Recently, Keith and I decided to create our own, simplified variation of the Hallmark DIY Christmas Present Arch. Although a bit time-consuming, it’s easier than you may think to create your own Christmas Present Arch! Honestly, it took more time to wrap all the empty boxes than it did to build the arch itself. Materials to Create Your Own DIY Christmas Present Arch 3/4 inch PVC pipes (the number and length depend upon the height, width, and length of the arch you’re creating). I looked for these on Amazon, but I was only able to find them in bulk. We purchased six 5-foot pipes, from a loca ..read more

Clementine for Christmas Daphne Benedis-Grab’s Clementine for Christmas is one of 36 books that currently make up Scholastic’s immensely popular Wish Series. Young Adult Author Daphne Benedis-Grab currently has eight novels available, and two are Christmas-themed! Clementine for Christmas is her most recent Christmas-related novel, and it’s her only Wish Book, as far as I can tell. Can Josie Save the Christmas Festival? Josie blends into the background at Frost Ridge Middle School. As a volunteer at the Frost Ridge County Hospital, however, she’s confident, personable, popular. She’s in h ..read more

Andreea, the owner of A&D Luxury Candles, finds that creating her hand-crafted candles is calming and relaxing. Andreea lives in London with her son and husband, who is not only supportive of her candle hobby, but was originally the one who wanted to make their own candles. Andreea’s sister-in-law is also a candle-maker. When she talked about her craft and showed her hand-crafted candles to her brother, he was fascinated. Her candles were gorgeous, with lovely colors and varying shapes. Seeing his sister’s gorgeous creations, Andreea’s husband began contemplating the idea of crafting cand ..read more

Nancy Stevens and her daughter launched Bespoke Scents in 2021. This mother-daughter duo started crafting together as a way of spending quality time together. Nancy and her daughter both enjoyed crystals and crafts, so they started producing products for family and friends, who loved them. After doing a school fair together, the mother-daughter duo launched their small business together. Nancy describes her products as “handmade bespoke crystal inspired wellbeing gifts for all occasions.” Evolution of Bespoke Scents Nancy says that when they first started out, their focus was solely on cryst ..read more

Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn on qualifying purchases. Clicking my affiliate links won’t cost you a penny, but it will make my day. The small commission I earn from affiliate links help me to offset some of the cost of hosting this site. The first day of autumn is slightly over a month away. It’s September 23, 2023, if you’re wondering. As schools start back and the weather gets cooler, it’s time to plan ahead for the perfect costumes to wear this year. If you play dress-up for both Halloween and Christmas, these costumes are perfect because you can wear them for both holidays! Is ..read more

Yvonne Pereira began her small business, Blondie Glam Designs, in 2021. She creates gifts for all occasions. Her creations include personalized baby keepsakes, shadow boxes, spoons, mugs, jar lids, keychains, bracelets, baubles, etc. Her most recent creation, as far as I can tell, is an adorable tooth fairy door. Check out this recent post: Side note: Please go visit her Facebook page and scroll through her collection of Christmas baubles. They’re so adorable! Inspiration Behind Blondie Glam Designs Blondie Glam Designs grew out of a desire to create and as a form of self-care. Through her ..read more

With the release of the Barbie live-action movie, Barbie gifts are sure to be on a lot of Christmas lists this year! I have been a Barbie fan for as long as I can remember. I’ve already placed my order for item #16 on this list, and I may just cry when she is delivered! That particular Barbie means more than most people will be able to guess. Knowing that, I know that some of the items on this list will one day mean just as much to some of the recipients of these Barbie gifts. Don’t forget to leave your thoughts about this list below! 1. Barbie (2023) The new live-action Barbie Movie is curre ..read more

Jean and Nancy are the mother-daughter team behind the woman-owned Bears Bears Bears (also known as Bears3, or B3). Jean (mom) has been making bears for more than 40 years. However, the mother-daughter duo officially opened their doors for business in October of 2022, with technical assistance from Nancy’s husband. B3 is based in the Carolinas. They specialize in creating one-of-a-kind handmade teddy bears. (So, if you see one you love, you better snatch it up while it’s available!) B3 creates whimsical handcrafted teddy bears out of fun printed fabric for all ages! To create their bears ..read more

Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn on qualified purchases. Affiliate links help me to keep this website going! My readers are not charged extra for using affiliate links, so your support doesn’t cost you anything! If you think you’ll love The Christmas Bookshop as much as I do, please click my link! Thank you in advance. The Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan Reviewed by Robin Sneed at Keeping Christmas 365 Last updated 5/29/2023 Oh, my goodness! This has been one of the hardest books to review because writing this review feels so final. Like Carmen Hogan, I found at the end of the b ..read more

Barbara Baker started This Little Light of Mine Candles, LLC in March of 2023. Her company started out making soy candles. They have since expanding to creating wax melts, air fresheners, car fresheners, and hand painted fairy light jars. This Little Light of Mine Candles, LLC is a “small, family owned business based in Danville, Kentucky.” If you live in the Danville, Kentucky area, you can make a purchase from This Little Light of Mine Candles, LLC in person. Otherwise, you can visit her online store. This Little Light of Mine Candles, LLC specializes in unique dessert candles, like this Ho ..read more