Black Friday Sale 2022 (and a few holiday gift ideas!)

I’ve mentioned a few times in the past that I’m not a big Black Friday shopper. I’ve never stood in any lines overnight or herded through the doors of some retail establishment in the wee hours of the morning, hoping to score a television. The closest we’ve come is my husband wandering around a Target the night before Thanksgiving, trying to find a roasting pan while they set up barricades for all the expected shoppers. Even that was too close for me.

As such, I am very thankful for online shopping. The discounts may not be as deep as doorbuster sales (though sometimes they are!), but being able to shop from the comfort of my own home is a luxury I wouldn’t trade for any kind of discount (except free…maybe free…). I also appreciate that many micro-businesses like mine can only be shopped online, so I feel good knowing I’m supporting a family when I buy from one of these online businesses.

I shared many Charlotte Mason-inspired Christmas gift ideas in my post last week. Today I’m sharing a few general gift ideas. I also have links to some small shops that caught my eye this year and offer items that I think would make wonderful gifts. And, of course, many online shops are offering Black Friday sales of their own (including mine), which you can read more about below!

Gifts for Kids

We keep gift-giving very simple in our family and each kid gets four gifts: something they want, something they need, something they can wear, and something they can read. For more ideas for kids, check out my Christmas Gift Ideas for the Charlotte Mason Homeschooling Family post!

Nature Fluxx Game – We got this changing card game for C for her birthday this year, and it’s a game that we have all enjoyed playing together as a family. I also love that they have other themes as well.

Jenny Linsky Books – I have probably mentioned these adorable books before, but they’re worth mentioning again. We have almost the complete set of stories about this sweet little black cat (whom our own little black cat was named after), and they’re great books for younger readers who are ready for chapter books.

Sew Mini Animals and Little Monsters Beginners Sewing Kit – These are two fun little sewing kits we picked up for our kids this year. The projects would also make great gifts!

Indescribable Kids Devotional Books – We’ve gotten each of these devotional books for our son the last two Easters, and when he finished them, his sister asked to go through them as well. Sometimes he’ll offer up a random science fact that I know we didn’t cover in our lesson time, and it’s something he learned from these books.

Edison Robot – If you have a child interested in robots and coding, this little LEGO-compatible device is for them. After spending the last several years collecting all of the Snap Circuits sets available (which I can’t recommend enough as another Christmas gift idea!), we wanted something that taught programming but didn’t require a smartphone or iPad. After doing some research, we ended up getting this for our son’s birthday, and he has enjoyed programming it to run routes, play sounds, and other things. The price point is also very reasonable given that other, similar robots are far more expensive. (They also sell a kit that makes it more compatible with LEGO.)

Cavallini Puzzles – These could easily be a gift for the whole family. My kids devour puzzles and usually can get through a 500-piece puzzle in a few days. I may pick up a few of these to give them more challenges.

Gifts for Mom

The Seasonal Reading Box from Tea and Ink Society – I have had my eye on this box for quite a while and definitely have it on my wishlist. This quarterly classic book subscription comes with tea and another gift – perfect for the book-lover!

Embroider the World of Jane Austen – A must for any Jane Austen fan who also happens to embroider! The kit comes with several beautiful patterns, iron-on transfers, embroidery floss, fabric, needles, and a hoop.

Jane Austen Penguin Clothbound Classics – And speaking of Ms. Austen, you can’t go wrong with the Jane Austen Clothbound Classics set from Penguin. I own almost all of these, and they are so beautiful and well-made.

Everything Worth Preserving A friend recommended this book on food preservation to me when I mentioned that I was teaching myself to can. Through the end of this year and in the coming year, I plan to get more into a routine of food preservation so I can buy more in bulk and preserve things from our garden. This book offers comprehensive instructions for several methods of preserving just about any produce (and meat!) out there. It’s still in the pre-order stage (until 12/1!), which means you don’t get an actual physical book yet, but for now, you do get the ebook version (which is handy for searching for specific things) along with a few other bonuses, and the physical copy will be shipped when it’s printed.

