10 Christmas Gift Ideas for Teen Guys

Christmas will be here in just a little over 5 weeks. Are you ready? Me neither. Thankfully this year, I’m not sitting at a dead end road like I was last year for gift ideas for my son. He created a wish list and, believe it or not, they are all small things except for one. To make it even better, I can order them all online without having to deal with crazy shoppers. These 10 Gift Ideas for Teen Guys should help you in making decisions while shopping this year because they were compiled by my teen son.

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10 Christmas Gift Ideas for Teen Guys

1. Beanies- I have a hard time calling what I grew up knowing as a toboggan a beanie. I think of Spanky from the Little Rascals every time I hear beanie. Call me Crazy!

2. Earbuds – most teens now days have music playing where ever they go. Having extra earbuds come in handy for those active guys.

3. Sporting Event Tickets - Most guys love some sort of sports and event tickets are sure to please the one in your life. Don’t have a sports fan? Concert tickets will more than likely put a smile on his face.

4. Gift Cards – fast food, coffee shop, and gas stations are all places where teens go, after school and on weekends. Gift cards will help feed them and get them on their way again.

5. Cash – there is nothing like cold hard cash to a teen. Whether they are saving for a special purchase or hoarding their money away, cash in the hand can go a long way.

6. Favorite Snacks and Drinks – these are gifts I started giving several years ago to my son. He knows every Christmas there will be a case of Yoo-hoo and Mt. Dew under the tree. I even include his favorite candy along with several bags of his favorite chips. These are always a big hit!

7. Hammock – if you are living in a warmer weather climate and your teen enjoys being outside, a hammock would be a nice thing for him to enjoy relaxing in.

8. Movie Tickets – teens like getting together during the holidays when school is out and head towards the mall and movie theater. Having pre-purchased tickets help when that hungry teen is going to spend a small goldmine in the snack line of the local theater.

9. Cologne – believe it or not, many teen guys tend to care about smelling good. I couldn’t help but giggle of the thought of Old Spice being a popular item for teen guys nowadays. I remember my dad wearing the original Old Spice when I was a little girl. Yep, it’s not that Old Spice but scents like Timber and Bearglove are quite popular and smell pretty good too.

10. Novelty Tees – I just love this Bacon Chemistry Tee shirt. If you have a teen who loves bacon like I do, well what can I say?

Are you an Ebates or Swagbucks member? Remember before making any purchases online click through EBATES so you’ll earn a percentage back . If you use SWAGBUCKS, you can also earn more Swagbucks (to cash in as FREE gift cards) while shopping.

Do you have a teen guy you are shopping for this year?

10 Christmas Gift Ideas for Teen Girls

The holidays are upon us, can you believe it? For those of you counting down to Black Friday shopping, you only have 10 MORE DAYS! For the next several Mondays, I will be sharing with you some gift ideas for those in your life. Today, I'm starting with the teen girl.  I have to thank my beautiful niece for helping me with this list again this year. You would think creating a second list of 10 Christmas Gift Ideas for Teen Girls would be easy but, for someone who doesn't have a daughter this was hard for me again this year. Thankfully, I had modern technology to help me while preparing this list.

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10 Christmas Gift Ideas for Teen Girls

• Cell Phone Case~ phone cases are important to teens. You can find many girly cases for your favorite teen whether they have an iphone or an android. If money for a readymade case is out of the question for this year, you can make one (Youtube). Finding the clear cases are easy.


• Make-up~ what girl doesn’t like make up? In fact, make up is the perfect size to fill up a stocking. Mac, e.l.f., Tarte, and Maybelline are just a few brands that will be included on many wish lists this year.


• Perfume~ every girl loves smelling good. I heard the name Viva la Juicy mentioned several times while talking with my niece.


• Clothing ~ leggings, vests, flannel shirts and big sweaters.


• Scarves~ a fun and trendy accessory. At the time of this posting, Amazon has tons of hot priced scarves – Be sure to check them out.


• Jewelry ~ every teen girl likes to accessorize with just the right amount of jewels. Long and simple chains are what’s trending.


• Boots~ are a big fashion trend for most teen girls. These are on my niece’s Christmas list for this year.


• Shower Gel ~ Christmas is the perfect time to splurge on that line of shower products the teen in your life has talked about.


• Candles ~ candles are a fun gift to give and to receive. I personally love the Kringle Candle Company; all of their candles are white so you don’t have to worry about clashing with decor. Read their ABOUT page, it's fascinating.


• Cash or Gift Cards~ are a great way to give a gift so the recipient can buy their gift. Don’t forget about the pre-paid Visa and mall gift cards so your teen is not tied down to one particular store to shop.

Are you an Ebates or Swagbucks member?

Remember before making any purchases online click through EBATES so you’ll earn a percentage back . If you use SWAGBUCKS, you can also earn more Swagbucks (to cash in as FREE gift cards) while shopping.

Do you have a teen girl you are shopping for this year?

Independence Day 2015

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.(Psalm 33:12)  The Lord is the reason we have the opportunity to celebrate our country's independence today, I pray He continues to bless our nation.

I hope you all have a wonderful and safe holiday.

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

Custer National Cemetery and Little Bighorn

On Monday, we visited the Custer National Cemetery at Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. We walked through the cemetery during our previous visits to the park, but Monday was special with it being Memorial Day. There were many veterans along with family members who have loved ones buried there. We even watched several families place small wreaths beside headstones of their ancestors who were scouts for the Calvary during the Indian Wars.

