Christmas Gender Reveal

0 Christmas Gender Reveal Header

With Christmas upon us, it reminds me of two years ago when my sister was expecting her second child. She found out the gender right around Christmas time and decided her and her husband wanted to learn if they were having a boy or a girl along with all of our family. They kept the results hidden, and my mom offered to host their Gender Reveal on Christmas Eve! I worked with her to come up with ideas for decorations, and here are the results of the special day!

1 Christmas Gender Reveal Table

Since the gender reveal was on Christmas Eve, the theme was so easy to come up with…CHRISTMAS, DUH. We decided on traditional Christmas colors, red and green, and planned around those. With red being closest to pink, and green to blue, we decided red would represent a little girl and green a little boy.2 Christmas Gender Reveal Trees

My mom made the kitchen the focus of the decor and divided her kitchen table into red and green for the snacks and decorations.3 Christmas Gender Reveal Decor

She made several banners asking “Boy or Girl?” in the decided theme colors and placed them around the house as well.4 Christmas Gender Reveal Banners5 Christmas Gender Reveal Table and Food

One of the best things about hosting a party close to a certain holiday is that you can plan the decorations around whatever holiday decor you already have up! My mom goes above and beyond decking out their home for Christmas every year, so it was great that those additions went perfectly with the gender reveal theme!6 Christmas Gender Reveal Decorations Bannister

I may be biased, but nothing compares to the Christmas decorations at my parent’s house, and they totally added to the warm and cozy feel of the gender reveal.7 Christmas Gender Reveal Decorations

We also used the chalkboard that resides in her kitchen to create a “Boy or Girl” guessing spot for everyone to pick a side! As you can see, almost everyone thought my sister was having a girl, so quite the surprise was in order. 🙂8 Christmas Gender Reveal Guess

With the craziness of Christmas, we decided to keep the food pretty simple. My mom found the cutest gingerbread boys and girls and used them as decorations for some homemade cupcakes.9 Christmas Gender Reveal Cupcakes

She also set out red and green chips to accompany red and green salsa! You can also see the cute red and green straws she set out along with Christmas Spode and napkins.10 Christmas Gender Reveal Food

There were various items to snack on including homemade bonbons and fudge, red and green Twizzlers, cheese ball and crackers, candy canes, a relish tray, cookies, and Rice Krispies “ornaments.” The food was the perfect amount for people to graze and enjoy while we waited for the big reveal!11 Christmas Gender Reveal Desserts

Also on the table was a little poem I wrote to remind everyone why we were there (as if anyone had forgotten!). It read:

A precious little baby,

is on its MERRY way!

What will be its gender?

We’ll know by Christmas Day!

The time is now upon us,

The answer will unfurl…

GREEN means it’s a baby BOY,

and RED means it’s a GIRL!12 Christmas Gender Reveal Poem

The centerpiece of the table was a Christmas-tree topped diaper cake that was adorned with red and green ribbon and sequins as well as ornaments!13 Christmas Gender Reveal Table Spread

My sweet nephew Henry, was dressed and ready for the big moment in a shirt showing off his new “Big Bro” status, so we gathered everyone in the den.14 Christmas Gender Reveal Henry

My mom made a green ornament reading “It’s a boy!” and a red ornament reading “It’s a girl!” Uncle Lou was tasked with looking to see what gender the baby was and wrapping the appropriate color for my sister and her husband to open. It’s so neat to me that he was the first one to know what they were having!15 Christmas Gender Reveal Surprise

He brought in the box, and we all anxiously watched them open it up. As you can see on their faces above, we were all surprised to find out they were expecting another boy!  16 Christmas Gender Reveal Ornament

We celebrated with hugs and excitement (and bubbles for Uncle Lou and Henry), and began planning to add another boy to our family! 17 Christmas Gender Reveal Bubbles

I hope you enjoyed reading about this special night for our family, and it gives you some ideas if you’re planning a Christmas Gender Reveal in the future! Shout out to my mom for making this such a precious celebration and for letting me help!

DottedSiggy

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Christmas Gifts for The Globetrotter

Christmas gifts for the globetrotter

Well, the first gift I would get a Globetrotter is probably a basketball followed by a trampoline. HAHAH. JUST KIDDING. GOTCHA! I’m ACTUALLY talking about your friend that travels a lot! Now that we have THAT straightened out, I figured I’d share a few gifts perfect for your friend that seems to be getting on a plane to a different location every time you talk to them!

