Being the nosy curious Enneagram 5 that I am, I loved this post from Everyday Reading about what she’s actually getting her four girls for Christmas. While gift guides are so helpful, seeing what others actually choose for their own kiddos from the sea of options helps me to narrow down my own list — and is just fun! In that spirit, I thought you might like to see what June and Shep will find under the tree this year. We don’t officially subscribe to the want / need / wear / read philosophy of gift giving (though I do keep it in mind), and some years we give more gifts than others. At my children’s current ages, I’m also not at all concerned about matching amounts spent or number of gifts given. They already both have more than enough, but these are a few things we think will delight them this year! Sorry not sorry this is the actual cutest photo you’ve ever seen — Anagram, you are my hero!!!June (who is almost 4) will be receiving:— A rock polisher. She LOVES collecting “crystals” everywhere she goes (she sounds like a bank vault because of the rocks constantly jangling in her pockets) and I predict she will be obsessed with shining up her finds.— A book about rocks, gems, and minerals that we picked up from our Museum of Life & Science.— A set of 10 My Little Ponies, similar to this. This was a total spur-of-the-moment purchase at Costco (of all places), but I think she will love it. My all-time favorite activity from the ages of approximately 3 to 8 was making “pony houses” for (you guessed it) My Little Ponies, so there is a good deal of nostalgia at play. Shout out to my BFF, pony-house-making

In light of my November goal to decide on all the gifts for all the people, I’ve been making many lists. One is of our helpers, and how we might make them feel seen and loved this Christmas. Here’s what I’ve got planned, and I’d love to hear your thoughts, too! First, I’d encourage you to think outside the box here. There are of course the classic “helpers” – people like mail men, garbage men, and teachers – and they are great to remember at Christmas. But if your nail gal, local post office clerk, oil change person, or favorite checkout gal at Publix really makes your life better or brightens your day whenever you cross paths? I’m sure she’d get a kick out of being noticed and thanked in some way! Use the next few weeks to pay attention to who those people are and then brainstorm how you might delight them. Our list this year – so far: — June and Shep’s teachers will each get one of these SnapBaskets. I’m not entirely sure how I’ll present them, since they’re a little unwieldy, but I’m SO proud of this coup – I bought them months ago when they were on sale for $10 each!! I’ll pair the baskets with individualized, handwritten notes sharing the things we appreciate about them and why what they do matters so much to us! For teachers, I also love giving a pretty notepad or notebook tied with a big ribbon and paired with a pen. If I was doing that this year, I would buy this set of 3 and this set of pens and then break them up into individual gifts, for a total of $10 per gift. I also like the idea of a pretty tumbler! You could pair it with

Yahoo! These colorful gifts are pretty fun. 1. The Perfectly Imperfect Home ($19.80) 2. “Days of Summer” pencil set by One Fine Dae ($8 for set) 3. Letterpress perpetual birthday calendar from Linda & Harriett. I bought one of these for my Mom for her birthday, and I definitely wanted to keep it for myself! ($30) 4. 2012 desktop calendar from Snow & Graham ($18) 5. Favorite throw from West Elm ($19) 6. 15″ tapers from Kate’s Paperie (set of 12 for $8.50) 7. Print from Katie Daisy ($15) 8. Illustrated handmade dish towel from Lisa Rupp ($18) 9. The Guide to Living Colorfully by Kate Spade ($35) 10. Dot glass votive from C Wonder ($4) Let me know your favorite pick below! Out of this group, I think I’m going with the birthday calendar. P.S. Don’t forget to enter the Minted giveaway!