christmas gifts Archives - Character Concepts Blog

Shhh. It’s a surprise! I wanted to show you what the granddaughters and I are making for their little sisters for Christmas, but you’ve got to promise you’ll keep it a secret!

Back when Kelley and Kasey were little, I bought a big piece of pink felt and some iron-on applique poodles to make them poodle skirts, (you know, the kind that were popular in the ’50s) just for dress up fun. My kids LOVED to dress up.

Well, I never got around to it!

So, this year I’m teaching the older grandkid girls to sew and make these skirts for their little sisters (who love to dress up too!)

Maybe you would also like to know how! It’s really pretty easy:

Continue reading How to Make a Poodle Skirt→

We were careful through the years not to buy trendy toys for our kids. We wanted toys that would allow them to simulate real life situations. We often made suggested lists for relatives to buy from so that they wouldn’t get things we really weren’t wild about them having. Our goal for our kids is to prepare them for real life, to be responsible people who serve God and care for others- so generally that was our guideline in choosing purchases for Christmas or birthday giving.

Below are some of our recommended toys. (I’ll recommend some of our favorite books real soon.)

LEGOS

My kids spent many happy hours playing Legos. It encourages their creativity and dexterity. This is one activity I let my older kids participate in during “naptime” hours for little ones. The older kids would stay in their rooms for an hour and half each day. They would do their Bible reading and then quiet play. During this time, we played audiobooks in their rooms, and much learning was done. (although it was so fun listening, that they sometimes would stay after the required “quiet time” was over!) The Christmas Audio Bundle Special is on sale now.

Here are some of the Lego sets I recommend. We tried to get things that encouraged “real” kind of play and creativity rather than fantasy.

Continue reading What Do I Buy My Kids for Christmas?→

Build Their Character.

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Who We Are

Marilyn is wife to Rick, Mom to 14 children, Nana to 19 grandchildren (and counting!) and homeschooler for 37 years.

She and her husband own Character Concepts which they started for the purpose of helping others raise children with a strong, godly character and Biblical worldview.

They have developed character curriculum from preschool through high school, based on what they found worked when teaching their own 14 children over the years.

Her passion is to help young moms raise kids of character and enjoy the journey!