Christmas Gifts for the Entire Family

One of the items on my to-do list this week is to work on Christmas Wish Lists.  This includes not only figuring out my family's wish list, but also deciding what gifts I'm giving others for Christmas.  I know I always appreciate some extra ideas to help with Christmas gifts so I figured I'd share some ideas from my family.

The Rural Outdoors Dad (aka My Farmer)

Muck Boots:  If your husband works outside and has chores to do every day, then he is going to love a pair of Muck Boots!  My Farmer started wearing Muck Boots a couple years ago and will never go back to plain ol' black rubber boots.  Muck Boots are high quality, comfortable and durable.

Leatherman Wave:  This multi-tool knife is a must for My Farmer.  He wears it on his belt every day.  You never know when you might need one of its countless tools from a pair of pliers, to wire cutters, to a ruler, to a bottle opener.  

Two if by Tea:  For the tea lover and or the Rush Limbaugh fan (which describes My Farmer to the tee - hehehe had to do it), this delicious tea, available in a variety of flavors, is perfect as a stocking stuffer or a fun gift.  If you don't have a local business that sells it in your area (which is something the tea promotes - small business owners), you can buy it online.

Bacon is Meat Candy T-Shirt:  My Farmer and I love bacon - eating it, making it and raising it.  He loves the saying that "bacon is meat candy", so when I saw this t-shirt I knew I just had to get it for him.  So if you have a bacon lover or just a fun guy on your list be sure to get him one of these.

Stanley Thermos:  It never seems like we can have enough thermoses at our house.  I don't know what happens to them, but we always can use another.  And nothing beats a Stanley Thermos.  They're nothing fancy but they do a great job keeping My Farmer's coffee warm.  (And I just have to go with Stanley because that is my mother's maiden name.)


The Mom Who Loves To Cook (aka Me)

The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays:  If you haven't gotten the Pioneer Woman's recently published cookbook then you better put it on your list.  She includes recipes for New Years to Christmas and everything in between.  I actually got this after it was released on October 29th and am really enjoying it.  I love how it is organized by holidays and has a variety of recipes for each special day.

Magnetic Measuring Spoons:  Are you always looking for your measuring spoons or don't like having to move the spoons around a ring, well then these magnetic measuring spoons are for you!  Another great bonus, they have two ends - one narrow end to fit in spice jars and one rounder end for liquids.  These measuring spoons are very practical and a must for the cook or baker in your life.

Knife Sharpener:  So you got a knife block when you got married and love using a few of its knives, but when was the last time you sharpened your knives?  Dull knives cause injury more than sharp, so get a knife sharpener to not only cut your food easier, but also safer.

Cute Egg Rings:  Whether it is for eggs or pancakes a cute egg ring makes the perfect stocking stuffer.  And think beyond the basic circle - find a heart, pig, cow, or even an egg ring in the shape of your state.  These will make breakfast fun for all ages.

Prime Cut Apron:  I don't know if I have ever shared this on my blog before but I have an apron collection.  Every apron has been worn at least once but I do have some favorites that get worn regularly.  I wear an apron when hosting, washing dishes and while picking up toys...  When I saw this apron I just knew I needed it in my collection!  (And the dish cloth too)

The On-the-Go Toddler Boy (aka LP)

Tractors, Implements and Trucks:  What toddler boy doesn't like everything with wheels?  Our LP loves everything about farming so we are planning on adding to his carpet farming fleet this Christmas.  This website has a huge catalog of all kinds, models and brands.

A Place to Store The Carpet Farming Fleet:  We got this for LP when he was just 10 month old to start storing his tractors, trucks, farm animals, etc.  It double as a storage box and then zips down to a play farm mat.  And if a farm mat/storage box isn't your toddlers thing, they also make dinosaurs, castles, speedways, etc.

Keep Calm and Farm On T-Shirt:  Did I mention we have a little farm boy on our hands?  Every year for Christmas our kids get one piece of clothing.  I love this t-shirt for the farm boy or farm girl in your life.  It comes in a variety of colors.

