The Simple Pen

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Gifts for the Home {Christmas Gift Guide} Plus a Giveaway

If you missed our previous gift guides, be sure to stop by and check them out:

Gifts for Babies
Gifs for Kids
Gifts for Teens & Tweens
Christmas Books for Kids

I’ve teamed up again with Amy from The Finer Things in Life to bring you some great gifts for the home. We both have some new favorite things we’ve discovered this year, and we’ve included some old favorites too.

Gifts for the Home

1. Family Rules

Every family has rules, why not display them in a fun way? My sister-in-law just did a fun collage with family rules and several family pictures. I like. I like. I like.

2. Time Keeper Planner

For the home?  Yes, for the home, because without our planner our home life is chaos.  The Time Keeper is a beautiful way to organize and manage your busy days all in one place. Using this dated, weekly planner with its practical and uncomplicated layout, you’ll find it easy to keep your act together.  It’s simple without any fluff that makes me feel guilty about what I’m not doing, and really, The Time Keeper had me at perforated grocery lists.  {swoon}

3. Cuisinart Ice Cream, Frozen Yogurt & Sorbet Maker

This is my new can’t-live-without-it kitchen appliance. We got our ice cream maker this year, and we’ve made vanilla, chocolate, banana, chocolate peanut butter, and (recently) egg nog. This Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker has the ice cream ready (soft-serve) in about 20 minutes. We usually pop ours in the freezer for about 30-60 minutes to get it more the consistency that you find in a carton of ice cream. I like knowing exactly what’s going into what we’re eating too. If you have a larger family, you might want to check out this 6-quart ice cream maker that Amy has.

4. Master Chef Immersion Blender

I was skeptical about an immersion blender. Did I really NEED another small appliance? Then I got one as a gift, and I’m in love. This is so much easier when you just have one smoothie to make or some potatoes to whip. It cleans up quickly too.

5. Countertop Convection Oven

I asked my in-laws for a toaster oven a few years ago, and they got us this. It’s WAY more than a toaster oven. Because it’s also a convection oven, I can bake in it. I’ve made small batches of muffins and even broiled fish. This one has a pizza bump so you can pop a 12-inch pizza in to avoid heating up the big oven.

6. Hand-Crank Flashlight

I got these for the guys in our family last Christmas, and they were a hit. I like the fact that they don’t take batteries. I think the guys like the whole prepared-man-in-the-wilderness aspect. We broke out Jason’s flashlight during our last power outage. I was relieved because we were low on batteries. With the hand-crank flashlight we didn’t need them!

7. 12-Bin Organizer

We bought this organizer for Emma a couple of years ago. I love how it contains those tiny toys like Polly Pockets. Plus with all those bins, everything has a home. Emma keeps everything from American Girl mini dolls to Strawberry Shortcake’s RC car in hers. The bins come out easily so she can grab one and get to playing!

8. Essential Oil Diffuser

Amy’s been telling me about her essential oils success stories. Just last week I got my first two (Sweet Orange and Tea Tree) from Amazon. I’ve used them directly on my skin, but I can’t wait to try a diffuser. I love that I’ll be able to make my house smell great and purify the air without burning toxic chemicals.

9. SentrySafe Fire-Safe Waterproof Chest

We got this fire-safe chest years ago as a Christmas gift. With a waterproof seal, the SentrySave completely insulates the interior from the threat of water or fire invasion.  It’s heavy for its size, but still easily portable.  CDs, DVDs, USB drives, memory stick, and important papers are kept safe from the elements. I keep some old family letters and my grandma’s wedding ring in ours for safe keeping.

The Giveaway

Now that you’re picturing all of these helpful items in your home, it’s time to give away a really useful tool.

Time Keeper Giveaway

Monthly calendars, weekly two-page spreads, daily menu plan areas, to do lists, shopping lists. You’ll love having it all in one place. One Simple Pen reader will win their own Time Keeper planner.

To enter: Leave a comment on this post.

Want an extra entry? Tell us if you would keep the planner or give it as a Christmas gift.

Want another extra entry? Sign up for the The Simple Pen Christmas Gift Guide email newsletter and leave an extra comment saying that you did.

Entries will remain open until Sunday, December 2, 2012 at 9 p.m. EST. One winner (US addresses only) will be randomly chosen. The winner will be emailed and will have 48 hours to respond. If there is no response, a new winner will be chosen. 

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Comments

  10. I enjoyed reading your post and I would either keep the planner or give it to my daughter for Christmas

  14. I love the essential oils. they are great when you are making gifts and cleaning products as well.

  19. I would probaably err on the selfish side… and keep it for myself. Life is reaching a closing chapter, the close of a whole book of my life, getting ready to start over, once again, be interesting to try and live planned and organized.

  24. What a nice planner. If I won the planner I would keep it for myself to keep all my dates in order and to make sure that I get my kids where they need to be and when they need to be there. I would however need to buy my sister one so she could be as organized as myself.
    I have also signed up for the email gift guide. Thank you

  26. Beautiful planner. Probably should give as an impressive gift,
    but it would be so hard to part with!