Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of my affiliate links, I will be compensated. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
Since it is cyber Monday and the deals are pretty incredible today, I wanted to get this year's gift guide out there. You may find something useful in these older gift guides too. The Best Gifts for Moms, The Best Gifts for Foodies, Moms, and Bloggers, and The best gifts for 3 to 8 year old boys.
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First, I will mention Lands End because today you can get 60% off your order and free shipping on orders of $50 or more. Use code FLURRY and Pin 1234. Plus if you order through my Rakuten link today, you will earn 15% cash back. I love Lands End and I love getting cash back on things I was going to purchase anyway. I always check Rakuten before ordering anything to see if they have cash back for the particular store.
Update: As of December 1st (today), Land's End has extended this coupon code for another day so it should still work for you. Another thing I love about Land’s End is the sales. Since I love Land’s End so much, I subscribe to their email list so I get emails with great coupon codes quite frequently. I always order through Rakuten and get cash back, then I use my coupon codes from my email combined with my Rakuten cash back. I usually get at least 40% off my order with free shipping. They also have a great “on the counter” section with last call clearance items. I have been waiting for today's sale to order a few things for the boys. This morning I ordered slippers and warm lined pants plus a couple of tops for myself. I love that I can consistently order small tall shirts for myself and they always fit. If you are tall or petite, Lands End is great because they have your size. They have plus sizes too. I recently ordered Starfish slim leg pants and they are my favorite! I have two pairs and one on backorder. They are so comfortable at home and look good enough to wear out and I can order them in the tall size.
As many of you know we used to live in Murray, Ky. There is a wonderful women owned small business from Murray called Farmhouse 31. They make the cutest Christian themed shirts in what I would call a trendy modern farmhouse style. Ten percent of all of their sales go to charity and they sometimes offer an item for sale with 100% of the profits going to charity. I am an ambassador for Farmhouse 31, so if you make an order, use my coupon code FAITH10 to save 10% off your first order. Here are some of my favorites. I think the Bloom with Grace yellow hooded sweatshirt is just so cozy looking and cute!
I love my Pact Organic socks! Everyone needs socks and these are the softest, sturdiest socks. I first found out about Pact organic from a blog review I wrote a few years ago and I have loved them ever since. Their underwear is great too. My husband has their underwear and it’s his absolute favorite brand of underwear. They also have great sales this time of year and if you order through my link you will save 20% and get free shipping. You can read my full review of Pact Organic here.
These jeans will forever be one of my favorite things! Every woman needs a great pair of jeans, and these are great jeans. I have practically lived in these jeans since I first reviewed them on my blog in 2016. Yes I still wear the pair I reviewed and three more I have accumulated since then. I have a pair of Kayla jeans and three pairs of Kara jeans (two denim and one red). Both styles are wonderful, but I think the Kara is my favorite. The Kayla jeans have a mid-rise waist so they sit just below the natural waistline which means you won't have to pull them up at the waist. The Kara jeans are a lower waist and so comfortable. My favorite color is denim. Read this post for my completely honest review of prAna clothing.
As I have gotten older I have noticed that my skin needs more moisture than it used to. I have made it part of my daily routine to moisturize with a good skin cream and have tried several over the years. I generally try to use more natural products and look for creams with vitamins C and E. Last fall I started using Trim Healthy Mama Orange Silk Hydrating Cream, which my sister got me for my birthday. This is the ingredient list: Aloe Vera Gel, Infused Olive Oil, Beeswax, Coconut Oil, Grape Seed Oil, Orange Essential Oil, Calendula, Plantain, St. John’s Wort, Goldenseal, Myrrh Gum, Tea Tree Oil, Vitamin E, Safflower Seed Oil, Xanthan, Potassium Sorbate, Ascorbic Acid, Citric Acid. I really like this moisturizer. It feels and smells really nice and does a good job of moisturizing my skin.
