Kids Christmas Gift Guide 2020

It's the one you've all been waiting for; the Kids Christmas Gift Guide! This year's guide is full of so many great gifts for kids of all ages - from the teeny tiny ones right through to teens!

Here's what's on the list this year! >> 

Recipe: Easy S'mores Rocky Road (Gluten Free!)

Easy S’mores Rocky Road Recipe with toasted marshmallows - A gluten free treat that is the perfect homemade gift to share with friends. This Easy S’mores Rocky Road combines blow torch roasted marshmallows, crunchy graham cracker pieces and creamy milk chocolate for a delicious dessert or foodie gift idea. Perfect for Valentine’s Day, birthdays or a handmade Christmas gift idea. Also makes the best hostess gift wrapped in pretty packaging.

Click to pin this recipe on Pinterest!

Rocky Road is one of my favourite foodie gifts of all time.  It’s easy to make, easy to customise, easy to gift and seriously impressive to boot. 

All you’ve got to do is melt, mix, chill and slice - only this time I’ve added one extra step. 

And oh what an epic step it is. 

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This S’mores Rocky Road is seriously delicious. You’ve got toasted marshmallows, crunchy biscuit pieces and creamy milk chocolate, creating the ultimate sweet treat. 

With Valentines Day just days away, it’s the perfect treat to make for your sweetheart.

So let me show you how to make it! >> 

DIY Christmas Blanket (on a Budget!)

How to Make a DIY Christmas Blanket using the Cricut Maker and Iron On HTV | This polyester blanket is the perfect budget handmade Christmas gift idea. No sew and super easy, this fleece blanket is perfect for everyone on your Christmas list and can be made in minutes. Includes free gift tag and design SVGs and images as well as a full tutorial. 

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I am one of those people who always likes to be snuggled up in a book. It doesn't matter the time of day or the weather, whether I'm reading a book or watching TV, you'll find me curled up under a blanket as cosy as can be.

And I know I'm not the only one - I have so many other friends and family members who share my blanket love - and that sparked an idea! A Customised Blanket would make the perfect Christmas gift, so I had to come up with a super easy way to do just that. 

And with a $5 blanket in hand, my Cricut maker and some iron on HTV, I did exactly that and created the easiest (and most impressive!) budget friendly handmade gift idea that anyone would be happy to receive this Christmas.

So let me show you how to make it! >> 

Recipe: Peppermint Crunch Rocky Road (Gluten Free!)

Easy Peppermint Crunch Rocky Road Recipe - Traditional Rocky Road gets a Christmas twist with this gourmet mint rocky road. Combining classic milk chocolate, white chocolate and marshmallows with candy canes and mint slice biscuits, this slice will become your new family fave. Also makes the best homemade gift idea. 

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Our Disneyland vacation is sadly over, but I timed it strategically because it's not all sad.... CHRISTMAS IS COMING!

When you're reading this, we should be back in Australia and by 12pm, I can almost guarantee that you will find me pulling boxes of Christmas decorations out of the roof because the Christmas celebrations start now.

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Christmas is my favourite time of year. I love the decorating, I love the food, I love getting to spend extra time with family friends, I love the traditions, I love the music, I love the excitement - I love pretty much every single thing about Christmas.

But especially the treats.

This Peppermint Crunch Rocky Road Recipe is one I came up with last Christmas, but one that quickly became a family favourite. It's so easy to make, but the kind of recipe everyone will ask for because it's seriously delicious. 

Even better? It makes the perfect homemade Christmas gift to share with friends, whether they're coming to your house or you're visiting theirs. Simply grab a jar and a pretty Christmas ribbon, fill it with your rocky road, tie it with a bow and you're ready to gift.

But first, let me share the recipe with you! >> 

How to Make a Shadow Lantern (Disney Inspired Peter Pan Lantern Tutorial)

How to make a DIY Shadow Lantern on a Budget | Learn how to turn an IKEA Rotera Lantern into a DIY Disney Peter Pan Shadow Lantern with this easy tutorial. A perfect weekend craft project you can make in under an hour for less than $10. Customise your lantern for a birthday present, handmade Christmas gift idea, custom home decor piece or whatever you fancy. Made with the Cricut Maker and adhesive vinyl.

Click to pin this project on Pinterest!

Our Disneyland trip is just 41 days away - so naturally, all of our free time has been filled with Disney things. Jesse and I have been making t-shirts with our Cricut Maker, and this weekend we decided to come up with a super quick weekend project.

This Shadow Lantern is SO simple to make. It can be made for less than $10 and in less than half an hour - and you can customise it to create any theme you like. 

So what are we waiting for? 
Let me show you how to make it!

