My nephew (and God son), Nathan, will be celebrating his first communion in May. In the Catholic tradition this is a big deal. When I had my first communion my mom bought me a beautiful white dress, white lace gloves and a child-sized veil. It takes about a year of preparation with dozens of adults pouring time into seven and eight year olds who are only vaguely aware of the importance of the sacrament, but who grow tremendously from the experience. I am excited for my nephew, and I have been trying to think of the perfect rememberance to send him for this special day. Here are some ideas I've come up with:

1. Lego Rosary - thank you etsy, I knew I could count on you! Prayer beads are important in many faith traditions, Catholics pray the Rosary. This unique blue Lego version may be just the thing that can span the gap of the interests of an eight year old boy.

2. Cathedral Visit - Most large metropolitan areas have a cathedral, both Catholic and Protestant. I've been in gorgeous cathedrals from Italy to Kansas City and I am always amazed by the way God's people have poured their time and artistic talents into the worship of their Creator. Taking a child to a cathedral always invites interesting conversation!

3. Saint Medallion - Crosses and saint medallions are great reminders for the wearer of the faith for which they are apart.

4. T-shirt for a Cause - Based on the quote from Mother Teresa, "If you can't feed a hundred people then feed just one" the purchase of this t-shirt provides 30 meals to hungry school children.

5.  Cooking Class - Food is used as a tangible symbol of God's provision so often in the Bible. From manna in the desert, to Jesus providing food for 5,000 and of course the whole point of communion. Taking a class with a child to explore how to prepare food for those in our life, after which we can all sit at a common table and celebrate community - win, win, win.

6. Children's Bible - This is the version I had as a kid, but their are dozens (maybe hundreds) of options available now-a-days. The kids in the Sunday School I help with in Baltimore all have an Adventure version. The key, to me, is the illustrations, especially at this age. Kids may find it difficult to visualize a 2,000 year old well with a Samaritan women drawing water - but put it into a vivid picture that they leaf through for years and now the Bible comes to life!

7. Letter of Encouragement - Free and potentially full of meaning. I would tend to doodle and add lots of color for this age group, but always amongst many words of encouragement and the promises of God for this young one's future.

8. Devotional - Again, there are tons of options in this category. For the kids with lots of questions (what kid does not have lots of questions!?!) this is a great way to take their faith a little deeper.

9. Holy Water - My brother always had a little bottle of Holy Water on his shelf growing up. I don't know that he ever "used" it for anything, but I do know that it represented something to him about his faith tradition and served as a visual reminder of his baptism. Reminders, of all shapes and sizes, can be wonderful ways to bring our thoughts back to center (read: God, Jesus, and LOVE, always LOVE).

Because our new suite life includes cable, the girls have been a bit over-exposed lately to all the cable television holds for children - namely mediocre programming and tons of toy commercials. I don't want to be the mommy who says NO (with that mean pinched face) to my children to every plastic creation ever, but I know they like more than what the TV tells them.

So, in anticipation of a certain someone's seventh birthday (ugh, did I just type that, ouch), I have assembled the following super-compromising gift ideas - she'll love them all, I'll just smile and nod through a few.

1. Moon in my Room - um it's a remote-controlled moon... IN YOUR ROOM! Hello.

2. Pocket Microscope - did my daughter see this and say "gee mom, I would really like to own my own pocket microscope!" No. Will she like to own her own pocket microscope, without a doubt.

3. Sky Umbrella - what is it with kids and umbrellas? Well, this one would make a great photo prop AND my daughter would be on cloud nine.

4. Creationary - its like Pictionary with Legos. Maybe she'll like it, maybe I'll LOVE it.

5. Marble Run - Yes plastic, yes she wants, yes I loved it as a kid too. So this is a win-win-win.

6. Barbie Designable Hair Extensions - at least she has to be creative to make it work.

7. REI Gift Card - this could mean so many things for our little climber, I think her little exploring head might explode when she walks into this store!

8. Knitting Dolls - I have no idea how these work but they are adorable and under $5. I am fairly certain they function as some kind of crafting device.