My favorite, most used gift I received last year is my Instant Pot Duo Crisp + Air Fryer. It is a pressure cooker, but so much more. I have also used the sauté, air fry, sous vide, and dehydrate functions. I use the air fry function the most (here is a recipe for air fryer fried green tomatoes). I have dehydrated lots of fruit this fall using the dehydrate function which is really easy to do. Here is a link to dehydrated pears and apples. And here is a YouTube video showing you how to use the Instant Pot to dehydrate pears. I love this appliance, use it a lot and plan to keep on using it so it has been a good investment for me. If you are in the market for an Instant Pot, look for cyber Monday sales. You may be able to get a good deal on it.
A few years ago, my sisters gave me an immersion blender for my birthday. They sent me a Kitchen Aid Immersion Blender and I use it all the time. I have used it so much this fall for canning apple and pear butter and use it frequently when making soups. I love my immersion blender because it so easy to use and clean. This is a great gift idea for someone who loves to cook!
Some of my favorite soup recipes that I make with my immersion blender: Butternut Squash Soup Potato and Onion Soup Red Pepper and Tomato Soup
Here are a few of my favorite kitchen items that would make great gifts for the home cook.
I hope you all find the perfect gifts for your loved ones and have time to enjoy the Christmas season and celebrate God's greatest gift, Jesus. Merry Christmas!
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Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of my affiliate links, I will be compensated.
A couple of years ago I wrote a popular post...The Best Gifts for Foodies, Moms, and Bloggers. There is still a lot of great stuff in that post, but I have some new things to add for moms. So here goes.
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So this post comes from my 43 year old perspective of wants, likes, needs and won’t appeal to everyone, but these are all things I love and hopefully you’ll find something of value here. Some of my favorite things...
Every mom needs a great pair of jeans, and these are great jeans. I have practically lived in these jeans since I first reviewed them on my blog in 2016. Yes I still wear the pair I reviewed and a second pair I asked for at Christmas time a year later. I have two pair of prAna jeans and they are my most worn wardrobe items by far. I have a pair of Kayla jeans and a pair of Kara jeans. Both are wonderful. The Kayla jeans have a mid-rise waist so they sit just below the natural waistline which means you won't have to pull them up at the waist. The Kara jeans are a lower waist and so comfortable. I ordered a new pair of Kayla jeans to gift myself under our tree this year, but I ordered them in midnight and the fabric is not my favorite (not exactly denim) so they are on their way back to amazon. I already ordered a new pair in denim this week since my other prAna jeans are so loved (worn) and I would like a fresh new pair. Read this post for my completely honest review of prAna clothing.
I love my Pact Organic socks! Everyone needs socks, yes even moms and these are the softest, sturdiest socks. I first found out about Pact organic from a blog review I wrote a few years ago and I have loved them ever since. In fact I am wearing my favorite Pact organic lounge pants and some of their socks right now as I type this poolside at swim practice. Their underwear is great too. My husband and I both have their underwear and it’s his absolute favorite brand of underwear. I have already bought some Christmas sock gift boxes for gifts and yes there is one for Santa to put under our tree for me. I get one every year since they are my favorite cozy socks. They also have great sales this time of year and if you order through my link you will save 20%. They have been offering free shipping too. You can read my full review of Pact Organic here.
As many of you know we used to live in Murray, Ky. There is a wonderful women owned small business from Murray called Farmhouse 31. They make the cutest Christian themed shirts in what I would call a trendy modern farmhouse style. Ten percent of all of their sales go to charity and they sometimes offer an item for sale with 100% of the profits going to charity. I recently became an ambassador for Farmhouse 31, so if you make an order, use my coupon code FAITH10 to save 10% off your first order. I follow Farmhouse 31 on instagram and they have been having daily Christmas sales worth checking out.
I have been wearing this “Merry and Bright” Christmas shirt for a couple of weeks and I love it. It is made of the softest cotton blend. I have this shirt in size small and while it feels great on, I generally like my shirts a little looser around the waistline so as not to accentuate my “work in progress” tummy. I have a farmhouse 31 logo shirt in medium and it fits well too without being too loose around the waist. I would probably get this shirt in a medium next time, but it is really comfy and I wear it all over town (even with it being a little snug in the waistline). They have so many cute and comfy styles and designs to choose from which would make the perfect gift for the women in your life. You can also follow Farmhouse 31 on facebook.
