A few years back I wrote this Age by Age Gift Guide, back when our kids were all eight years old and under... I thought it would be an evergreen post, and it is for the most part! But... Older kids can be hard to shop for, especially if you don't want to just buy them the latest, greatest electronics. 

Our kids have intense interests, often pretty quirky ones. It can be tricky to find new and exciting gifts that aren't just extensions of what they already like and own, but I've crowd-sourced and found some really amazing ideas below! You'll be able to view based on different interests, but a lot of these gifts will span a wide range of interests for sure.

Advent 2020: Our Family Traditions and Plans

It's almost here! In the interest of getting my *own* planning done, I'll share our Advent plans this year in case you need a little inspiration.

Please know that if you're new to celebrating Advent, particularly with young children, these are not all must-do traditions! Our family practices have evolved and been added to over the years, with just a little bit being added every year until we've ended up with a rich set of traditions. If you're just starting out, focus on your Advent wreath and maybe a few beautiful books, and pick a feast or two to celebrate with extra gusto!

45/52: November Skirts, Tea Parties, and the Coolest Subscription Box

CrossTimber Name Bookmarks Review

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

We received five Name Bookmarks from CrossTimber, as well as their AmazingName Print Activity Sheets, and rather than have six older kids fight over five bookmarks, I figured the 3-year-old who is always complaining that she never gets any mail would be absolutely tickled by getting her own personalized bookmarks!

Our Most-Loved Books of 2020

2020 has been a year for the books, literally! With more time at home than ever before, we've been reading even more than we already did (and we were already big readers!!).

Back in February I did a large-scale reorganization and purge of all our books, which has *mostly* been keeping things organized, and has helped the kids know exactly where the books they love most are at any time. And it's given me a better idea of what is getting read and what we could stand to get rid of to make room for MORE books.

In the event that you're still looking for ideas to stock your shelves, here's a list of each child's favorite and most-read books!

Skirts, Magazines, Aprons, and Embroidery {7qt}

It's November! I've been doing a November Skirt Challenge on Instagram and Twitter but never shared here... So if you're hoping to join in for the second half, the prompts are below! And here are some of my outfits (the ones I've gotten good pictures of... I've not done a great job taking pictures this time!):

Rooney Cruz Review: Women of the New Testament

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

We can't get enough of Bible stories, but my girls have noticed recently that so many of the stories we read, both from the Old Testament and the New Testament, are focused around men. There are plenty of women in the Bible, but for some reason it seems as though our children's Bible doesn't focus on their stories nearly as much. So when Truth Becomes Her sent The Adventures of Rooney Cruz RINGLEADERS along with the companion coloring book, devotional, and mother-daughter journal, my 7-year-old twins and 9-year-old were incredibly excited!

44/52: Ginkgos!

Homeschool Code Academy Review

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

It's official, I suppose... I have a coding fiend on my hands. I suppose I should have expected this, given the amount of time he spends trying to program his calculator, but I didn't really anticipate what came next, once we actually let him take formal coding classes. Letting him try out Python for Beginners: Learn Coding at Home from Homeschool Code Academy was definitely a good way to channel the coding interest! 

 But then I started finding him sneaking over to his coding tab on the computer when he should have been doing his math or grammar (is there some way to set up a student account on the computer so that they can only have access to one site at a time? I can't figure out how I would manage that...). So really, it's been something he enjoys immensely, but also something he enjoys so much that he can't be trusted to do his normal work! I think that online courses are something we need to use very, very sparingly at this point, but one the days that all the regular school work and chores get done and behavior has been good? This is a great reward!

 

43/52: All Saints' Day 2020

Drive Thru History® Adventures Review

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

We've been reading a lot about early Church history, as well as the history of the Roman Empire, but we haven't learned much about the archaeological discoveries that have shaped historians' views of how people lived in these times. Learning about history through archaeology, particularly how that pertains to Bible history, was an exciting prospect! Drive Thru History® Adventures gave us access to their new Bible Unearthed course, and it was engaging and fun for all the kids, ages 5-11.

Math and Algebra Review

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

MathandAlgebra.com is an online learning website intended to provide a comprehensive math education for four levels, Elementary, Intermediate, Pre-Algebra, and Algebra. Our oldest child is currently working beyond the scope of these courses, so we tried using the program with our next-oldest child.

Shop Small Gift Guide (and Giveaway!) 2020

Oh, 2020. What a year for all of us!! If nothing else, this year has made me appreciate shopping small more than ever before - this will be my fourth year putting this specific gift guide (and giveaway!) together, and my fourth year shopping from my own gift guide. 

 Every year this gift guide gets a little bit bigger, and this year it's pretty huge!! I've got all 50+ shops listed in alphabetical order below - from rosaries to stickers to peg dolls to home goods, you're certain to find something for everyone on your list. Be sure to read through the whole post and enter the giveaway at the bottom!