9. Fur Real Walking Pup - she for real wants this, and I do not get that, but I promised I would add it to her wish list so here you go.

1. Stoneware Egg Cup - to hold pretty little treasures that little girls are so good at aquiring. 2. Wooden Fishing Play Set - Play it in the sunshine or on a rainy day, girls and boys can both have fun with this one! 3. I am a Child of God - Love this print to prop in a child's bookshelf and remind them what Easter is all about. 4. Crayon Rocks - Spring is here and these beautiful crayon rocks are a fun way to celebrate the art of creation. 5. The Curious Garden - The cover alone makes me want to frame this book up and hang it on the wall, adorable. 6. Baby Forest Animal Set - Outside in the dirt and grass and rocks, these animals need to live along with some imaginative play. 7. Building Game Tree - I am completely curious about this put-together tree and where we might display it.

1. Dresses - You won't be catching this sweet girl in pants anytime soon. She loves a comfy dress ("comfy" being a most important descriptor, not even second to trendy, sparkly or pink).
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2. Art Kits - When Carolyn goes to Target she never asks to go to the toy aisle, but rather the "art section" and she is always enamoured with the art kits to make jewelry or something similar. This fashion kit from MindWare looks right up her artistic-little-alley.
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3. Games - When Julia thinks we should go out for ice cream, or I suggest a trip to the library, C laments "Can't we just stay home and play a game or something?" She is extremely competitive (seriously, its kind of frightening) and loves a good game.
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4. Jammies - She probably shouldn't admit to her classmates that she still loves her footed-jammies but she does. And beautiful princess nightgowns as well. She would live in her pajamas all day everyday if her Daddy would let her.
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5. Fun things to cook with - These are the kind of kits you see at a store like PaperSource or Hallmark and Carolyn always begs to take them home. She doesn't love food, but she does love to make food look pretty.
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6. Legos - This has been the year of discovering the joys of Legos, and they are many. She builds a new house almost daily, and lately she's taken to creating trees and flowers as well.
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7. Books - Carolyn is a budding reader (I'm smiling as I type this, can you tell?)
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8. Art Supplies - Her current art class at the Nelson has taught her all about painting, sketching, modeling and collage. Collage is her very favorite so far.
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9. Decorations - Inevitably I come home to winter scarves strung up my banister, or paper garland adorning the entry-way. My girly loves to decorate and these garland could be used for art projects, too when they're worn out as decor.
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10. Drawing Books - I love these drawing books by Ed Emberley to inspire the creative faces C draws daily.
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11. Shoes - The only prerequisite C has for shoes is that they are pink and spakley, luckily TOMs knows whats up, as well as Target.
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12. Accessories - On a very special day, especially if there will be many photos taken or plenty of eyes to look upon her, C will be sure to grab as many accessories as she can convince her parents to let her wear out of the house. Personally I enjoy the headbands to keep the whispies away.
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13. Watch - Because she needs more accessories... oh ya and she needs to learn how to tell time, too.
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14. iPod (with Apps) - I don't really intend for this to find its way to her Christmas stocking or anything, but man would she love it.

Designmom recently had a post on the tons of beautiful women's camera bags out on the interweb. I have been curious about the available selection for the opposite gender, especially after watching the handsome photographer I know tote the tool of his trade around Chicago in a small canvas satchel.
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Maybe one of these would suit his fancy.
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1. Domke Shoulder Bag 2. National Geographic Walkabout 3. Scott N13 4. Crumpler 8 Million Dollar Home Camera Bag 5. Kelly Moore Boy Bag 6. Built Cargo Medium Camera Bag