I am tall which makes shopping for long sleeve shirts a bit of a challenge. I actually order most of my long sleeve tops online so that I can get tall sizes. For several years, I have been a big fan of Land’s End. I know that I can consistently order small tall tops and they will always fit. I have several Land’s End sweaters which are so cozy in cold weather and four of their flannel shirts. My new favorite is the flannel tunic (pictured above) which I just recently purchased. I loved my first one so much that I ordered a second. This top is so easy to wear with jeans or leggings for a casual look. I even wore one to church last week. I love their tall dresses too. I can order timeless dresses that actually go to my knees. I have several everyday dresses that I wear all the time in the summer. And if you are not on the tall side they have regular and petite sizes too.
Another thing I love about Land’s End is the sales. I think I paid $10 for each of my new flannel tunics. Since I love Land’s End so much, I subscribe to their email list so I get emails with great coupon codes quite frequently. I always order through Rakuten and get cash back then I use my coupon codes from my email combined with my Rakuten cash back. You can read all about how I use Rakuten here. I usually get 50% off my order with free shipping. They always have free shipping on orders over $75, but they occasionally have coupon codes for free shipping with no minimum. They also have a great “on the counter” section with last call clearance items.
Moms need to feel pretty, but tend to not spend much time and money on themselves. Honestly, I don't spend much time getting ready because time is precious and I just don't have much spare time, but I do use a handful of products that help me feel more put together. I have a couple of recommendations for the 40+ moms in your life. I have recommended this before, but it is still my favorite cosmetic product that I use and although it is expensive, it is worth every penny. I started using Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in light 2 vanilla when I had my 20th high school reunion in 2014. Since then I switched to Nars Soft Matte Complete Concealer in light 2 vanilla which is a little thicker for more coverage. I do use a makeup brush to apply my concealer. I originally wrote about how I found this concealer (which my sister now uses too), here if you are interested. My Favorite Gifts for Foodies, Moms, and Bloggers (Updated)
As I have gotten older I have noticed that my skin needs more moisture than it used to. I have made it part of my daily routine to moisturize with a good skin cream and have tried several over the years. I generally try to use more natural products and look for creams with vitamins C and E. This fall I started using Trim Healthy Mama Orange Silk Hydrating Cream, which my sister got me for my birthday. This is the ingredient list: Aloe Vera Gel, Infused Olive Oil, Beeswax, Coconut Oil, Grape Seed Oil, Orange Essential Oil, Calendula, Plantain, St. John’s Wort, Goldenseal, Myrrh Gum, Tea Tree Oil, Vitamin E, Safflower Seed Oil, Xanthan, Potassium Sorbate, Ascorbic Acid, Citric Acid.
I love this moisturizing cream. I use it everyday and it makes my skin feel healthy and smooth even in the colder weather. It smells good too. My husband asked me why I smelled so good the other day and finally I figured out that he liked the scent of my orange silk hydrating cream when he said I smelled like fruit.
Another great gift idea is simply a gift card to her favorite salon or store. So often moms don't buy things or do things for themselves because their priorities are their families and they are too busy with work and taking care of others to put much thought into themselves.
I hope you all find the perfect gifts for your loved ones and have time to enjoy the Christmas season and celebrate God's greatest gift, Jesus. Merry Christmas!
Disclosure: I received complimentary product in exchange for an honest review.
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You may remember I reviewed a set of these dinosaur pajamas last May. See my post: Just Like Clark Griswold in My New Dinosaur Pajamas and Enter to Win Your Favorite PJ's! They are still my comfiest, coziest pj's so when I was asked if I wanted to review something for the Christmas season, I decided my husband could use a matching set. Now our three year old thinks we are the coolest parents in the universe in our matching dinosaur pj's.
Remember the attic scene in National Lampoons Christmas Vacation when Clark got stuck in the attic wearing these dinosaur pajamas. National Lampoons Christmas Vacation is one of our favorite Christmas movies of all time and now we have our own dinosaur pajamas just like Clark Griswold! I haven't watched it yet this year. I can't wait to snuggle in my new pj's and watch the best Christmas movie ever, National Lampoons of course.
