While my girls dream of a white Christmas and dolls galore, I've been dreaming up some good gift ideas to share with all of you!  There is something for everyone -- the coffee and tea lover, the little chefs, the family, and some green holiday gifts.

Enjoy!

For the Coffee and Tea Lover:

  • Bodum Milk Frothers are great for coffee lovers.  They can use this to create a cafe style drink, without having to go through the drive-thru and pay $4 - $5 for a drink loaded with artificial ingredients.  These are only $15 and easy to use and clean!
  • Organic Syrups by Flavorganics would be a great gift to go along with the milk frother.  They are available online and also in some stores for $7 a bottle and come in many flavors.
  • Eco-friendly travel mugs are a hot item at stores.  I've seen the "I am not a paper cup" porcelain travel sets in store (about $12), and also the Copco BPA-free travel mugs ($8).
  • Organic and Fair Trade coffee and tea is a great gift and supports a good cause.

For the Little Chefs at Home:

  • For my girls, half the fun of being in the kitchen is picking out which apron they are going to wear.  I guess the fashion sense starts at an early age.  ;)   You can find them in many stores and online.  Here are some links to help:  Anthropologie kid aprons are $24 and some very cute designs.  There are a few shops on Etsy selling kids aprons -- Corakids has both aprons and chef hats, The Mint Needle had some half aprons that would be great in the kitchen or even tied around a dress, and there were some eco-friendly aprons.  Sur La Table has a kid sized Snowman apron at $22.
  • Zuku Popsicle Maker ($30 - $50) -- we have one and the girls love it!  It gets plenty of use in my house, both for making popsicles and freezing any leftover smoothies.  You can find Zuku Sets in stores, and on Amazon.  Another popsicle idea are these colorful silicone molds from Norpro ($9).
  • Kitchen Tools:  In my kitchen, the girls have their own drawer with some small utensils they can use and play with in the kitchen.  They will use them to help me, and to play on their own.  Most of them I've picked up in local stores like Sur la Table or Bed, Bath and Beyond.  You could also check out the Fiesta Heads Chef line on Amazon.
  • Sandwich cutters are a great way to bring some fun to the lunchbox half way through the year.  Check out these Evirholders on Amazon (set of 3 for $12, or one for $7).
  • Safemama.com has a safer holiday gift guide filled with ideas for kids of all ages!  Make sure you check out the deals and coupons listed at the bottom of the page.

For the Family:

  • We could all use a good family night movie with air-popped popcorn.  Check out Arrowhead Mills Organic Popcorn kernels ($7 a bag), and the Wabash Valley Stovetop Popcorn maker ($24).
  • Season pass to a museum, art center, or recreational club.
  • Instead of cookies for your neighbor, how about a home cooked meal!  Soup, and pancakes or muffins are great since they can be frozen.
  • I always like to check out Tiny Prints stocking stuffers.  They have great gifts for parents, grandparents, and friends.
  • One of my favorite, and most used pieces of dinnerware in my kitchen is the cappuccino mug from Pottery Barn.  They are large enough for cereal, soup, or ice cream, and good for hot chocolate and coffee, also.  The handle on the cup makes eating soup or cereal easy.  ($32 set of 4)

Healthy & Green Holiday Gift Ideas:

  • There are so many great food documentaries out.  They are motivating and informative and would be great for anyone you know looking to overhaul their lifestyle.  My favorites are Food Matters, Forks Over Knives, Fat Sick and Nearly Dead, and Food, Inc.
  • Give the gift of health with classes to a yoga studio.  One class is typically $15 to $20, or you can buy multiple visits at a discounted rate.  If someone is going to the studio for the first time there are usually discounts, so make sure you ask.  In the Atlanta area, there are two studios I can recommend -- onlYoga in Atlanta, GA and Ember Yoga Studio in Woodstock, GA.  Most yoga studios are small businesses, which is nice to support!
  • Dr. Bronner's Castile soap has many uses -- from cleaning your house, clothes and your body!  A bottle of peppermint soap would make a great stocking stuffer!
  • Essential Oils have so many uses!  Check in your local health store for some ideas, or online.
  • Herb or mushroom kits would be a great holiday gift.  There are the perfect place to start for someone who doesn't have a green thumb, and these are gifts that keep on giving!
  • 101 Green Handmade Gifts from Everything Etsy, has lots of great ideas to reuse, recycle, save money and get crafty this holiday season!

Gift Wrapping Ideas:

Whipperberry.com has a tutorial on wax paper bows and fabric bows.  I love the polk-a-dots fabric wrapped around the plain paper in this photo!

 HGTV.com has several ideas for Holiday gifting.  This is my favorite -- simple, and natural!

Another simple, natural idea -- plain paper, black ribbon, and just a little touch of green.