Mother's Day Gift Ideas, an open letter to my spouse

Dear Spouse, I don't know if you're reading my blog these days, but if you are, perhaps you may benefit from a list of Mother's Day gifts that wouldn't make a mama force a fake smile.  We know you see through those fake smiles, but we still feel obligated to feign them.

1. Jewelry is always a winner, but make it something special. Freshwater pearls are always a refined gift, or something handmade and one of a kind off Etsy or Artfire. Personally, I love pink pearls more than I should, and have you seen the glory going on in bionicunicorn's shop?

2. Water Guns.  Not even joking.  You know, so I can water the plants the kids bring home from school at 20 paces... Okay, really I just want some Rub 'n Buff in nice metallic finishes to make a steampunk blaster out of one, but I would use it to water plants at a distance, and possibly to wake the tween up when she gives me trouble in the morning.

3. Tickets to a show, wrapped up in a sweet little clutch.  Like this one from Brooke Van Gory

4. A flashlight.  Flashlights are cool. Might I suggest the 10th Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver flash light from Think Geek?  It's a safety and security thing, but mostly a geek thing. Of course, you'd be wise to say it's because I'm the light of your life.

5. A Gift Card to Barnes & Noble so I can buy some choice ebooks for my Nook. (Anyone else might want to look before leaping and get the right gift card for said Mother's ereader.  If she doesn't have an ereader yet, maybe that's what you should be looking at.)

6. I want a massage. You can give me one or hire someone who knows what they're doing. I recommend a full day at a spa if you're feeling generous. Maybe get a pedicure before releasing all the tension from my shoulder. Just think you can watch NASCAR while I'm gone, so if you can get mom to watch the kids for me too, it'll be a total win-win.

7. For you to step outside your comfort zone and take me out for Indian food.  Yes, Indian. Garlic naan and goodnes.  No, they don't serve hamburgers, yes, you will live.

8. Those shelves I've been pestering you about. Shelves = organization. If you don't want to build them, there are some lovely cabinets out there which would make me happy, but I would still like those shelves.

9. Handmade soap.  It makes me happy and feels wonderful. Personally, I'm lobbying for some Zombie Punch. 

10. And if none of these seem to float your boat, and you're still looking to float mine, maybe you could indulge my spiffy socks habit and add some rainbow stripes to my collection.  Seriously. Rainbow Stripe socks. Can't go wrong. That, or Wonder Woman Underoos.

Alright, I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, "why do you need a gift from your spouse on Mother's Day?" Well, quite simply, it's because I'm the mother of your children.  It's kind of a big deal. Don't worry, I promise not to buy you an ugly tie for Father's Day. No ties at all, unless they're cool.  Deal? Good.

Love,

Slee

P.S. Chocolate is always a good addition to any gift.

Stalking his Stocking: 42 Ideas for Him

1. Socks.  Come on, stockings in the stocking, it's a pun that makes itself. I hear Gold Toe are still made in the USA, as are those from the Fox River Mills, which makes the iconic Red Heel socks. As a Sock Monkey maker, I'm partial to those.
2. Chocolate. Men love it too.  He probably has a favorite, you probably know what it is.
3. Batteries. Not just any batteries, but the ones he's always looking for, like AAA for the remote.
4. Solar Powered cell phone charger. Not even joking. They're small and useful.
5. Memory card/ flash drive. Bonus points if it's a rad modified one like you find on Etsy or Artfire.
6. A pocket monkey or other ridiculous tiny toy he can squeeze or toss at will.
7. Paperback book of his favorite genre. Mystery? Adventure? Suspense? Science Fiction? Go for it.
8. A new belt.
9. A tie like no one else at his work has. I love this one.
10. Rad, yet masculine soap.  My spouse rocks the Stonehenge from Burnt Mill.
11. One of the t-shirts dejour from a site like TeeFury, RiptApparel, Shirt.Woot, ShirtPunch, or the Yetee.  Just you know, don't opt for the slow boat shipping. Watching them all for about a week tends to lead to finding something that will scream his name.
12. Sunglasses
13. Sonic Screwdriver Flashlight (or boring pocket flashlight if he's not that cool)
14. Gloves
15. Wallet preloaded with gift cards to his favorite coffee and or breakfast joint.
16.  Those gift cards to his favorite coffee and or breakfast joint.
17. A new scarf. Bonus points if you knit it yourself. Double bonus if it's a Doctor Who scarf and you fit the whole thing in his stocking, you know, if he likes that sort of thing.
18. Gift cards to your local theater wrapped in that day's movie times. Just add a babysitter (if necessary) and you've got something fun to do this afternoon together.
19. Cufflinks
20. A rad new ear ring, if he rolls that way.
21.  GC to his favorite ink shop to make it a holiday to remember til both of your eyesight is shot.  Just remember, a great tattoo is priceless, and a bad one is hard to cover, so be sure it's really his favorite place.
22. A new watch. Preferably an unusual one.
23. Measuring Tape.
24. Universal Network Cable. Seriously, how cool is this?
25. Small notebooks to jot things down in, you know, with penmanship.
26. Pens, nice ones. or Pencils even.
27. Dare I say duct tape?
28. Two words: Titanium Spork
29. Caffeinated breath mints. I'm not even joking. They exist.
30. They also make bacon mints, but I don't think I'd personally go this direction.
31. Freeze dried "astronaut" ice cream.
32. Membership to nearby museum he actually digs. For spouse, that's the Sciencey one.  For my dad it'd be the Natural History one.
33. One of those remote controls that do ALL. I personally like the wand one, but it just does SOME.
34. A nice well balanced pizza cutter, you know, for when he cooks dinner.
35. Dare I say a new game controller?
36.  iTunes gift card
37. Electronics cleaning putty.
38. Cable organizers for all his new electronics, maybe like the cable monkey, because they're cute.
39. A small book on surviving the zombie apocalypse.
40. Ammunition, for the zombie apocalypse.
41. Polyhedrals.  (If you don't know what this is, it's probably not for your guy)
42. Giant Plush Microbes. Come on, what says love like Malaria?