Zingo:  "Bingo with a Zing!"  It is great to start getting games for toddlers.  Zingo is Bingo with pictures instead of numbers.  It teaches image and word recognition, matching, verbalization, concentration, memory and motor skills.

A New Book:  Make it a point to give the gift of reading to children.  Check out this list of the 100 Greatest Children's Books.  Buy a book from this collection and borrow the rest from your local library!  An added bonus of reading to toddlers - it helps them with their colors, shapes, numbers and letters, like "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" that made the top 100 list.

The Cute Baby Girl (aka MP)

Peek-a-Boo Barn:  Babies love to play peek-a-boo and these wooden toys are perfect for the growing baby.  Melissa & Doug has a variety of peek-a-boo toys including this barn, a house, panda, turtle, etc.

Farm Girl Love Onesie:  Like I mentioned before, as part of the kid's Christmas gifts from My Farmer and I they get one piece of clothing.  This is a cute and fun onesie for that little farm girl in your life.  I love the color and design.  I'm excited for MP to get this for her wardrobe.

Hand and Foot Rattles:  Our kids also receive one toy from us for Christmas.  These hand and foot rattles are perfect for a baby discovering how their body moves.  There are so many kinds, styles and colors to choose from.  You'll be sure to find the perfect pair for the baby in your life.

Photo Album:  The final gift our kids receive from us is a book.  (We give our kids 3 presents - a book, a toy and a piece of clothing - representing Jesus's 3 gifts he received from the Wise Men.)  We love this photo album.  The colors are eye catching for infants if you don't want to fill it, or you can fill it with pictures of family members.  This will help with facial recognition when they are young and identifying and naming family members when they are older.

Sock Ons:  Baby socks always seem to be either falling off or cutting off their circulation.  That is until Sock Ons.  I discovered these at my local baby and tot shop and am in love!  They keep your baby's socks on, which is a relief for all parents.  No more worrying about loosing a sock when out and about or even at home.

I hope these ideas help you!  What are some items on your wish list?  What gifts are you excited to give this year?

New Year Resolutions

Happy New Year!  I figure today is a great day to get back on track and get organized for the year.  This year I have made New Year Resolutions related to being a better Mom and Wife.

1. Wake-up Early.  I always feel good and better prepared for the day when I wake up early.  So this year I have set a goal of waking-up early each morning so I get a good start to my day.  (This will also give me more time to get things done before LP wakes up!)
2. Go To Bed Earlier.  Now in order for me to wake-up earlier, I need to go to bed earlier.  I have to admit I find myself staying up way too late pretty much doing nothing.  So this year my goal will be to go to bed at a decent time.
3. Do One Complete Load Of Laundry Daily.  I have to admit, sometimes I get behind on laundry.  This doesn't work well when we go through so many clothes between chore clothes and nice clothes.  So I feel if I get one complete load of laundry done each day I should be able to give my family clean clothes to wear.  (Plus, My Farmer and I are expecting in June 2013 so I'll have even more laundry to take care of!)
4. Do A House Walk-Through Every Night.  This house "walk-through" will involved doing the dishes, picking up toys, cleaning-up the bathroom, etc.  I know this will make me feel better before going to bed and in the morning when I wake-up if I do these simple things each night.
5. Not To Say YES Immediately.  I've always had a problem with saying "yes" too fast shall we say.  In this New Year I need to prioritize my time and activities better, especially with MP (Mini-Plagge) arriving this spring.

To be a better Mom for LP

To be a better Wife for My Farmer and
To be a good Mom to MP (you can start to see a bump)

I hope you all have a great New Year and that you can keep your resolutions and goals, just like I'm planning and striving to do!