My husband ordered extra large and they seem to fit him well. He loves his new pj's and wears them all the time. Mine are medium, but the small probably would have fit just fine. I am on the tall side so I wanted the extra length of a medium. These are made from soft velour fabric. The pants are elastic at the waist and the top is button front. These are super comfy, the coziest pajamas!
You too can be as cool as us in our Clark Griswold dinosaur pj selfie. LOL. Find these pj's and many more fun Christmas themed pajamas and sweaters at UglyChristmasSweater.com.
Want to win your own favorite pajamas from UglyChristmasSweater.com? Winner's choice!
I received this product for free from Moms Meet (momsmeet.com), May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet blogger, I agree to use this product and post my honest opinion on my blog. The opinions posted are my own.
I read an article recently about the impact our clothing choices have on our world. It was pretty eye opening. I generally knew that some choices were better than others, but I didn't really know why. Honestly, I lived most of my life without even thinking about the environmental impact of my clothing choices. Until recently, it didn't even cross my mind. I read another enlightening article about how clothes are potentially polluting the food supply. Love microfiber fleece? We do too, but the fibers have been found to pollute water and marine life.
Over the last year or two, I've noticed a cultural movement towards being more intentional in how we live and the choices we make. Maybe we should be more intentional concerning our clothing choices too and the impact that those choices have on textile workers, farmers, farmland, and now even the water supply. We should consider our overflowing closets too and make intentional choices based on what we really need and will wear again and again.
Luckily because of companies like PACT Organic it is getting easier to find clothing that is better for both us and the planet. PACT Organic uses organic farming practices that don't pollute the soil or water, while working with organizations that protect the well-being of people who make the clothes.
I was excited to review several pieces of PACT Organic clothing. As you can see they sent several things to try. The packages say super soft for a reason...the clothes really are super soft.
I love black leggings and have worn them for years and my new PACT Organic leggings are both soft and strong. I love that they are thicker than many of the leggings I have worn and stay comfortably in place. No tugging to keep them up. They are also nice and long. I am around 5' 10" and these leggings fit perfectly in both length and size.
My husband tried the boxer briefs. When I asked him how he liked them, he said he loved them and that they were so soft and supportive. This is a lot coming from him because he is really particular. I always tell him he should be in quality control or a food critic.
I LOVE my new PACT Organic light weight hoodie. First the color is the most beautiful blue stripe that goes with so many things. Second it is so soft and cozy. I have worn this sweatshirt many many times in the short time I have owned it.
As I have mentioned before, I am on the tall side and often have trouble finding shirts that have long enough sleeves. My new sweatshirt has wonderfully long sleeves, maybe because it has wrist slits for your thumbs which could come in handy if you are a runner. I haven't used this option, but love the sleeve length and coziness. I think my new PACT Organic hoodie might just be my favorite piece of clothing I have ever owned.
I wasn't sure if I would get much use out of my new PACT Organic camisole since I am nursing my 7 month old son, but it actually works well as a nursing tank. I wear a nursing tank every single day under my clothing so that my middle doesn't show when I lift my top shirt to nurse. What I like about this tank is that it is supportive enough to stay in place, but stretches enough to make access for nursing. The fabric is really soft, stretchy and supportive all at the same time. It doesn't loose its shape at the end of the day like some tanks do. I have found that if worn with jeans, it tends to ride up at the waist and I end up pulling it down throughout the day, but if worn with yoga type clothes (which I wear a lot), it stays in place. You can see it peaking out from underneath my shirt in the pictures above.
Check out PACT Organic and see all the cozy, comfy styles available. You can save 25% off your order with my discount code, AtHome25. There are some really cute affordably priced casual summer dresses and adorable baby things too. I just ordered some baby things for gifts and was impressed with the ease of ordering and how quickly my order shipped.