Okay, I guess I went off on a geeky tangent on some of these, but I hope you forgive me.  A few of these might need to be compressed to fit, especially if he has a tiny stocking, but why have a tiny stocking? If he does, then I highly recommend a new one. ;-)

When in doubt, buy handmade, and have the happiest of holidays.

Holiday Shopping.

I don't want to go to the store to do my holiday shopping.
This isn't to say that I want to do it online, per se.
I'm lucky, because four blocks down the street today there is a huge craft fair.
I like hand made gifts.
Repeat: I like hand made gifts.
I like to handmake gifts out of upcycled materials best, then simply to give gifts I handmade, then handmade by local artisans, then handmade by artisans, then factory made and purchased locally, then USA factory made purchased locally, USA factory made and purchased online... can you spot the trend?

Here's who I'm giving gifts to this year.

My mom, my dad, my tween, my toddler, my nieces and nephews, my spouse, my mother-in-law, my aunt, my brother, a couple close friends, and then whomever receives my gift exchange present.

I think this covers just about everyone. Right? Kids, grown ups, men, women, aged and youthful.  So here are some hand made ideas for this year that might help you do some less "Made in China" and more "handmade with love" shopping.

Kidlets-
Sock Monkeys/Dolls. All children recieving gifts from me who do not already own one, will be getting a SOCK MONKEY. Actually, a Sock Punky. Why? Because I make them, I sell them on Etsy, and you're right now noticing the bizarre lack of a link.  That's because this is about suggestions and not trying to sell you something.  It doesn't have to be a Sock Monkey to be a great idea though. Handmade bears, dolls, zombies, moties, owls, octopuses, bats, three eyed monsters, they're all fantastic gifts which will be well loved.

Blankies.  This year I'm handmaking blankets for at least four of my nieces and nephews. There are lots of great handmade blanket retailers out there, and some of them will be more than happy to make one that fits the wee one in your life's personal style.  My kidlet has a great space blankie from one of them, what would yours like?

Tutus.  Another two of my nieces are getting hand made tutus this year.  They're super easy to make, and it's super easy to find quality handmade tutus online and at craft shows.

Unisex grab gifts-
This year, I'm going handcrafted artisan soaps.  Look for cold process and goat milk soaps for super rich and delightful lather without the nasty carcinogenic ingredients in a  lot of the stuff we're using to wash ourselves off.

I also love wool dryer balls.  They make great kidlet gifts too.

What about a hand-bound journal?


For the women in your life-

Handmade aprons make me smile.  There's a great deal of diversity in style and print available when you look at handcrafted, so they're delightfully unique and treasure-worthy.

Jewelry.  I'm looking at procuring some sweet steampunk necklaces this year, each hand crafted and a work of art in itself.

And for the men-

Though women love 'em too, carefully knit hats, gloves, and scarves are extra nice for the winter months.

I like t-shirts with rad designs silk screened by the designer.

Making a gift for grandpa? Maybe  the kids can help you design the perfect business card case, and maybe you can make yourself one while you're at it.

So go, be creative.  Make something or buy something someone personally made.  It'll feel good and be a gift appreciated.

