Christmas is 63 days away.
I know. I know. That’s not what you wanted to think about right now.
But it’s coming, ready or not.
Stuffed into the holiday season, our family also has three birthdays and an anniversary! So, in order to get ready and pay cash, I have to start in August.
Or all the birthdays get Christmas wrapping paper and my hubby gets an ornament for his anniversary. Again.
{Oh, look it’s a free tip}: December birthday babes dislike Christmas gift wrapping or having gifts lumped together as in “this your birthday-Christmas-combo gift”.
The other day, I followed a link that followed a link that led me to a happy place:
It’s called LynLivy’s ArtHouse owned by Stacey, a Mom blogger. It is a delightful store filled with fun art projects and creative ideas. It’s a family business in Texas, where toys get the seal of approval from the owner’s little girls! And I found so many treasures in this little nook of the world, that I wanted to squeal!
(But I have an ugly squeal).
What started out as a wild goose chase of clicks, ended up being a check off my to do list. Because this is what I’m going to buy for my son for Christmas:
and 
I can’t tell you how many potatoes have been defiled by my son. So, I think he might love this!
I wanted to get my 8 year old a Make Your Own Chewing Gum Kit, but my hubby is pretty sure she will want a Rocket kit too. Because we are a Cosmic Bunch. So, I ordered two of those. (The prices are very reasonable!)
There are so many fabulous kits and incredible ideas, I wanted to share them with you. LinLivy’s Arthouse is offering one reader a $25 gift certificate to get a head start on your Christmas shopping!
Go visit, come back and tell me what you’d buy! Let’s support Mom businesses! I will choose a winner on Thursday at noon (CST).
As a matter of fact, I’d love to finish up my shopping with all handmade items from Etsy or from stores owned by Moms. If you’d like to have your store featured in the form of a giveaway on this blog during the holidays, I’d love to introduce your products to my readers. Email me.
Now, go shopping!
For more great tips, visit Works for Me Wednesday.
Love the pizza kit! Teaching kids how to make dinner at an early age sounds like a swell idea to me.
Absolutely and right in line with my “Made in the USA” post yesterday! Go Moms in the USA!
The edible eyeballs would be a big hit ’round here.
Either of my daughters would love the granny squares kit! Both are wanting to learn to crochet, and the little case is just too cute. Thanks
Either of my daughters would love the granny squares kit! Both are wanting to learn to crochet, and the little case is just too cute. Thanks
My 9 year old son would totally love the kitchen discoveries. He already mixes stuff and “experiments” on his own. I find stuff in my freezer all the time he has mixed.
I would have to pass on anything that reveals germs. He is already a bit OCD and I don’t think we have room in the budget for industrial size hand sanitizer!
The crystal science, I had one as a kid and loved it. I think our almost 5 year old would really enjoy it.
They have lots of things I have never seen before! I like the Medieval Castle and those animorph thingies with interchangable body parts!
onlycancan at hotmail dot com
I’d buy the pizza baking kit. Thanks!
I would buy the baby Stella. My daughter’s name is Stella and she loves dolls. That would be perfect!!!
Any of the dinosaur puzzle kits would be loved at my place. Great site.
Any of the dinosaur puzzle kits would be loved at my place. Great site.
My son would SO love the rocket kit or moulding dinosaurs!!
I am buying the paper airplane book. My hubby and I were discussing how we were lacking knowledge in that department. Great find. Hopefully I can buy it with a GC.
Without a doubt it will be the glow in the dark slime. We love slime here, we make it fairly often so to have glow in the dark would be the cat’s meow!!! What a neat store.
What a great store. So many great things. I am getting the “My First Doll”
It’s a tie between Snot Science and Everyday Ooze…
I’ll be back to shop!
It’s a tie between Snot Science and Everyday Ooze…
I’ll be back to shop!