Custer National Cemetery Little Bighorn Memorial Day 2015

I’m not going to retell the story of the Battle of Little Bighorn since everyone knows this is where George Custer died while fighting the Sioux and Northern Cheyenne tribes. When you are standing on the battlefield and looking out across the plains, you have to wonder what exactly was going through Custer’s mind – there were thousands of warriors they were up against.

I am sharing pictures from the museum and parts of the battlefield. I called and talked with the historian at the park yesterday and he was kind in answering my questions about the cemetery and the history of the battle.

There are almost 4,300 grave sites. He did tell me that count is only for the sites because at one time they stacked people for burial, so there is no known number of people. The cemetery is closed for new burials except for the last remaining reserved plots. The reason for this closure is encroachment lines for the battlefield. This cemetery is NOT listed on the VA website because it is owned by the National Parks.

The cemetery has 8 Medal of Honor recipients. Some of these have been newly found within the past 10 years because research is ongoing to verify and locate all recipients of this great honor. One recipient, Joseph Cable has a plaque, but is not buried there. He was wounded while fighting the Nez Perce and was being sent back to Ft. Keogh and died on the way. They believe he is buried somewhere along the Missouri River since wounded soldiers were transported by boat at that time. The historian did say, if Cable’s remains were found then he more than likely would have been labeled an Unknown Soldier and sent on to Ft. Keogh.

The next pictures are from inside the museum. I wish the sun would have been a little higher, because the two cases of Custer’s clothing and other items had a crazy glare for pictures. Elizabeth Custer donated the items in the museum, so others could enjoy them.

There were two cases with models of both battles.

Sitting Bulls' Bow and Arrows

These are the faces of the war. I have LINKED to a larger picture so you can see who each of the men were. When the link opens, click on the picture and then the + sign at the bottom.

The two political leaders behind the battle.

All the information about the attack is from the Indian warriors. The men who were with Reno did tell how everything looked and where everyone laid when they returned to the area; they were in complete shock of what they found. They are the ones who buried Custer and the other soldiers.

This monument is at the top of Last Stand Hill.  The remains of all the soldiers were reburied here in a mass grave and the names of the known soldiers are listed. Many do not realize that Custer and some of the other officers were transferred to other locations for reburial. Custer is buried at West Point.

The  remains of  the 7th Calvary horses were moved to a mass grave in 1881.

One of the many markers where warriors died. They are not buried here, they were given tribal burials.

I came across these graves when walking through the cemetery. I love her name - Pretty Medicine Pipe, her husband White Man Runs Him is pictured in the Little Big Horn Faces picture above, he is on the right side down at the bottom.

Homeschooling moms, be sure to download the teacher’s guide, so you can teach about the Battle of Little Bighorn.

I'd like to thank my husband for allowing me to share his pictures with you.

Memorial Day 2015

I hope you all have a wonderful and safe Memorial Day. While you're doing whatever your family does to celebrate this holiday, please remember the REAL reason why we are celebrating. It's not about BBQ and get togethers, but remembering those who have died during their service to our country.

My family and I will be visiting the Custer National Cemetery at Little Big Horn in honor of this holiday.

Valentine's Day 5 {Frugal} Date Ideas

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Are you thinking of ways to enjoy the day with your special Valentine? If you are on a budget, you can still enjoy this special day with the one you love. With a little preplanning and creativity you can have a perfect date.

While Valentine’s Day has become a large money-maker for stores and companies, you don’t have to spend a lot to show you care. In fact, I don’t know anyone who would not appreciate a hand written letter telling how much they are loved. Instead of 20 pounds of chocolate, a regular size candy bar wrapped with a ribbon shows just as much love without all that extra candy.

Most of us want to spend time with the one we love on Valentine’s Day. Sometimes there is no way around the budget for an extravagant meal and gift, but making this a special day can be done.

 Valentine's Day 5 {Frugal} Date Ideas

Dinner and a movie night in – put the little ones to bed early and/or lock the teens in their rooms. ;)  A quiet dinner and a movie at home is a wonderful way to spend an evening together.

*Go out on the cheap – take a drive around town, stop for an ice cream or a coffee and spend quality time talking, just the two of you.

*Spend time at a local bookstore – grab a cup of coffee or tea and find the comfy chairs in the bookstore and spend an hour or two reading and browsing books together.

 *Star gazing – I can't think of a better and more romantic way to spend a quiet evening together. If you don’t happen to live where it is warm, don’t forget a blanket and some hot cocoa.

 Picnic – plan a lunch time picnic at a local park. If the park has a lake with ducks, don’t forget to bring a bag of bread to feed them.

While Valentine’s Day comes during the week most of the time and job schedules are a mess, why not postpone your special day until the weekend where you both will have a more relaxed time to spend together.

As you can see, you don’t have to break the bank to enjoy a wonderful Valentine’s Day.

**These are just a few of my favorite ways to spend time with my husband.

Merry, Merry Christmas!

It's going to be a quiet morning in our home today. With a 15 year old who has outgrown the excitement of getting up early to open presents and my husband getting to work a few hours this morning, I'm snuggling under a warm woolie spending time knitting.

Wishing you a Merry, Merry Christmas!

Every year we try to do our Christmas picture a little differently and this year was no different. Instead of dressing up and/or going out to a scenic spot for pictures, we decided to do a comfortable, relaxed picture in the corner of the living room. I suggested putting on something that we each like to wear, something that would represent the real individual. Of course, we couldn't leave out our new dog Mikey, who sat perfectly still while my husband was at the camera and then decided he was not having it when he knelt beside the rocking chair.

I hope you all have a  Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas

 I'm spending these last couple of days finishing up Christmas preparations. 

I hope you all have a Merry Christmas!