It’s past Thanksgiving and heading toward that magical Christmas season! Are you all prepped and ready to go? I’ve done a fair amount of festive shopping; stockings are ready and the tree is up. Thank goodness for internet stores; I’d have a hard time fitting everything in without online shopping. Pretty much all the stocking stuffers have been bought – and wrapped! (Well, asides from a few candies.)

These days, I wear so many hats. What with volunteering and side-gigs, I feel life is rather full. You may know (or guess) that I work in the IT and Education sectors. There’s lots of overlap but there’s also lots of insight into different ends of the spectrum. I’ve been a homeschool advocate for many years; I’m a big supporter of the inherent freedom and flexibility. On the other hand, a well-run school is also a blessing and has a deep impact on its local community. Both homeschool and school depend on people for success. The love, trust, and hard work of people who truly care about the happiness of the children. Whether you homeschool or work at a school, remember you help close more important achievement gaps than just academics. Don’t let anyone take that inner light away from you this festive season!

Stocking Stuffers; TpT Creativity

One of my favourite educational websites is Teachers Pay Teachers. It would be misleading to think of it as just a teaching resource marketplace. I have my own store there but I also use TpT for all sorts of inspiration. Themed graphics are great for DIY printable A4 wrapping paper – I love the festive designs by The Lost Teacher. I’m also planning to run off some colouring pages to make mini colouring books for stocking stuffers. Next month, I’ll definitely be looking for fun Christmas craftivities to amuse my kids – anything giftable will be a bonus but I’m sure to get some homemade decor and good memories.

Stocking stuffers wrapped with kraft paper and DIY wrapping printed with Christmas and snowflake patterns by The Lost Teacher.

Stocking Stuffers; Ideas for 2018

  • Cute notebooks; always useful for pretty much everyone.
  • Erasable ink pens*; great for journaling or to encourage kids who want the confidence of being able to erase mistakes. Our favourite brand is Pilot Frixion.
  • Logic puzzles such as the classic 3×3 Rubik’s cube*, or any of the similar iterations like 2×2, 1×3, pyramid, ghost, etc.
  • You can’t really go wrong with Lego for most children. Some adults love it too; there’s no age limit. If it needs to be stocking-sized, choose one of the small creativity boxes such as Lego 10707* or 10401.
  • If Lego is hogging your home, Nanoblocks are a fun miniature alternative! A fraction of the size but all of the fun – like this iconic Big Ben* set NBH029.
  • Candy or other grocery treats are ideal; once something is eaten or drunk, it’s not cluttering your home.
  • Gift cards; small and convenient to give in person or by post. Choose something that matches the recipient’s interests such as an Amazon gift card for keen readers or an iTunes gift card for apps/music fans.
  • Keychains are another useful stocking stuffer that you can theme to match recipient’s interests.
  • Stress balls and squishies* are both cute and relaxing at any age. I have bought some from Gear Best*, this year.
  • Small, useful tools like spectacle cleaning kits, pocket multitools, or travel manicure sets.

Finally, if you have a teacher or homeschooler in your life, TpT gift cards make a fantastic stocking stuffer! There is truly something for every educator on TpT. Pair it with some nice coffee/tea or a Starbucks/Costa gift card for the most useful gift you can give this season. (Asides from a working time-turner, perhaps! Although, if you have any Harry Potter fans on your gift list, a replica time-turner* is still a cute gift.)

TpT Gift Card Giveaway

I’ve never actually run a giveaway before, so this is super exciting for me! Anyway, TpT has generously supplied a 10 US dollar gift card to celebrate the Cyber Monday TpT sale and the forthcoming festive season. Enter as many times as you like and may good fortune be with you!

The winner will be selected at random and receive their gift card code by email. I will email all entrants, after the giveaway closes, to let you know who won. (I’ll also post on my social media pages.) There are no expiry dates on TpT gift cards, so don’t worry if you have holiday plans – your prize will remain valid whenever you’re ready to use it.

a Rafflecopter giveaway