There is sooooo much great stuff there. I just couldn’t believe it and I barely started looking. I think I would get something in the artist section or the bathtub section. I liked the artist bathtub set. Both my grandkids love bathtime and “project” time as my Katy calls it. She loves doing projects while Mamaw tries to make cards.
I think my son would like the Toolbox Fill and Spill set. It’s so cute!
Thanks so much for sharing this site. I love all the unique items!
I am loving this store! I think I would have to buy the everyday ooze science kit. Apparently, you can make your own snot, ear wax and bad breath, which I think is totally disgusting but my nephew would think it was awesome.
Fun stuff!!! The 3D breakfast and lunch puzzles are my favorites. I also need a shopping cart for my little mommy in training.
Really fun site.
oh what a fun store! I’d have to pick the Li’l Grocery Cart since my toddler would loooooove that!
Thanks for the heads up on a great store. Love it. I would totally go for the shaving kit in the tub. My son just tried to shave with Daddy’s razor, luckily not cutting himself. So this gift would be, oh so perfect, in my house.
I love that store! Thanks for bringing it to my attention!
My kids would love the Gross Science kits…
The root viewer looks pretty neat and I know my boys would love the frog habitat. Thanks for the great giveaway!
Stephanie
dsmoore1 @ centurytel.net
My kids love things like that…what great ideas! Have you ever seen the marshmallow bow and arrow? It was a hit last year….we have done some of the Gross kits…thanks for sharing!
-Sandy Toes
We like things as gross as possible around here so I am thinking that the Edible Eyeballs would be a big hit.
Thank you! My nephews are by far the hardest kids to by for… because I am not made of mooolah! This website has something for all 3! I’m looking at the Rocket Set for one, Bathtub fun for another, and a cooking project for the third! No more stressing for me…more focus on the real reason of Christmas.
You’ve got to be kidding me…I do not even know how to decide. There is the make your own chocolate kit, or the fingernalis, or the purse, or maybe the fill and spill tool kit, or the magic science, or one of the art kits…the possibilities are endless!
WOW! I bookmarked this site!!! I NEVER bookmark shopping sites! I’d get the Outdoor Explorer Kit. Or the stuff to make your own super balls, or the one where you decorate your own umbrella…or
My grandson is just starting to put large piece wooden puzzles together. I know he would love the first puzzles found in the toddler store.
Great site, thanks for the chance to win! I loved so many things, it would be hard to choose, but the paint by numbers, or any jewelry making set would be a perfect gift for my daughter. Stacia
langston6 at juno.com
Oh my goodness, I am going to get so much shopping done on that site!!! Thank you! My boys would probably LOVE the card making kit, and any or ALL of the science experiments.
Thanks so much for this site! I am inspired to do all the Christmas shopping for the kids here! If I had to choose just one thing, I would get the Space, Stars and Slimy Alien kit. I have a son who wants to be an astronomer, and he has a weird quirky side too!
Everyday ooze sounds like a real boy thing for sure…….also the antfarm is cool. I will have to bookmark that site.
I just love the drawing kits! I have lots of artist in my household and they would love one of those under the tree this year! Thank you for sharing.
Ally
I would TOTALLY buy the scrap-n-stuff umbrella! What a cute idea! Thanks for the awesome ideas! I’ve been searching for good Christmas ideas, now I have a great place to get original toys!
I would have to go with the paint cups and sponge painting kit. I have two tiny artists in my house. Thank you for the heads up. I’ll definitely be doing some of my shopping here!
good find! what little boy wouldn’t want everyday ooze and snot science. . .just not in my house. . . : )
The Fairy Princess Cookie Set…how wonderful that would be!
I have four kids so there are too many things to even mention what I would buy, but just about any of those science type kits would be a hit. I could so use this gift certificate though. Thanks for the giveaway.
How cute is the Ugly doll game? Love it. What a great post! Found you via Rocks In My Dryer. Glad I did!
I would think my three sons (and their baby sister) would like the eyeball cookie kit. Thanks for a fun giveaway!