Audubon’s Watercolors 2023 Wall Calendar – I get one of these every year to hang in my kitchen and have come to love this tradition, as this is a gorgeous calendar, especially for a bird-lover.

Master Recipes from the Herbal Apothecary I picked this up for myself earlier this year, and it’s packed full of simple recipes (and preparation instructions) for herbal healing. This, along with Rosemary Gladstar’s Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner’s Guide, would be the perfect bundle for the budding herbalist in your life.

Plant Therapy Essential Oils and Related Items (see the Black Friday deal they’re offering below!) – This is pretty broad, I know, but this is my favorite place for EOs and everything related to them. I especially love their Vitamin C serum, as well as their Chill Out, Self-Esteem, Nighty Night, and Germ Fighter blends, all of which I use almost daily. I also love that they have a whole line of EO blends that are kid-safe, so you don’t need to worry about using them around your kids. Check out their gift guides with ideas for just about anyone on your list!

Charity Shops

Love146 – This amazing organization fights child sex trafficking around the world. I love their emphasis on the hope of healing and giving these children a future. You can see their gift catalog here.

Compassion – We sponsor three kids through this organization that aims to end child poverty around the world. They also have a gift catalog!

Heifer – This organization has been around for 75 years and is the first one I think of when empowering people in developing nations comes up. Gifting an animal to a family allows them to support themselves while also helping their own communities thrive. (Beatrice’s Goat is a beautiful book to share this concept with your kids!)

And here are a few more Black Friday sales from family-run Charlotte Mason shops!

A Delectable Education – Tons of Teacher Tools for Charlotte Mason mamas, head to their site on Black Friday for deals.

Afterthoughts Blog – Brandy Vencel’s shop has study guides, audio downloads, Swedish Drill books, event downloads and beginning Phonics lessons.  EVERYTHING in this shop is 20%! (We have used Dawn Duran’s Swedish Drill guides in Brandy’s shop in our homeschool and co-op for several years now and I have found them so helpful!)

a humble place – (That’s me!) From 11/25 to 11/28, you can get 30% off all Picture Study Aid PDFs, and many printable quote design PDFs are just $0.99! No coupon code is necessary.

Anna Vance Paper Co. – A homeschool family-owned and operated Charlotte Mason-inspired planning and journaling shop offering discounts on the Charlotte Mason Homeschool Planner & all digital downloads. 10% off CM Planners and all digital downloads! (This is my friend Anna who I have waxed poetic about for years. I absolutely LOVE her planners [you can see how I set mine up here]!)

Composer Study – Each study includes an easy-to-read biography of the composer’s life and 6 listening examples with activities and extension ideas. 50% off all products in the Gumroad store! Be sure to also check out the free Christmas Around the World unit study for free! Use coupon code “CM2022” to get the discounts!

Nature Study Hacking – Combining Nature Study lessons with Nature Journal prompts these books to help beginners learn how to use a nature journal AND study nature regularly through first-hand observation. Save 25% off site-wide from Thanksgiving Monday through Cyber Monday. (I have also used Joy’s guides for my Form I students and they have been great for getting us more into the habit of nature journaling! [You can read more about our experience with them here.])

Sabbath Mood Homeschool – Nicole’s site is full of living science curriculum support, book lists and more. Head to her site to see her Black Friday deals. (I have been using her guides with my Year 6 son and plan to use them with my daughter when she enters Year 4 next year. I’ll also be using this sale to pick up the next set of guides for Form III, which my son will be starting next year! [You can read more about our experience with them here.])

Tillberry Table – Sweet and simple Charlotte Mason-based guides designed for a full term’s worth of Composer Study. Each of the 14 grab-and-go guides contains a short bio, song info, links, and QR codes to all the music. All guides are 20% off. (I discovered Heather’s guides last year at the Living Education Retreat and they have been just perfect for our composer study time! [You can read more about our experience with them here.])

And finally, a benediction… May we all feel the true spirit of the season and take time to slow down, rest, and contemplate the anticipation of Christmas.

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