External Battery

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Louis and I invested in an external battery this summer for our time on the East coast, and it was so worth it! Whether we were taking pictures  or killing time on the train, it was nice to not have to worry about our phones dying. Make sure to get one that is compatible with whatever devices your friend has, and if you find out they’re “not an iPhone person,” get that sort of negativity out of your life right now. Haha, just kidding. 🙂 Shout out to non-iPhone users…whoever you are!

Headphones

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A nice pair of headphones is great to have on a long plane ride. A wireless and noise-cancelling pair like these would be perfect, so they can tune out that annoying person two rows back and not get tangled up in the wires if they drift off. Maybe you could include an iTunes gift card and your favorite playlist, so they’ll have some new jams to enjoy. Disney’s Great Hits Volume 3? Anyone?…just me? Ok.

Selfie Stick

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As annoying as these are and as much fun as I’ve made of them, I have to admit…they can be pretty convenient. I’m all for asking someone walking by to snap your picture, but sometimes for some weird reason they don’t want to spend twenty minutes doing a photoshoot of you to make sure you look your best while making sure to include the background at just the right artsy angle. This will help your friend get the perfect Instagram shot however long it takes.

Inspiring Journal 

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A journal explicitly for recording travels would be a great gift. It would encourage your friend to take a few moments each day on her trip to reflect on her adventures and write them down, so she’ll never forget.

Luggage Tags

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Sometimes, a simple luggage tag is all your need to help spot your bag out of the sea of black luggage rotating around the baggage carousel. This one is great because it fits on several types of bags and has a strong cable to help insure it doesn’t get ripped off the bag in transit.

***Extra tip: “Wrap” your Globetrotter friend’s presents in a Trendy Carry-on! They’ll be able to pack some essentials in it for the plane JUST in case their other bags don’t make it to their final destination. 🙂

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Beware! Shopping for these items may give you the travel bug too, but at least you know you’ll have a friend ready to go on adventures with you! Happy shopping!

Feel free to check out my other gift guides here:

The Fashionista

The Foodie

The Homebody

The Disney Fan

DottedSiggy

This post contains affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase using these links, I may receive a small percentage at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Hoots of a Night Al!

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Christmas Gifts for The Disney Fan

disney gifts

Pretty much anyone who has ever met me knows that I am a huge Disney fan. The music, the movies, the parks, the man himself…I love it all! I couldn’t resist creating a gift guide for the Disney Fan in everyone’s life, so check out what I think another Disney lover would enjoy!

Disney Tee

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I often refer to Disney World as my second home. Whether they’re in the parks, planning their next trip, or reminiscing about Disney memories at home, any “Disnerd” would love this cute tee.

Limited Edition Magic Band

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If you know someone who goes to Walt Disney World often or has an upcoming trip, it would be fun to surprise them with a limited edition Magic Band. These are used all over the resort now, and one with their favorite character would be fun to show off during a trip!

Disney Music

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One of my favorite parts of the Disney legacy is the music. This collection includes over 50 songs from Disneyland attractions that will keep any true Disney lover happy at home until they can make it back to Walt’s original park. I may or may not have teared up previewing some of these songs…

Fun Decal

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Disney lovers want to display their love wherever they can, so they would never turn down a fun decal! Whether it goes on their car or their laptop, this inexpensive gift will “stick around” and be appreciated for a long time.

Character Vans 

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These awesome Disney Vans came out this past year, and they have so many cool options. They’re available in multiple styles for girls, guys, AND kids, so you could knock out half of your Christmas list just by snagging a few pairs! From different prints to tons of characters, you’re sure to find a pair to suit everyone.

**Extra tip! Wrap their gift in a Disney-themed Backpack! Not only would this be great to carry around the parks or at school, there are countless options, so you’re sure to find your friend’s favorite character!

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Trust me, from a true Disney fan, I guarantee any Disney lovers in your life will be thrilled to get any of the gifts above! And if they don’t? Feel free to pass them along to me. 😉

If you need more gift ideas, check out my guides for The Fashionista, The Foodie, and The Homebody! And not to fear…I have a few more guides on the way! Happy shopping!