I don't know what it is about instagram, but I love it. I have only been (really) using it for a few months and know lots of people are not on instagram so I thought I would share some of my favorite pics. I post lots of pictures of the kids and our lives outside of Home Ec @ Home, so Mom you should love this!
Pretty excited about this, I just figured out how to add a caption that shows up when you hover the mouse over each picture. So hover to see what I have to say:) If you want to follow me on instagram, you can here.
Let me know if you are on instagram. I would love to see your posts!
Disclosure: I received complimentary products for review, but all opinions are honest and are my own. #ad. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
Welcome to my review of prAna clothing (affiliate link). I have seen prAna online through blog reviews, but had never tried the clothes before this review. I was excited to try out some new things, but a little apprehensive about how I would look in them since I am on the tall side at 5'10" and I have a 2 month old and am carrying a little extra weight around the middle. I was very careful when ordering and took my measurements since I have never worn prAna clothes before and my post baby body isn't back to normal yet. I even read reviews online to get a feel for the sizing. I chose the Kara jean (affiliate link) which is their most popular style in denim size 6 and the Stacia sweater in harbor blue size M. They are both made of organic cotton which I don't think I have ever worn before and have to admit is super soft. The sweater is fair trade certified which makes me feel good as a consumer knowing that the workers who made it are working under fair working conditions.
You are probably wondering how I really feel about my new prAna clothes after wearing them. First let's talk about the Kara jeans. They can be worn cuffed or uncuffed. Since I am so tall, I wear them uncuffed. In the summer, I may wear them cuffed as capri pants. You can see them cuffed at prAna.com. They are cute either way and if you are tall like me, you can still wear them. As far as fit goes, my Kara jeans fit really well except that they are in my opinion too low at the waist. I don't like having to worry about my backside showing when I sit down or bend over. I remedy this by wearing long tops with these jeans. Most of my tops are longer anyway, but I wouln't wear a short top with the Kara jeans.
As far as comfort goes, the Kara jeans are sooooooooo comfortable! The first day I wore them, I commented to my husband that night that I felt like I had worn yoga pants or sweats all day. You get the look of jeans with the comfort of sweats. They are so soft and flexible you could proably do yoga in them if you wanted. The Kara jeans are pricier as far as jeans go, but a good pair of jeans is a wardrobe staple. I have probably worn them at least 10 times since I received them for review. They are my new go-to jeans that I wear all the time. Now let's talk about the Stacia sweater. Based on my measurements and the fact that I just had a baby, I ordered a medium. This sweater is not fitted at the waist and is a little larger than I realized it would be. If I would have known, I would have ordered a small. So my sweater is bigger on me than I would like, but I still wear it because it is super comfy and I love the color. It is a beautiful blue green color. One thing I love about this sweater is that the sleeves are long enough for my arms. I almost always have to order tall size tops and can't just walk into a store and buy one. This is not a tall size sweater and the sleeves are long enough for me. There is one flaw in my sweater and that is that it is not perfectly symetrical across the front. The left side is slightly longer than the right and I find myself tugging on the right side to make it longer. Good news is I don't think anyone else notices. Overall, I recommend the Stacia sweater as a fashionable and comfortable piece of clothing, however, if I had purchased the sweater I would have sent it back for a smaller size that was symetrical across the front. I have had a good experience reviewing my new prAna clothing. I have worn both the sweater and jeans multiple times in the short time I have owned them and know that if I had purchased them myself I would get my money's worth. My new prAna clothes are fashionable and functional which is important to this busy mother of four.
2021 Update: I now have four pairs of prAna jeans that are wardrobe staples in my regular clothing rotation. They are still my favorite jeans I own! You can read a more recent update on my favorite jeans in this gift guide post.
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Welcome to Home Ec @ HomeHi, I'm Faith, a former Family and Consumer Science teacher turned food blogger. I love God, my family, and food. You can usually find me in the kitchen preparing family friendly, homemade recipes and taking lots of pictures. This website uses marketing and tracking technologies. Opting out of this will opt you out of all cookies, except for those needed to run the website. Note that some products may not work as well without tracking cookies. Opt Out of CookiesFan Favorites
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