Christmas Shopping Carnival

I've just started my Christmas shopping, and I'm already stuck on gifts for a few people. I hate to gift the same things year after year... after all, how many scented lotions can one person really want? So, I'm looking forward to seeing what others are suggesting. Here are five of my recommendations-- all are "tried and true" by me personally.

~My first suggestion is one that I know my family will be receiving this Christmas- I have a close connection with Santa, you know. ;) The Veggie Tales Family Devotional book is just wonderful... I can't wait to start reading it with my kids!

~ For the cooks in your life, I'd recommend a paid subscription to my favorite cooking site, RecipeZaar. For $25 a year you can create as many online cookbooks as you want to store RZ recipes, and you can make private notes on recipes. I use the site several times weekly & I really love it.

~ For the sports fans in your life, my favorite Christian store, Christianbook.com , has a unique selection of sports t-shirts. They have a lot of other unique Christian t-shirts , too-- they look like rock band or graphic t's from a distance, but when you get up close, they have a Christian message somewhere in the design. I got this one for my basketball-loving brother-in-law last year, and he really seemed to like it.

Practice Makes Perfect/Basketball T-Shirt, White,Medium (38-40

~ For the busy people on your list (and who isn't these days?), I highly recommend Flylady's wall calendar. It's huge, and perfect for recording the activities of several family members. The squares are big enough for stickers, color-coded writing, and anything else you might want to add. This is the calendar that's on my kitchen wall, and I expect that we'll be using it for quite a few years as our kids get into more and more activities.

~I've gotten nice compliments on my food gift baskets over the last few years. I've done several themes: an inexpensive wok filled with chinese food. You could also include a cookbook about Chinese cuisine. Obviously you could do this with any food theme- I've done Mexican, Italian (in a colander) and others.

~And, my final suggestion... homemade gift certificates don't cost much, but mean a lot to the recepient. I, personally, would love to have someone make me a gift certificate for babysitting my kids so I could have an afternoon to myself. What about: a gift certificate to rent a cleaner and help clean your grandma's carpets; to wash and vacuum someone's car; to cook and deliver dinner on the night of their choice... the homemade gift certificate possibilities are endless!

Good luck with your holiday shopping! For more great ideas, head on over to the blog carnival at Don't Try This at Home.