advent calendar
No wrapping and no searching for little gifts and treats. Make the run up to Christmas stress free with this personalised and filled advent calendar chosen especially for the recipient. Altogether: 25 gifts in total, each beautifully gift wrapped and numbered.
Tip: This is perfect if you would like to send it as a gift to someone special!
Christmas Advent Calendar Bunting
This Christmas Advent bunting has been made from some gorgeous Scandinavian fabric. It is the perfect ingredient to set a festive scene and is a wonderful heirloom Christmas decoration that you can keep. And filled with your own choice of treats. This bunting comes in 2 sets of 3 meter buntings and each has 12 double sided rectangles on. Additionally, you have the option to tie them together or hang them under one another.
Advent Calendar Bags
These cute linen advent calendar bags can be filled with candy, small toys or lovely notes. You can choose from various linen colours like white, blue, or rose. Next you can choose between stars and Christmas trees prints and between silver and gold colours.
Furthermore, you can also request more bags, different sizes or even get the colours mixed.
Ornament Advent Calendar
Unique ornament advent calendar! Comes with 24 laser cut birch ornaments, each hidden behind a red paper door. Simply lift the paper door each day until Christmas to reveal the ornament underneath. Pop and wiggle the ornament out from the surrounding wood, and hang on the tree.
Christmas Tree shaped calendar
This felt advent calendar in form of a Christmas tree has pockets for your treats until Christmas Day!
Ho Ho Ho! I hope you enjoyed my selection. More Christmas related posts includes gift guides will follow over the next weeks.
In collaboration with Etsy. All links are affiliate links.
My children are so excited about Halloween this year that I may actually be a fan by October 31st too.
When we moved to London last we were still in our temporary apartment and did not have our boxes delivered yet. But we could sense that our (very family friendly) area is very into Halloween.
Therefore we promised that we will do the whole shebang this year. Decorating (no crazy stuff but still…), costumes, trick or treating, and maybe a party too. And talking to some parents who already live here for a while, Halloween is indeed a pretty big deal in our neighbourhood.
Yay!
That is why I put together a few cool things that will make any Halloween Party a whole lot better. Including Halloween costumes that you can actually wear afterwards too:
1. Organic cat t-shirt*, not only for Halloween!
2. Cute little wooden ghosts*. Hand made to decorate around the house…
3. Halloween Surprise Treat Balls* – an alternative spooky treat!
4. Coolest Halloween costume* with a real magic wand.