Through Amanda Soule's (author of The Creative Family) blog Soule Mama, I found Nova Natural Toys and Crafts. Which I cannot stop browsing through. Fantastic natural toys that encourage learning and are affordable! Thank goodness we have a birthday party to go to in a few weeks, so I had an excuse to make a purchase.
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1. Ping-pong Catapult. The gift of choice for my nephew, what boy doesn't love projectiles? And ping-pong balls make for a perfect projectile at that. ($25)
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2. Tea Set. The girls are all about tea parties lately, inviting all of the dolls and stuffed animals to sit down for a cup or two. ($43)
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3. Little Sailboat. Put it in the tub or a puddle in the spring (ah, spring, how we can't wait to see you again). $14
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4. Window Crayons. Carolyn would go nuts over these. ($14)
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5. Child's Lap Loom. Someday I want my girls to have this, and I want them to wear their bonnets as they loom-it-up. ($39)
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6. Skittles. Why they call them skittles I do not know, but its a bowling set to me and that looks like fun, not as much as Wii bowling fun, but more natural and affordable. ($20)
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7. Pocket Doll. I'm a sucker for sweet tiny soft dolls, and these can fit right in the pocket of a little one who needs a softie to cuddle with. ($6)
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8. All Year Round. A book outlining celebrations throughout the year. A great place to get ideas for family traditions to start, which we always love a good tradition around the Schultz household! ($20)

The Advent Fairy brought beautiful pop-up Christmas books for Day 8 - gorgeous. I don't know who Robert Sabuda is, but he creates a pretty incredible pop-up. The detail is amazing and the small size of the book makes it ideal for a stocking stuffer. Or maybe you'll be an Advent Fairy for someone you love next year and this could be their Day 8.
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I think finding 25 sweet little presents to fill someone's 2010 Advent with much excited anticipation may a New Year's Resolution. In fact, I think the anticipation is 85% of the fun of Christmas, we should capitalize on that.

If you're looking for a bizarre assortment of gifts that would make a mom of two little princesses in your life happy - here you are. Although your recipient may not be as nerd-i-fied as this one. {Making a wish list for one's self feels so incredibly greedy and selfish, but my mom assures me that it is infinitely helpful for a Mom of no-longer-littles.}

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1. Little House on the Prairie DVD set. This is no small prize, a full 60 DVDs highlighting every episode of the series. Me and my girlies could have Little House marathons for days-on-end...we could even dress in our pioneer costumes to set the mood!

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2. World Map. Nerd alert. I really enjoy maps, and have been known to give them as gifts to an unsuspecting father of mine. This is on the top of my list for the simple fact that I want to point to where things are. I am a nerd, and I am visual. I need maps in my house.

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3. More Sleep. Not pictured, because clearly I need more sleep. Totally skipped an entire number. And numbers leads to letters which takes us to...

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4. Alphabeasties: And Other Animal Types. Fonts and graphics combine to create a zebra made of z's. An elephant made of e's. And a mother of littles smiling at pretty pictures that can inspire both art and learning in two princesses.

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5. A Child's Day: An Alphabet of Play. Again with the alphabet, it's just so darn important. And these prints were recently featured on DesignMom. Again the art is beautiful and the fun of learning letters is all the better.

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6. Blender. Otherwise known as Homemade Frap Machine. Yes, yes I have high hopes of blasting my family out of bed in the predawn hours before work as I cunningly defeat the Starbucks addiction wizardry by creating my own frap in the comfort of my once-quiet home.

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7. I'll Be You and You Be Me. From the same author as A Hole is To Dig - this 1950s reproduction is calling my name. These illustrations are precious and the title alone makes this a must-read.

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8. The Little Yellow Leaf. The fact that amazon introduces this book with this sentence is what sold me: "The human capacity for volition and fear of the unknown is central to this tale." I, too, have the capacity for volition and a fear of the unknown - as do my children - and together we shall journey with the little yellow leaf to see what can be done about it.

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9. Big Susan. Another winner from the 1950s - which we have been reading on loan from my friend. The girls are on their second-read-through of this small chapter book. I love when a book resonates with my kiddos while allowing me the courtesy of enjoying the beautiful illustrations. Its a win-win.

Attending a First Birthday Party is on Sunday's list of things to-do...
here are some ideas of what to get the little:

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1. Board Books. Little hands can easily turn these pages, and the simple rhyme of Mem Fox's Time for Bed, or the quiet routine of Goodnight Moon are favorites at our house.