Recipe: Homemade Chocolate Covered Popcorn + A Free Cricut Father's Day Printable

This Homemade Chocolate Coated Popcorn Recipe is gluten free, vegan (or not!), refined sugar free, nut free, dairy free and so easy to make. The post also includes a free Cricut Vinyl Sticker design for a “World’s Best Pop!” Father’s day or Christmas gift for your Dad or Grandpa! Perfect for kids birthday parties, a homemade gift idea or whenever you want something sweet! Popcorn can be air popped or popped on the stovetop.

Click to pin this recipe on Pinterest!

I love popcorn. I don't know what it is about it, but I just do - especially if it's flavoured popcorn. 

Growing up, there was this popcorn stand at a local shopping centre that had all the flavours you could imagine - and every time I went shopping there with my Dad, he'd let me get a small cup of whatever I wanted.

Sometimes it was chocolate, sometimes it was caramel, sometimes it was salt and vinegar - and for my sister, it was always rainbow popcorn. 

And that popcorn recipe is exactly what inspired this super simple Father's Day gift idea!

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This Chocolate Coated Popcorn Recipe is super simple to make - and it's seriously impressive. 

To turn it into a gift, all you need is a big airtight jar (my one pictured is from IKEA but I don't recommend it as it doesn't actually seal!) and my World's Best Pop! sticker which you can access here on Cricut Design Space.

I printed my sticker on some white adhesive vinyl, but you could use whatever colour you like. Simply go to the design page and hit make it! Also included in the design is a second back layer which you can use if you wanted a layered sticker. 

Don't want the layer? Don't worry! Simply remove it or just cut the top layer. 

Once you've cut your sticker, weed out the excess pieces, apply your transfer tape and clean the outside of your jar with some rubbing alcohol (this helps it stick). Apply your sticker and you're ready to fill your jar with popcorn! 

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This popcorn is also perfect for any time eating - or for a birthday celebration. You can also cut your own DIY popcorn boxes using cardstock and the Cricut with this Popcorn Box Template. Once you've cut it, simply decorate with vinyl or whatever you like, fill it with popcorn and you're good to go

But let me share the recipe with you! >> 

DIY: How to Make a Custom Painted Doormat on a Budget

How to Make a Custom Painted Doormat with the Cricut Maker - Create your own personalised doormat in under an hour with this budget friendly DIY project. Make it funny, sweet, quirky, use a monogram, gift it as a Christmas gift or house warming gift - the choice is yours. This tutorial also includes the secret to making your doormat last as long as possible as well as stencil files and tips for making your own.

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I love a good weekend project - and this DIY Custom Doormat may be one of my easiest (and most impressive) ones yet. 

Made in under an hour and for less than $20 (you can actually make three for $25!), it's a project that almost anyone could do and would make an awesome gift idea. 

Best of all? It's super simple - but everyone will be in awe of your creative talent because it looks so much more complicated than it is!

So let me show you how to make it! >> 

Recipe: Easy Cookies & Cream Rocky Road (Gluten Free!)

This Cookies and Cream Rocky Road Recipe is easy to make, gluten free and the perfect homemade gift alternative to store-bought candy for Christmas, Easter or Valentine’s Day. White chocolate, milk chocolate and gluten free Oreos combine to make this simple treat. 

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Rocky Road is something we make every Christmas (particularly this Kid Friendly Rocky Road Recipe), but recently, I realised that rocky road shouldn't be something I only make at Christmas time. 

So, I thought... why not create a rocky road recipe for every holiday? With Valentine's Day fast approaching, I wanted to come up with a simple rocky road recipe that would be the perfect homemade Valentine's gift - and I think I've come up with the perfect one!

This Cookies and Cream Rocky Road is SO easy to make, and seriously delicious to make... and I'm pretty sure it could make someone fall in love with you. 

I mean, isn't chocolate the way to most people's hearts? Or is it just Jesse and I who would do anything for chocolate?

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Best of all? It's one of those homemade treats that can look really impressive - but is actually so simple even the worst cooks could perfect it. 

Package it up in a box with some cellophane or pop it into a pretty jar and tie it up with some ribbon. It's a simple, easy homemade gift that everyone will love.

Oh, but do make sure you make a little bit extra to save for yourself... otherwise you won't want to give any away 😛 (I may or may not have hid the photographed batch at the back of the fridge so Jesse didn't know it was there... ahem....)

So let me share the recipe with you! >> 

Recipe: Easy Cocoa Roasted Almonds (Gluten Free + Vegan!)

A healthy chocolate treat that makes the perfect homemade gift idea for Christmas or Valentine's Day, this Healthy Cocoa Roasted Almonds Recipe is gluten free, vegan, refined sugar free, grain free, clean eating friendly and has paleo and low carb options so everyone can enjoy them. Chocolate covered almonds have never been healthier or easier to make!

Click here to pin this recipe on Pinterest!

So, whilst this recipe may be perfect for Valentine's Day, it wasn't created with Valentine's Day in mind at all... 

In fact, it all started on a plane.... 