My girl would LOVE the pizza kit. She loves to help in the kitchen.
Boo would love the Scrap N Stuff Umbrella. She loves having an umbrella, and loves to scrapbook too. It is a win win for her!
Thanks!
I love the science stuff!
What a GREAT site! I haven’t even looked through it all. I went to the areas with the biggest needs, tubfun and on-the-go. I really like the Color Scroller. I really hate, er, dislike the clutter and mess that comes with a road trip. So this item looks mighty fine to me! Crayon holder, lapboard AND no loose papers floating all over the floor. Win-win! And I’d take any tubfun toys… they are all better than what we have right now! Sad, I know.
Enviro battery, can robot, and all kinds of great boy science stuff!
First off, being a December baby, the 12th, I would like to say thank you for getting the word out that we’d like to have our birthday remembered SEPARATELY from Christmas! I can’t tell you how many bday gifts that I’ve gotten wrapped in Christmas paper or how many Christmas ornaments I’ve gotten. Anyhow, thanks for helping to spread that news!
Now on to the good stuff. I loved that store. I found myself doing the unthinkable in wishing that my son was a little older. I know, I know. Why in the world would I do such a thing? But I have a very good reason why. I found so many things he’d love, but they’re just too old for him. Like the build a Pirate Ship kit, for example. Anyway, since I don’t really want him to grow up any faster, I’m sure he’d love the Cosmic Rocket among many other things that I can’t currently remember.
Having 3 kids, like yourself, we could definitely use some help in the Christmas gift giving dept.
So, please, please, please random integer generator PICK ME!!
My birthday is in December and I love it! I’ve never received a combo this-is-Christmas-and-birthday-gift, but I LOVE having all my gifts wrapped in Christmas paper. My birthday is my own personal Christmas. (I’m always half-annoyed at wrapping birthday gifts for other people–having to find BIRTHDAY paper—isn’t Christmas paper good enough?) And I love having my gifts under the Christmas tree. My birthday is between Christmas and New Years so it was always a holiday for school, and if I got any cash gifts there were those great after-Christmas sales happening.
Very cool store. My son would love the rockets, or the morphing animals. I’d probably spend on that.
Here is my shopping list. What a cute place. I want to go visit the studio and store.
Dot painters
life on Earth matching game
the picnic game
full size groceries and basket
cash register
band in a box
live ant farm
Thanks!
Ohhh…the Fairy Princess Cookie Kit! My daughter would LOVe that…
I really like the Mixed Up Buddies for Toddlers, and of course I’m partial to the Make a Cupcake Kit as well.
My girls have recently turned into game FANATICS, so I’d probably start out with the Sleeping Queens game and take it from there!
What a great site!!! Thanks so much for sharing!!!
Probably the pizza making kit for me. My kids would love it…they love to help in the kitchen.
This is a fantastic site. Thanks for sharing it with us!! My choice is the Tub City. Who wouldn’t want to build a mini-city in the bathtub? This would be great for my son.
Sandi
willisfamily04(at)gmail(dot)com
That chewing gum kits is really cool
Wow, Kristen, what a great site! We have 6 kids, 2 of them with December birthdays, so I hear ya on figuring things out NOW to avoid the crunch later. I bookmarked this site, but a $25 head start would sure cut down the bill
For the boys, the Klutz foam gliders book, the Tin Can Robot kit, and the Color & Cuddle book for the toddler, so he can stop trying to color in the hymnbooks during church
For the girls, the Create-a-Card kit, Mould & Paint glitter fairies and the Fairy Mosaics. (Not that they wouldn't be glad to clean out the entire "craft" section!)
And hey, your Cosmic Rockets and Enviro-battery would double as great homeschool science projects!
Besides, I could really stand to win something this week! LOL.
Thanks!
I love everything! Seriously, I LOVE anything that involves art! It would be a really hard decision and I would bet I’d spend a lot more than $25!