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2. Fridge DJ by Leapfrog. This magnetic 'radio' is a fantastic must-have for little ones, especially those who gravitate to the kitchen when mom is busy with dinner.

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3. P'Kolina Stacking Puzzle. This is a new toy that recently won an iParenting Media Award. The colors are fantastic and puzzles are great to start at a young age.

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4. Trumpette Mary Jane Tights. Babies are not exactly big fans of clunky shoes, especially as their little feet are learning to walk. These tights are fantastic to give the 'shoe' look without the difficulty of finding and keeping real shoes on.

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5. Rody Horse. This small rubber horse grabbed the girls' eyes as soon as we walked into Zoom a few months ago. It is flexible and soft enough that a new walker could bounce all over it and not get hurt. And as she grew, she could climb aboard and go for a fun ride.

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6. Bamboo Kids Utensils. For the eco-conscious baby (or mom I suppose) these utensils are safe and sustainable, designed to last.

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7. Your Birthday Book. An awesome keepsake book that documents every birthday from age 1 through 18. We have one for both C and J and I love them. Each year has a pocket to hold the birthday invite and other memorable pieces (school programs and report cards for instance), and each year has a page of interview questions for the child...watching their answers change and grow along with them, like "Who was the last person you kissed?" Hopefully the answer will be "Mommy!" for a very long time.

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8. Nicki Baby Green from Kathe Kruse. Julia has one of these little Kathe Kruse dolls, and if I was a little girl this is something I could totally latch on to. These are soft, cuddly and beautiful, what more do you need in a dolly?

1. To Write Love on Her Arms t-shirt. TWLOHA is a group dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide. A majority of their financial support comes from the sale of their t-shirts. Read about their vision, see the store, buy the t-shirt. $17.00
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2. Two Futures Project t-shirt. 2FP is a movement of American Christians for the abolition of nuclear weapons. The t-shirt reads 'disarm' and is sure to spark lots of conversation. Read about their vision, buy the t-shirt. $20.00
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3. 350.org t-shirt. 350.org is an international campaign dedicated to building a movement to unite the world around solutions to the climate crisis. Read about their vision, see the store, buy the t-shirt. $18.99
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4. Made by Survivors bracelet. Made by Survivors is an international organization dedicated to fighting human trafficking and modern day slavery. Items sold in the store are made by survivors of slavery with the hope of eventually establishing a sustainable income. Read about their vision, buy the bracelet. $28.00
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5. Charity:Water water bottle. Charity:Water is a non-profit organization bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations. One in six people on the planet do not have access to safe drinking water, many women and children. 100% of the cost of the water bottle goes to fund freshwater wells. Read about their vision (watch the video while you're there), see the store. $40.00
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6. FEED bear and bag. FEED works to create good products that FEED the world. Because hunger and malnutrition kill more people than AIDS, malaria and TB combined, and tonight 400 million children around the world will go to bed hungry. Purchase of the bag will keep a child fed in school for a year. Purchase of the teddy bear will provide three nutritional supplements to hungry children. Read about their vision, see the store, buy the bag, buy the bear. $35 / $35
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7. Heifer International animal. Heifer works to end world hunger and poverty as well as care for the earth through a set of global initiatives in the areas of agroecology, animal well-being, gender equity, HIV-AIDS, microenterprise, urban agriculture and young people's initiatives. Heifer's online gift catalog offers a variety of animals you can gift to a family in a developing country. Read about their vision, see the online catalog, buy the heifer. $500.00
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8. Project Concern animal. Project Concern is a non-profit health and humanitarian aid organization dedicated to preventing disease, improving community health, and promoting sustainable development. Read about their vision, see the online catalog, buy the flock of hens. $50.00
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9. TOMS Shoes. TOMS Shoes was founded on a simple premise: With every pair you purchase TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need. Read about their vision, see the store, buy the shoes. $54.00