Christmas on a Shoestring Budget

There's such a thing as miracles. I know this. But right now it's looking like our budget is next to nil for the holidays.

So I have concocted a plan. Specifically, for Mongosine, as she's the one who is most likely to feel hurt if Christmas is nearly barren for the second year.

1. Pull video card from old computer. Put in less old computer. Clear all my files off of it. Uninstall Norton and install avast. Personalize it with things like a password and a background and screen saver that will tickle her pink. Dust well. Add bow.

2. Finish Quilt she designed. (needs backed, quilted, and bound)

3. Make funky floor cushion for her.

4. Convert old pair of her too-small but awesomely-embroidered jeans into a fashion forward purse.

5. Make her a little vampire soft body doll.

This is a lot of work. But I also want to make stockings. Snapdragon doesn't own one yet, and mine is falling apart. But if I make for me and Snapdragon only, Mongoosine is liable to feel left out. And if I neglect he daddy, well, that's just rude. But this project is *last* because step 1 is going to be the most meaningful to her.

UnEvil Guide to Holiday Gifting

Education, eco-friendly, made in the USA, WAHM made, forward thinking, or just downright UnEvil. I hope these gift ideas inspire you to feel good about your holiday gifting. Please check back often, as I like to add things as inspiration strikes. Thank you, and happy holidays!

Kids of All Ages:

Hugg-a-Planet!

They're extra-tasty-crispy not-evil educational and environmentally conscious. And lets be honest, a huggable gobe for your kids? How cool is that?

Labyrinth Balance Board

Made in the USA, encourages movement, and not all plastic-i-fied.

I Cherish Planet Earth

Made in the USA, encourages eco-activism, made of recycled content and vegetable inks.

Reusable Sandwich and Snack Bags!

There are so many makers, though I've liked looking at these for a while now. They personalize your kids' lunches, while reducing the waste impact of their daily life, and they offer a great conversation piece for your budding environmental activist.

Handmade dolls

I am a huge fan of WAHM-made goods, and found these diverse dollmakers on etsy, like ProjectGrabBag and HollyHobbyShop

Handmade Stuffed Animals

Did I mention, WAHM-made means supporting moms and families? I love these and these from etsy. This shop even has a robot plush doll.

Ethical Chocolate

Candy for kids, that no kids were involved in the making of. Sweet.

You can go to ChocolateWork.com for sources of Slave-Free chocolate. You'll feel better about it.

Baby:

Felt Food!

WHAM made. Because babies love food, we just don't want them all eating it.

Baby Blocks

There are some awesome Baby Block sets on etsy. Like the Rockin' Blocks Skull n Bones alphabet blocks by beebles.

Grown Ups:

Make a donation to a charity which is meaningful to them. I personally am a huge fan of Heifer International.

Magazine subscriptions. Preferably UnEvil ones. You know, the type that focus on ways to live in better harmony with the planet or something educational.

Reusable Bags

I personally am in love with HautTotes for their stylin' individuality and flair, but for something simpler, there's Cathy's Totes.

Conversational Games

They're great because they bring people together, and that's UnEvil.

Here are some party games that are made in the USA.

Nursing Dyads:

Baby Wearing apparatus.

It's nice to be able to nurse on the go, and Mei Tais and Wraps make that really easy, while promoting bonding, and bonding is UnEvil. Dittany Baby makes Mei Tais and Pouch Slings which are made in the USA, and that's even more UnEvil.

Nursing covers.

Sometimes a little cover can be a good thing. There're types that drape over the pair. Types that go between the pair, and even clips to convert a blanket on the fly.

Disclosure: I have not been compensated to specifically include any product in this list as of the original posting. Should I receive any products to include in this list, I will denote said products by marking them ^ and will disclose appropriately following this statement.

Why so quiet?

If you're wondering why I've been a little quiet lately, wonder no longer.
We've been gearing up for a babywearing event in December, which means lots of babywearing, and less time blogging.
Looking for a guide to an UnEvil Guide to Holiday Gifting? That's coming soon too.
Shameless self-promotion: I'm still looking for sponsors for both my babywearing event and my UnEvil Guide to Holiday Gifting. If you'd like to sponsor, email me!
I'm planning some great babywearing reviews, at least one giveaway, babywearing artwork, and a tutorial or two.
For my UnEvil Guide to Holiday Gifting, I'll be waxing enthusiastic about some eco-friendly, developmentally relevant, creative, non-toxic,WHAM made, US made, free trade and/or ethical options for gift giving.
So be sure to pop back by every so often. I'll be going UnEvil shortly before Thanksgiving, if all goes as planned!