DottedSiggy

*This post contains affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase using these links, I may receive a small percentage at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Hoots of a Night Al!

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Christmas Gifts for The Foodie

food gifts

Hey y’all! Just a few weeks until Christmas, so I wanted to add another “Christmas gifts for…” to my series! In case your friend isn’t a fashionista or a homebody, they may be a foodie! If  you don’t want to just pass along a gift card to their favorite restaurant, it may be fun to get them some items they can use to create their own “foodie” meals at home.

Cast Iron Skillet

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Louis and I purchased a cast iron skillet some time ago, and it has majorly “upped” our cooking game! We use it multiple times a week, and I love thinking that it will be a family heirloom for a long time to come. Hook your friend up with one of these bad boys, and she’ll be a chef in no time! 😉

Cookbook

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Anyone who loves to cook is probably always looking for new recipes to try out, so I’m sure they would appreciate a new cookbook. I don’t own this particular cookbook, but I’ve tried a few dishes from The Pioneer Woman’s blog, and they’re always DELICIOUS.

Pretty Serving Dish

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Foodies know that presentation is half the battle when it comes to food, so a pretty serving dish would be a lovely gift! A serving dish they can bake in like the one above is even better because their meal can go straight from the oven to the table.

Apron

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Even if you aren’t a professional, sometimes it’s fun to pretend. This red and white striped apron just screams, “I know what I’m doing in the kitchen!” to me for some crazy reason. If you think your friend needs a little encouragement while cooking, this apron may be just the thing for them.

Decorative Wall Menu

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It’s a great idea to have whatever meals you have planned listed out, so everyone else in your house can start craving them. 🙂 This cute chalkboard display would look cute in any foodie’s kitchen!

*Extra Tip! Use a reusable grocery bag to wrap your foodie friend’s gifts. It’s cute and super functional for when they buy their ingredients for whatever delicious meals they have planned!

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There you have it…a few treats that are perfect to gift to your Foodie Friends this Christmas…or any time of year! Happy shopping!

DottedSiggy

*This post contains affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase using these links, I may receive a small percentage at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Hoots of a Night Al!

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Christmas Gifts for The Homebody

homebody title

Hi y’all! It’s time for the second list in my “Christmas Gifts for…” series! I already covered some gift ideas for your Fashionista friends, so now let’s move on to the Homebody!

I’ve always been a bit of a homebody…especially around the holidays! I think it’s because our home growing up was always so welcoming and decorated so beautifully. I still love spending days at home curled up with a good book, and I think any of your friends who are homebodies would enjoy the items listed below! Happy gifting!

Cozy Blanket

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Whether it’s for a long winter’s nap or to enjoy their favorite Christmas movie, who can resist curling up with a soft blanket? This plaid one is adorable for the holidays, and it would go perfectly with any Christmas decorations! Plus, I sort of love that it looks like you could have swiped it from Ron Swanson’s cabin.

Cute Coffee Mug

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Any homebody would love a cute mug to sip hot chocolate from. I love the one above because each time they use it, it will remind them that “Life is Good!” And again…plaid…so great.

Unique Candle

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There’s nothing like having a delicious-smelling candle burning while you’re trimming the tree. And how cute is this candle in its precious little tin can?! Your friend can keep this as a Christmas decoration long after the candle stops burning, too.

Bluetooth Speaker

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We have this Bose Bluetooth Speaker, and I never realized how much I would love it until we got it! It’s small, portable, and puts out amazing sound. Whether your friend loves Disney tunes or hardcore rap, this little guy will fill their home with their favorite tunes.

Comfy Robe

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While your friend is curled up in her blanket, sipping hot chocolate out of her mug, watching her candle flicker, and enjoying some Christmas tunes, I’m sure she’d love to be in a comfy robe. As you can see, I love plaid for the holidays, and this short style will be warm enough to be cozy without leaving her dripping in sweat by the crackling fire.

Well, there you have it…a few gift ideas for your best homebody friends! Let me know if you have any other ideas!

DottedSiggy

*This post contains affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase using these links, I may receive a small percentage at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Hoots of a Night Al!

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