(Out of my own pocket, of course!)
theturners4@embarqmail.com
Sounds like my kind of place to shop- Make your own root beer and Kitchen discoveries would be sure picks for my family.
Thanks for the heads up and the chance to win a head start on my shopping.
I think my kids would like the Kitchen Discoveries, or maybe a couple of the Roly Poly Playgrounds.
If you’re interested, I’m giving away free bakeware on my blog. Comment or link to me to enter the contest and win 4 Handmade Pottery Apple Bakers valued at $36. http://laneypottery.com/2008/10/21/win-pottery-apple-bakers/ Thanks!
I would buy the human anatomy floor puzzle for my nephew (The son of Crystal of Life At The Circus). If you’ve been over there this week, you know that he has shown an interest in brains, so I think he would get a big kick out of it!
My son loves rootbeer, so the make your own rootbeer kit would be awesome. All of the stuff there is great, I will be going back!
I love that site and have it bookmarked! Thanks for helping me find it! The first thing I would buy is an activity apron (page 2 of the “Girls’ Rule” section!
As a mom of 4 rather boogery boys, we would have to buy the Snot Science kit. How fantastic is that!
Girl… get on over to my Etsy shop! creationsbychara.etsy.com for some totally awesome stuff. Having a giveaway on my blog next week, too.
Color and Cuddle Washables are tooooo cute!
Oh and email me if you are interested in hosting a giveaway in Dec. And if you personally shop with me, discounts, baby! Discounts…
I decided a few months ago that I was going to try to do ALL of my shopping on Etsy (or similar websites) this year. The only problem is the amount of hours I’ve spent looking through all of the fantastic finds. It is so much better than going to the mall!
I’ll be looking forward to seeing the future post on the finds.
Come by my place today to see how you can Cruise through the Holidays, in my WFMW.
Have a Great Day!
Kristin
What a great site! And really reasonable prices. Definitely bookmarking that one for Christmas/Birthday shopping. At first glance, I think my daughter would really like the magic tracer. She’d like a lot of the things though!
How cute! My little toddler would LOVE the “lace and trace”!
SO much to choose from! I think my budding artist would love the Young Picasso Art Kit. And she’d look adorable in one of those aprons!
I would have to choose the mixed up buddies and the floating fairy tub toy. Maybe if I had actual tub toys my daughter wouldn’t feel the need to drop regular baby dolls and books in there!
My youngest daughter would love the Fairy Princess Magic cookies baking kit! She’s my one that loves to help me in the kitchen! Even if I’m making my sweet tea, she wants to help with the tea bags and pouring the sugar! Great giveaway – thanks for offering!
~Tanya
the4moyers(at)msn(dot)com
Great site!!
My 8.5 year old would like Science Magic as she loves science and magic.
My 4 year old would love Terra Cotta Clay, she loves to create.
Ally
What a great store! I'm going to hang out there for a bit but one thing that jumped out at me is the Tin Can Robot. I have a 12 year old son that I know would love that. I also have two other boys & I know I'll find more here. Thanks for bringing this site to our attention!
There’s SO MUCH there! I didn’t even see the Stella doll that another poster mentioned, although I’d love that for my daughter. I think my son would love the Construct It set, though. And all the kits are SO cool – I may have to go back and get some for my siblings – even though they’re in their twenties!
I like either the tub city or a cute crayon tote.
Fun giveaway! Thanks
kristinemjones at hotmail dot com
I’m so excited about the LynLivy’s website! Thanks for introducing me!! My kids LOVE science and are always wanting to do experiments. Fun. Fun. I would have to go with the Test Tube – Cool Experiments or Science Magic. I don’t know there are so many things there they would love. I’m going to have to get started on Christmas!
How can we pick just one thing??? What an awesome site thanks for the tip. I will be checking this out for Christmas and telling my friends about it. I love the fingernail and toenail kits, the scrapbook umbrella, the book about me and I also saw a lot of cool stocking stuffers like the scented pencils.