You see, when you're a coeliac and have to eat gluten free, travelling can be difficult. Trying to find safe options that aren't cross-contaminated with gluten or filled with gluten that you didn't know was there because the ingredients list is in a foreign language. Wondering whether supermarkets will have a big gluten free range or whether you'll be living on rice cakes and greek yogurt for the next three weeks. Going through security lines as watching the officers faces when they see each one of your carry on bags is full of food and saying "yes... that's all for me". 

When that's your life, travelling is a well planned out, thought out process which involves plenty of tupperware containers and pre packed snacks.... but sometimes travelling surprises you... 

You see, we were on an American Airlines flight from Dallas to Los Angeles when Jesse ordered a snack box - and when it arrived I found it was full of gluten free food. Poor Jesse quickly lost half of the items in that snack box as I claimed them as my own (don't worry, he had other food... I'm not quite that selfish). 

And one of those items were cocoa roasted almonds. 

Click here to pin this recipe on Pinterest!

It was a teeny tiny packet full of the things dreams are made of. They were sweet, crunchy and oh so delicious. 

So what was one of the first things I had to do when I got home? Recreate them, of course! 

In true Kristy fashion, I wanted to make this recipe as simple as possible and as healthy as possible - and, dare I say it, I totally nailed it. These cocoa almonds require just four ingredients - and they take only 17 minutes to make (and yep, we totally timed it). 

The hardest part of the whole process? Waiting for them to cool so you can devour them - and resisting the urge to eat the ridiculously hot toffee pieces that are left on the tray after you pour the almonds into the cocoa (please, resist the urge... I didn't and let's just say my fingertips lost a few layers of skin...).

But basically, these are SO delicious that gifting them to someone else is the greatest expression of love in the world because you will not want to share them.

But enough talking - I need to give you the recipe so you can make these ASAP! 

So let me share the recipe with you! >> 

The Best Christmas Gifts for Foodies This Year

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It's the final week of November and today I'm sharing my final gift guide for the year! 

I'm a sucker for foodie gifts and I thought I'd end this year's gift guide series on a high with my favourite foodie gifts for 2018. 

So let me share these gifts with you! 

The Best Christmas Gifts for Men This Year

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Christmas decoration are filling the stores and if you listen closely, you'll probably hear Christmas carols played in shopping centres too - but don't panic!

Whilst Christmas is still a few weeks away, I want to take the stress out of Christmas shopping by sharing my Christmas Gift Guides for this year! I've already shared my Kids and Family Christmas Gift Guide and my Women's Christmas Gift Guide and this week, I'm covering gifts for the men in your life. 

So let me share our picks with you! >> 

The Best Christmas Gifts for Women This Year

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Can you believe there's just 42 days until Christmas?! I certainly can't - but luckily I already have my gift list for this year so I'm not scrambling at the last minute. 

If you're still looking for Christmas gift ideas, I'm continuing my annual Christmas Gift Guide series with a Women's Christmas Guide Guide today! Each Monday in November, I'll be sharing a new gift guide with you so that by the end of the month, you should have your Christmas list sorted too! 

If you haven't seen the Kids Christmas Gift Guide 2018, go ahead and open that in a new tab to read later.

But today, it's all about the ladies!

So let me share my top Christmas gift ideas for women! >> 

How to Make a DIY Statement Pillow on a Budget (No Sew Option!)

I'm one of those people who goes into a store, knowing exactly what I want... but you see, that's not always a good thing, because often times, the store doesn't have exactly what I want. 

As I was pulling together my themed decor for this month (after putting away my Easter decor!), I decided I wanted a book related pillow. Something to add to my reading chair that was totally "me".... but do you think I could find it?!

Nope. What I did find, however, was a plain grey pom pom pillow that I loved - but felt was too plain... and then it hit me. Why not take the plain pom pom pillow and turn it into a statement pillow myself?

And thus I got to work. 

So let me share how to make a DIY statement pillow on a budget >>

How to Make Your Own Curious Easter Bunny Pots (An Easy DIY Easter Craft!)

If you've been following Southern In Law for a while, you'd know I love a good project - and this Easter, I may have the easiest project of all for you!

These DIY Bunny Pots are perfect for kids, school teachers, friends and family this Easter and are a perfect way to make a little treat just that extra bit special.

Best of all? They take just minutes to make and will only cost a few dollars. Even if you're a crafting newbie, I promise you can make this! 

So let me show you how to make them! >> 

The Ultimate Bookworm Gift Guide

It's no secret that I'm a bit of a bookworm. 

But as well as my addiction to buying and reading books, I also love all of the fun bookish things. From t-shirts and cute mugs to cosying up with my favourite blankets in my reading nook.

I thought it would be fun to put together the Ultimate Bookworm Gift Guide - complete with things I own as well as a whole bunch of other things I've got on my wishlist!

So let me share my favourite book lover gift ideas with you! >>