It’s that time of year again. I really can’t believe we are in the Christmas shopping season. Living in the Deep South, I often forget that some of the country is experiencing cold weather that helps remind them of the holidays. Heck, it’s still 80 degrees with 95% humidity in November/December right now where I live and the grass is still growing.
Do you ever wish that you had some ideas that were kind of outside the box of what to get someone for Christmas? Since I kind of an out-of-the-box thinker, I thought I would put together a list of my favorite things to help you during the Christmas buying season. These are items that I personally own and love to use.
The links in this post are affiliate links. This means that while the price is the same for you, I earn a small commission if you decide to purchase anything and this helps us support The Chosen Weeds
Kitchen Gadgets
Sous Vide Water Oven:
There are a few items in my kitchen that have become indispensable for me, and the Sous Vide water oven quickly became one of those. It is like a DVR for your food. I quickly ditched the ever-popular crock-pot (mostly because my meat was always dry) when I had my first taste of perfectly cooked steak from this device. I have since developed a repertoire of meals made in my beloved water oven. Continue Reading about the SousVide Water Oven (You will not want to go back to the crock pot ever again, I promise!)
Nutri-Bullet:
Do you know someone that wants a good blender but doesn’t have the counter or cabinet space for one? Maybe you have a college student on your list that would like a small blender for their dorm room. They would likely really appreciate a Nutri-bullet for quick meals on the go. Just throw your ingredients in, quickly blend them together, and enjoy a nutritious meal any time of the day. Read my review HERE
Homesteading Necessities
Egg Incubator:
One of 
the most exciting experiences I have had on this homesteading journey was to be able to hatch the very eggs that our hens laid. I was like a girl at Christmas when I candled the eggs and saw life fluttering inside the shell. Read more about the incubator we use on the farm, the Brinsea’s Octagon 20 ECO Egg Incubator
The Wonderful Gift of Knowledge
You may be wondering why a homesteading site is promoting a history resource. Well, my message of sustainability and self-reliance will always be the same: Take charge and assume responsibility for your own well-being. Part of that means understanding and knowing your own history. For me, the perfect gift is knowledge and what better way to gain it but on your own time and at your own pace. Liberty Classroom is not your run-of-the-mill curriculum. It has been created and is taught by a team of university scholars, teachers, writers, and thinkers committed to the truth. Be forewarned: it will challenge your preconceptions. Be ready to dismantle what you thought you knew from history and economics and rebuild on a foundation of “one of the largest and most expertly researched and written collections of audio and video lessons and lectures on libertarian ideas and free-market economics available anywhere in the world today.” Continue Reading more about Liberty Classroom and learn how to sign up
The Health Nut
Do you know someone that loves to shop at the club warehouses but can’t ever find the healthy foods they would like? Well, I have a solution for you. Thrive Market is a membership community that uses the power of direct buying to deliver the world’s best healthy food and natural products to their members at wholesale prices. If you know someone that is looking for and easy and affordable way to get healthy foods, Thrive Market may be just be what the doctor (if they study modern nutrition) ordered.
Books and Devices
Books, books, books….it is so hard for me to choose my favorites when it comes to books. I’ll read one and announce that it is my favorite, start another and then decide that it’s my favorite as well. Here are just a few I would recommend that have challenged me and shaped my current world-view.
Are you looking for a way to teach your children liberty and give them a foundation of freedom? Well, I have just the book series for you and my kids LOVE it. The Tuttle Twins is an exciting award winning series that will inform and inspire your children just as it has mine. Each book in this series will focus on a different subset of individual liberty with an engaging storyline and bright illustrations.
Kindle:
While I haven’t gotten around to doing a review on the Kindle, I have to say that this little device has become indispensable to me. I have always loved to read, but honestly, I was hesitate to get a Kindle when they first came out. I wanted to hold the book, and yes, as weird as it may be, I like the smell of books too. I thought for sure I would miss all of that if I got a Kindle.
But nope, I love being able to pull up a book on my phone (free Kindle app that links to your Amazon account) or Kindle and have portions highlighted for quick reference. I love that I can copy a passage and text it to a friend or post on a quote on Facebook if I feel inspired. Buying books for the Kindle is easy as well, a little too easy at times. You’re just a click away from instantaneous downloading. Plus there is TONS of free books that are available to download. This is a no brainer for the price. You can have a whole library of classic and modern literature at your fingertips on an amazing, eye pleasing, screen.
Lastly, I encourage you to forego some of the excesses we tend to indulge in this time of year and share with those who are less fortunate by giving to a charity. I prefer Gospel for Asia or other similar groups that are doing amazing work to help brighten the lives of others around the world. You can help a family thousands of miles away start their own homestead with a small donation to buy them some chickens, goats, or other farm animals. Our dollars go so much further in these regions and the return on our investment is eternal.
I hope that this list has helped to give you some gift ideas for the holidays and made your shopping a little easier. I also hope that everyone will freely share the gifts of love, time, forgiveness, and compassion among each other this holiday season and beyond. This world desperately needs it.
God Bless,
The Chosen Weeds