Design a Heavenly Pet Wardrobe is one of the really cool products on the market that is geared towards older girls (8+). It allows them to design clothing and accessories for 5 paper dogs and embellish with the included glitter, ribbons, sequins, and stickers. You can make over a hundred different pet fashions with this! I love that it requires them to use their imagination. It is one of those gifts that you never know where it may lead. You may find you have a design in your midst. Also, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of this item goes to the SPCA International.

English Style Equestrian Sketch Book is a great book for any horse rider or lover (8+). This design guide allows you to design your own horses, riding gear, jodhpurs, boots, saddles, and more for dressage, polo, and general riding fun.  It includes 40 English-themed sketch pad pages, markers, colored pencils, eraser, sharpener, and design guide.  A portion of the proceeds from this goes towards the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Wild Horse and Burro Program.

The Project Runway Fashion Design Challenge Sketchbook is right from the awesome show. The spinner in this kit tells you where to start. The next step is to design a garment based on an endless combination of challenges such as creating a formal gown out of a garbage bag in 30 minutes. This comes with colored pencils, 2 fashion sketch pads, style guide, and pencil sharpener. You are only competing against yourself, but it definitely forces you to be creative.

Project Runway Shoe Design Sketch Book allows you to design a fun and fashionable shoe collection. The sketch book teaches you the history of shoes. You also are able to design your own line of footwear, and you are able to personalize your creations. Included in this kit are 2 sketch pads, 12 colored pencils, and a design guide.

Project Runway Graphic T-Shirt Design Studio Set allows you to make your own custom made shirts. It has a style to help you out, but the creation is all up to you. This includes 6 fabric markers, the Cooler Jeweler Tool (gem and stud setting tool), 50 gems, 50 studs, 2 yards of metallic ribbon, stencils, patterns, design guide and more!

The great thing with all of these kits is that it requires the child to think and use every ounce of creativity they have. The best part is that they are having fun while they do it, and there is not one battery involved.  I found all of these products to be high quality and would recommend the Fashion Angels line to everyone!

Another great place to check out for you Christmas shopping is Maddigrace.  This is a unique boutique that really carries a little something for everyone.  They have gifts for moms, dads, kids, and you even pick yourself up a gourmet lunch bag!  This is a site after my hearts, since they offer free shipping.  They have a daily sale so make sure you check in to see how you can save even more money.  They also have a ton of items that you can get personalized to make what you get a one of a kind gift.

The site is just fun to look at.  The navigation is great, and it is quite easy to find what you are looking for.  The background colors really draw you in.  Ordering is pretty painless, and you can even use Paypal. If you are looking for a site to get all your Christmas shopping done on, Maddigrace is a great place to start.

Sometimes it is extremely weird when certain things happen in your life. We had that happen today. We found out at church today that Madison does not like to go up to the front. We literally had to drag her up there for the New Members greeting. I was just trying to wrack my brains and come up with a way to overcome that fear when I remembered that we just got a book called Genevieve’s Gift. This is an award winning children’s picture book for ages 4 – 8. It is about a little girl who is able to overcome her nervousness by “listening to her heart”. When she listens to her heart, she finds courage and inspiration. There is a step by step guide in the back of this book that I am hoping to use with Madison. We briefly talked about it today, but she was too busy wanting to read the next book. This story definitely flows, and Madison could easily follow it and pay attention to it. Madison also likes to sing, so we sang the song Genevieve did for her friend (there is also a music guide in the back of the book, so you even have the tune). I love that a portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book is donated to the National Down Syndrome Society. This is a great little book that has some great lessons in it.  All kids should definitely read it.

Often when we are in the doctor’s office, we see Highlights.  For many of your who are in my age range, we all pretty much remember Highlights.  It is one of the few magazines that is for children and is educational.  My only issue with Highlights is that it is for old kids, and I have younger ones.  When I found out that Highlights now makes High Five, I was estatic.  High Five is for preschool age children, and it is a huge hit in my house.  When Madison’s magazine comes, she literally will spend an hour flipping through it herself on the chair.  That is even before we sit down together to do some of the activities!  I love that it is right at her level.  There are stories and activities that you can do with with your children.  In my latest issue, we learned how to make bathtub crayons and chocolate covered bananas.

If you are needing a gift for a preschool age child or have on yourself, make sure you subscribe to High Five.  It is the only magazine I have seen on the market for that age group, and you know it is quality since it is made by Highlights!