Rules of a Farmer (How to Have a Happy Farm Wife)

I received a lot of attention and comments from my Rules of a Farm Wife (Spring Edition) blog post last week.  After My Farmer read it, he figured he needed to write one for all the farmers out there.  Just like the rules I wrote, these are meant to be fun and at the same time give helpful hints to have a happy spring or harvest.  These too can be used for both farmers and non-farmers.  So here is My Farmer's "Rules of a Farmer (How to Have a Happy Farm Wife)":

1. Communication.  Be mindful of how you talk to your wife while she is helping you on the farm.  Don't yell at her like she's just another farm hand.  She is the one who feeds you, watches out for you, etc.  Think of her as a partner, more than just help.  Unlike other farm hands, she has no problem leaving the field and going home.
2. Check-in.  It is easy to get distracted with the day and all of sudden you get home and everyone is in bed or ready to go to bed.  Be sure to give your wife a call now and then to just check-in.  Auto-steer is a great technology that makes it easier to make these important phone calls from time to time.
3. Home Sweet Home.  Remember to leave your day at the door.  When you come home at the end of the day engage with those at home.  Keep your wife in tune with what is going on on the farm, but don't leash out all of your frustrations on her.
4. Mum is the Word.  No matter what you do, never, and I mean never, compare your wife to your Mom.  Never say, "well my Mom does it this way" or "I like my Mom's better."  This will never end well.  Period.

The saying still is "Happy Wife.  Happy Life."

I think this just shows that marriage is a partnership.  Just to show how much we are a partnership, I typed this up for my husband as he told me his ideas and thoughts over the last several days...

Rules of a Farm Wife (Spring Edition)

I thought about doing a blog for a couple years before I actually started.  One of the main reasons I thought about doing a blog was to share my thoughts and ideas on how to survive the planting and harvest seasons with other farm wives.  Today, I'm going to do just that.  I'm going to share five "rules" that I try to follow, especially during the planting season.  These are meant to be fun and at the same time give helpful hints to have a happy spring.

1. Text Message.  Find out information and details from your husband through text messaging during the day.  You husband stays busy fixing equipment, driving tractors, giving directions to hired help, etc. and sometimes a phone call takes too much time for him or happens when he doesn't have an extra hand to answer it.  If he wants to talk, he will call you (which there are times he will call just to chat and see how things are going with you).  I personally only call My Farmer if I absolutely need an answer from him right away.  If you both have Blackberry phones I recommend using Blackberry Messenger.  This program allows you to see if they have read your message or text.  (My Farmer and I both now have Androids but I enjoyed this feature when we use to have Blackberry phones.)
2. Downtime.  When your husband comes home, especially when he's been gone from before sunrise to late at night, it is easy to start talking to him as soon as he comes in the door about the kids, things that went wrong during the day, funny stories to share, etc.  Instead, take a breath, greet him with a hi and tell him that it is good to see him.  A kiss is always good to give him too!  Then give him at least five minutes to decompress from his day.  Then ask him how his day went and ask him how you can help him.  Also, avoid asking your husband to do any chores or honey-dos, avoid correcting your husband over something, and avoid using sarcasm (he might be too tired to catch on).
3. Food.  Always have food available in your home that can be taken on the go or ate at home.  Also, have food supplies around to be able to feed just your family, or an entire army of hired help.  My Farmer also enjoys having thermoses of coffee in the morning and bottled pop and water in the afternoon and evening, so I always keep a good stock of bottled beverages and gather thermoses from pick-ups and tractors.  My husband also likes to eat a little something when he comes home late at night, so I always have a few things he can choose from.  I recommend to bake, make or buy his favorite foods.
4. Laundry.  Not that you aren't keeping up on laundry throughout the year, but especially keep up on his laundry during busy seasons like spring planting.  He could start the day needing a sweatshirt and by the end of the day be wishing he was in shorts.  Make his life as easy as possible at home by him not having to dig through laundry to find something to wear.  Have clothes folded and available for him to easily find and get.
5. Compliment.  Your husband is working really hard during this season, so be sure to thank him for working so hard for your family.  Tell him that you are so happy to be married to him and that you feel lucky to be his wife.

The old saying is "Happy Wife, Happy Life," well I think the saying should be "Happy Farmer, Happy Life." I realize it doesn't rhyme but I couldn't figure out how to make charmer or armor work...  Anyways, just remember to take it easy on your husband during this time of year.  Put yourself in his shoes.  And above all, pray for wisdom for being his wife and safety for everyone working hard on the farm.

Happy Farmer, Happy Life