Holiday Gift Guide for Girls 6-12 (Top 10 Picks)

When thinking of what to get my oldest granddaughter for Christmas, my mind immediately goes to several areas she loves such as art, games, books, and CATS! Oh how she loves cats. So in comprising my holiday gift guide for children aged 6-12 (she is 8), these are my Top 10 gift idea suggestions. These are all products I know my granddaughter will use and enjoy.

1. Art. She loves art. She loves to create, and whether that means drawing, painting, or building, she's  all in for it. iHeartArt from Bright Stripes has some great sets available that are also very affordable. The metallic watercolors and gel pens above are two of my favorites because they have glitter! She is a BIG fan of glitter. What little girl wouldn't love to receive a huge set of pens that write in neon, shiny glitter and pastels?! And how very exciting to have your paint be metallic and saturated with sparkles. As a child that is magical (and admittedly, it's even cool to see/use when you are an adult). Creations are endless when you spark imagination with products like these.

For the Budding Artist Who Loves Sparkles! iHeartArt

 Disclosure: I received a complimentary product or a discount to apply towards the purchase of one.

A lot of us give craft items to the kiddos on our holiday shopping lists, and I am one of those moms/grandmas. Imagine the surprise this year, however, when my baby grand opens her gifts and finds that her paint and pens from Bright Stripes iHeartArt are infused with sparkles!! She loves sparkles, and that makes her a girl after my own heart because so do I. 

----------- How Vegans Can Ensure They Hit Their Fitness Goals

 Disclosure: This is a collaborative post. Please welcome today's contributor.

In many ways, getting the balance of vitamins you need as a vegan can be a lot easier since fruit and veg tend to be packed with them. However, there are ways that being a vegan can be harder, especially when it comes to maintaining a well-rounded diet. This is going to apply to the foods that can help you get fit, as well.

You need to be ready for diet, nutrition, and exercise to require more prep work and more attention. As such, here, we’re going to look at the essential tips you might need to ensure that you’re getting all the nutrition in your diet that can help you work out and see the results you want.

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-------- Make Eating Healthily Simple

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Managing your diet doesn’t mean trying to lose weight or alter your body shape. It should be about making sure your body has everything it needs to function to the best of its capacity. Feeding yourself a healthy and balanced diet will ensure that you give your body all the nutrients and substance it needs to get by. It can help you to maintain your health and promote a sense of overall well being. So, to achieve this, where should you start? Here are a few suggestions that should get the ball rolling in the right direction.

Limited Edition Steelbook Christmas Specials Collection

Disclosure: I received a free product or discount code to use towards a purchase. All opinions, however, are genuine.

When I was a kid, and maybe some of you remember, you had to find out which night these shows were on and make sure you were planted firmly in front of the TV so you didn't miss it! It came on one night, and one night only and if you missed it, you weren't going to get to see it for the whole season. Can you imagine a season without Frosty the Snowman or Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer? No? Nor could I! Thankfully, I never missed one, and now at 51-years-old, I still enjoy them every bit as much as I did when I was a child. The difference now is that I can view them whenever I want because they are on DVD. Imagine my glee when I saw that Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has put out a limited edition steelbook 5-movie Blu-Ray DVD collection. Now this is a perfect addition to add to our home...and the home of every single person in my family who has a child young enough to enjoy it. ;)  Let's introduce a new generation to the joy of these Christmas Classics.

Teleflora is Giving Away Airline Tickets! Reunite with Family #LoveOutLoudContest

Disclosure: I received a gift code or discount to use towards a purchase. All opinions stated are genuine and my own.

God With Us: A Journey Home with BOOK GIVEAWAY

Disclosure: Many thanks to Shepherd Press for providing this product/product information for review.  Opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  I did receive the product in exchange for this review and post.

There are certain staples we give each year and books definitely fall into that category. Fostering the love of reading in our children is important. This year, I'll be gifting "God With Us: A Journey Home" by Jeremy Pierre.

Burga Phone Case Giveaway (Ends 12/25) @Burgaofficial

 Disclosure: this is not a sponsored post. I was not compensated to share the giveaway.

Welcome To The Burga Phone Case Giveaway!

This giveaway is part of our Holiday Gift Guide. Stop by to see all the great giveaways and products!

Not only gorgeous, but also super protective. The almost impossible to find intersection between durable and pretty. Our designer phone covers offer shockproof protection and heavy-duty coverage, yet they remain slim and do not bulk up your device.

----------- Easy Home Renovations to Try This Winter

 Disclosure: This is a collaborative post. Please welcome today's contributor.

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When the cold, dark nights appear, it’s time to retreat into the comfort of your home and enjoy the pleasures of the season. That said, your home might need a bit of a makeover for it to inspire the festive feelings you want. Below are five ways you can improve your home. 

---------- How To Make A Christmas Eve Box For The Kids In Your Life

 Disclosure: This is a collaborative post. Please welcome today's contributor.

Creating a Christmas Eve Box could be a fun and relatively inexpensive new tradition for your family if you are looking for something new and different to do this festive period. While it has been aimed at younger children generally, it is still perfect for older children who still want to keep the Christmas magic alive.

A Christmas Eve Box is a package that contains a range of interesting and fun activities that your family can indulge in on Christmas Eve to make the celebration more memorable. The most fun part is that you can personalize it to your family's interests by including activities that everyone will appreciate. Customize your family's Christmas Eve box to meet their specific requirements and interests.

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Whose Lasagna is it Anyway?

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He likes his lasagna layered differently than I do. He likes to use cottage cheese with little dollops of it spread throughout each layer of noodles. I like to have Ricotta as one thin layer at the bottom. You would think that after six years of being divorced, the lasagna would have been made the way I like it. Old habits die hard, I guess, and I realized one day, with a hearty laugh, that I was still doing it his way. The bigger zinger, and definite catalyst for change, was the realization that I had never even considered buying Ricotta at the grocery store. Not just that time, but every time (since the day we were married, many years ago).

That got me thinking: what else was I doing his way? A short journey around the house showed I was doing a lot of things the way I was used to doing them because that’s the way he liked them. I still kept the air conditioner at 77-degrees, kept the radio off in the house, and I even still purchased Powerade over Gatorade, when in fact, I like Gatorade better. In fact, the only thing I’d really changed was that we had gotten a cat a few years back, and he was 100% against any pets. So…for six years we’ve been split, and for six years I’ve still been doing most things the same way.  

It’s not that I was against doing things his way when were married; I wasn’t. It’s just that somewhere along the way, I forgot that I like things my way too. So, okay… time for a mental reset. I told myself right then and there, that this was my new life, and part of the joy of living this new life is that I get to do things my way. Yes, being married can be a wonderful thing, and compromise is a given…but that’s not something I have to worry about anymore. This is my place, not his and my place. I can explore the things that give me peace and bring me joy, and that is exactly what I am now very intentionally doing.

In fact, at this very moment, I am lounging on the couch mid-day, with the teen’s music blasting (not my favorite music but he’s enjoying himself), our sweet cat is snuggled at my hip (on the couch, gasp) and the air conditioner is set to a very comfortable 75-degrees. When I’m finished, I’ll need to start a grocery list for next week. I’m thinking I’ll make a lasagna again…just so I can buy and use the Ricotta.