Thanks again for the tip!!!!!
I’d buy My First Dress Up Doll and a bunch of art supplies. Great site!
I spent forever looking at everything and loving so much of it. Here’s some of what I love Rechargeable Animal Flashlights,JellLoopDeLoops – Sparkle Jelly Jewelry Kit,Root Viewer, and My First Painting Set.
samsakara@twcny.rr.com
What a fabulous site! My boys would love anything in the science category – including the gross snot one! LOL
My son would love the magneatos. Great site!
Science Magic!
OOOOOooooOOOOOoooooSHrinky DInks!!!
They have a great kit that sells the Shrinky Dink dodads!!
peace
Chris
oh my I can’t even choose! There are so many great things. I love the drawing kits!
I love that website. What a great place for homeschooling kits to supplement our science studies. I would probably choose the paper airplanes book. My son loves to make them. TFS.
The Enviro Battery would amuse my kids for hours, or the The Big Book of Boy Stuff. I know hubby would be amused by the robot duck kit…
My son would go bonkers for the land yacht or the trike or any of the robot kits. Cool stuff!
The circular puzzle or any of the puzzles. My boys are crazy into puzzles right now. The grocery basket is also fun! They are really into that also. What a fun store. I wish we had one here!
I don’t have a blog so if i could be entered my email is krjrortiz@yahoo.com. Thanks!
Wait, help, I couldn’t find the store! Just the blog. And I only have, well, negative 14 minutes left to look.
I do like the cupcake kit and my girl would be all over making her own gum. Cool.
Wow what a fun site.. I loved the science stuff.. and the root beer ..lots of fun stuff to chose from!
Sleeping queens game looks like it is right up my daughter’s alley.
Love the tin can robot, bottle catamaran and the duck, all super cool. My son would have a lot of fun. We have 3 b-days from Dec 13th-Jan10th as well. Whew.
I love the MYO chocolate & chewing gum, but I'd probably get the United States Bingo cause I don't want my daughter to grow up geography challenged.
All three of my children love to color (and sometimes eat the crayons) so I fell in love with the Crayon Folio – Dragon print when I saw it. It would be perfect for car trips or packing for an overnight stay at Grandma’s.
I would buy the 1,2 Tie My Shoe to ease the shoe tying frustration for my son, and the Lace and trace Pets for my toddler. Love this store!
No contest…I would buy the Pawparazzi Kyra kitty for Princess Sugar who told me just the other day that “all you have to do is say, ‘I wish, I wish with all my heart for a kitty!’ and you’ll get whatever you wish for.” Do you think she’s got some disappointment coming in her future???
I often have a hard time figuring out what to get my cousin’s little boys. That rocket would be perfect! It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Let the shopping begin!!
Oh bookmarking this site! Lil Logan would love the Jiggly Jewels, or the Insta worms. This place is awesome!
Ummm…
Pizza Kit
Edible Eyeballs
all of them!
They are adorable!
Love em!
The “Sleeping Queens” Game sounds great! Educational and fun. Please enter me in your drawing. Many thanks, Cindi
jchoppes[at]hotmail[dot]com
I love the paint by number! I have been looking for them everywhere!
I love the baking kits…I think my little girl would love the fairy cookies.
The Crystal Science Kit would fascinate the rock fanatic here!
Sprinkle and Sprout Garden, my grandkids would love this. What a great store. I actually bought Baby Stella for my granddaughter’s first birthday; she loves that she can play with the pacifier.
I would love the Dora apron and the 3D Foam dino’s. They have such wonderful toys,I could spend hours looking. Thank you so much!
judybrittle at aol dot com
Oh the Root Viewer and the manicure set for girls are awesome!!
i am the 110th comment from this post – CRAZY!!! you are a popular girl & this is a popular subject! thanks for letting me know about the onine store. i like to buy different/creative things for my boys. only 60 somethings days left… i need to get shopping!
I would love some dry erase markers and paints for my son.