As Christmas nears the corner and Hanukkah is in full swing, I thought I’d share a few of my favorite things for your holiday gift-giving list. Here at the Frugal Farmer household, we’re not much in favor of the “popular” gifts but prefer classics that will stay on your list of things to enjoy for a long time to come, so here they are. Check out the list and see if there’s anything below that might bring a smile to the recipients on your gift-giving list. 

Holiday 2015 Gift Ideas

Movies

There’s nothing like sitting down to a good movie, especially in the winter months here in the Northern Midwest. Among our family favorites is this John Wayne/James Stewart classic, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. Anytime you get two screen stars such as these guys together in the same place, you can’t go wrong. Classic battle of good vs. evil that will entertain movie lovers of all ages and tastes.

The Rookie is a long-loved movie of ours. This true Cinderella story mimics the life and fame of Texas’ Jim Morris, a pro baseball player that didn’t get his shot in the big leagues until he was far past what baseball scouts consider “prime”. pro baseball star age. An uplifting, funny movie that will be sure to leave you cheering.

Okay, I had to include my favorite movie. I was convinced until recently that everyone on earth had seen this classic at least once, but found out that many have still not had the chance to enjoy this “wonderful” movie. IMHO, It’s a Wonderful Life should be required viewing for everyone.

Books

The Official John Wayne Way to Grill

Not only does this cookbook contain absolutely delicious recipes for grill lovers and partygoers everywhere, it shares enjoyable stories and quotes from America’s most beloved cowboy. You can’t go wrong with this American icon.

The Backyard Homestead

For those of you who aren’t wanting to ditch the city/suburb life yet but still want to improve your self-sufficiency skills, this is the book for you. The Backyard Homestead is the perfect guide for homesteading in the urban areas.

The Legend of the Monk and the Merchant

A dear friend suggested this book – and actually bought it for me because he found it to be so beneficial in his own life. I don’t normally enjoy fiction reading, but loved this powerful and educational fiction-ish book so much that I devoured it in less than three days. I believe so much in the principles shared in this book that it will be a gift for each one of our four kids sooner rather than later.

The Encyclopedia of Country Living

There are many books out there that help teach newbies like us the ropes when it comes to homesteading and survival, but this classic steadily gets the best reviews. From gardening, to baking to building a chicken coop to caring for farm animals, this book truly has it all for the current or wannabe homesteader.

Around the Farm

This 30-gallon food safe storage container would be perfect for storing not only food, but water as well. Personally, we hope to get some of these for water storage. They’re high quality, food-safe, big enough to store a larger amount of water but small enough to move around. A win-win in my book.

We picked up this socket set at a local store when we needed to adjust the headlights on our truck, and it’s become Rick’s new favorite garage tool find. This socket set fits 6 different types of fasteners, including  Hex, Square, 12pt., External Torx, Partially rounded hex and Spline fasteners. I confess I have no idea what half of these are, but Rick tells me it’s the “coolest socket set ever” and that he uses it quite often. 🙂

This is another must-have tool in my husband’s humble opinion. I got this for him a few years back as a birthday gift, and up until he discovered the socket set, this was his favorite tool. There’s so many uses for a drill like this that you can’t go wrong getting this as a gift for both men and women.

This food dehydrator is on our must-have list of food-preservation supplies for 2016. After oldest daughter tasted a homesteading friend’s dehydrator-dried home-grown apples, she came home insisting that this be our next homesteading purchase. Given that properly stored dehydrated fruits and veggies can last for up to a year, I can’t think of a better way to prep your family for potential food shortages.

This cast iron dutch oven, complete with cover, is another must have for homesteaders and foodies everywhere. This is a gift that will last for generations to come. Not only are dutch ovens perfect for slow-cooking stews and soups, they’ll hold a roast nicely and slide right in your oven, turning out a perfectly tender roast of any kind.

 

Whoever is on your gift-giving list this year, our home is that you enjoy a joyful season with loads of love, laughter and good food. Enjoy it thoroughly – the new year is just around the corner!