I mention every year that I’m not a big Black Friday shopper. I’ve never stood in any lines overnight or herded through the doors of some retail establishment in the wee hours of the morning, hoping to score a television. The closest we’ve come was the year my husband wandered around Target the night before Thanksgiving, trying to find a roasting pan while they set up barricades for all the expected shoppers. Even that was too close for me.
As such, I am very thankful for online shopping. The discounts may not be as deep as doorbuster sales (though sometimes they are!), but being able to shop from the comfort of my own home is a luxury I wouldn’t trade for any kind of discount. I also appreciate that many micro-businesses like mine can only be shopped online, so I feel good knowing I’m supporting a family when I buy from one of these online businesses!
In the past, I’ve offered several ideas for Charlotte Mason-inspired Christmas gifts. This year, as I have in the past, I’m sharing a few general gift ideas. I also have links to some small shops that caught my eye this year and offer items that I think would make wonderful gifts. And, of course, many online shops are offering Black Friday sales of their own (including mine!), which you can read more about below!
Black Friday Sale!
But first! I wanted to let you know that I’m offering my own Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale! From today through Monday, December 1st, you can get 20% off all of my Picture Study Aid PDFs, and many quote print designs are just $0.99!
We keep gift-giving very simple in our family, and each kid gets four gifts: something they want, something they need, something they can wear, and something they can read. Here are a few we’ve gotten for the kids recently or will be under the tree for them this year. For more ideas for kids, check out my Christmas Gift Ideas for the Charlotte Mason Homeschooling Family post!
Our son’s fascination with electronics began with his first Snap Circuits back in 2016. He eventually collected all of the Snap Circuits sets, and last year, he graduated to an Arduino starter set and dove into the world of programming. He enjoys it a lot!
He also enjoys learning more about the weather (this book was a hit a few years ago!) and I think he would enjoy seeing how this Tempest Glass changes with the weather. (Cognitive Surplus has a lot of great stuff for science-lovers!)
He still enjoys all of his LEGO Technic sets and continues to build with them!
Truth for Today Cards for Kids by Emily Lex. These might be a stocking stuffer for both kids as I think these are beautiful little reminders for each of them. (My friend Tricia’s shop, nature + nurture, is a wealth of beautiful, useful, and thoughtful gifts!)
Organic Maple Candy has been another tradition for their stockings in recent years!
We got both kids a Kindle Kids for their birthdays this year, and they’ve appreciated having access to a lot of books at their fingertips (especially long car rides!). I appreciate being able to load (free!) older books from the AO free reads list on them!
She also enjoys LEGO, and I think she’d like hanging this cute wreath on her bedroom door.
We’ll be getting her a subscription to Wildflower Girls Magazine this year. She has had a subscription to Nature Friend Magazine for the last several years, but was ready to try something new. I still highly recommend that one as well!
Gifts for Mom (or Mom friends!)
These are things I’ve come across during the last year or so that I want to gift to friends! (Or have added to my wishlist. :))
Another great gift idea is to donate to a worthy charity. These are a few of my favorites with their gift catalogs:
Love146 – This amazing organization fights child sex trafficking around the world. I love their emphasis on the hope of healing and giving these children a future. You can see their gift catalog here.
Compassion – We sponsor three kids through this organization that aims to end child poverty around the world. They also have a gift catalog!
Heifer – This organization has been around for 75 years and is the first one I think of when empowering people in developing nations comes up. Gifting an animal to a family allows them to support themselves while also helping their own communities thrive. Here is their gift catalog. (Beatrice’s Goat is a beautiful book to share this concept with your kids!)
Black Friday Deals
Here are a few Black Friday deals from some of my favorite places to shop!
Plan To Eat – I share this one every year because it’s not only an announcement for those who have never heard of it, but also a reminder for current subscribers to renew! I use this service to keep track of my recipes, meal plan, and automatically build grocery lists. Every year at Black Friday, they have a 50% off sale which is good for both new and returning customers, so be sure to sign up or renew before December 2nd! No coupon code is necessary.
Hosanna Revival – I mentioned this one above in my gift ideas section! They are offering various discounts throughout the weekend!
Nature + Nurture – This is an adorable little shop with beautifully curated products! Tricia is offering a Cyber Monday sale with a $20 online gift card for every $100 you spend! (She also has a brick and mortar store in Salem, Ohio!)
Hoffman Academy – I used Hoffman Academy with both of my kids for online piano lessons and it worked so well for us! They’re offering $300 off their lifetime membership, bringing it down to $495, which you can pay in installments through Klarna. This is a great deal if you have multiple children going through the program!
Beautiful Feet Books – Another favorite resource for books! They will be offering discounts on many titles, including those chosen for their Bookling Society!
Home Science Tools – I have been buying all of our science supplies from this site for the last several years now and have been very happy with their products! Through November 30th, they are offering 20% off on everything, plus free shipping on orders over $100! (Pair this with the Sabbath Mood Homeschool Black Friday sale highlighted below to get all of your science resources and supplies for next year!)
RightStart Math – This is the math curriculum I used with my son from first through eighth grade (they don’t offer a high school option) and am still using with my daughter, and I highly recommend it! Every year they offer a Cyber Monday sale on various items and I usually get all of the things I need for the next school year during this sale!
Blick Art Materials – This has been one of my go-to resources for art supplies for many years. They are offering various discounts on items in several different categories!
Pact – One of my favorite clothing stores! They sell the most comfortable pair of joggers I have ever worn, and they get bonus points for being fair trade and organic! They are offering up to 40% off everything in their store!
Simply Charlotte Mason – They are offering discounts on their math and language arts (including Karen Glass’s The Art of Composition, which I’m using with my son this year) resources!
And here are a few more Charlotte Mason Black Friday deals from family-run shops!
Nature Study Hacking+Bloom & Brush Course – Getting started with Nature Study and Brush Drawing has never been easier. Grab the Nature Study Hacking series to give you subject-specific help THEN learn how to weave in your brush drawing lessons with your Nature Study work with the Bloom & Brush Course. Available at https://www.howeverimperfectly.com/ Save 25% off site-wide from today-Cyber Monday. Use the discount code: THANKFUL (Note from Rebecca: We used Joy’s nature study guides for several years, and they were perfect for getting us into the habit of nature journaling! We’re also currently using her Bloom & Brush Course and have really enjoyed it!)
A Delectable Education – Our sale will run Black Friday through Cyber Monday (11/28-12/1). All ADE products are 20% off! Teacher Helps for planning, forecasting, and implementing Charlotte Mason lessons in your home, Teacher Training Videos to deepen your understanding of the method, and for the first time, registrations for ADE at HOME Virtual Conference are the lowest price of the year. Please use Discount Code “GRATEFUL” at checkout. (Note from Rebecca: I have found their Exam Planner to be so helpful!)
Afterthoughts Shop– Brandy Vencel’s shop has study guides for Charlotte Mason’s philosophy, audio downloads, workshops, Swedish Drill books, event downloads, beginning phonics lessons, and MORE. EVERYTHING in this shop is 20% off! (Note from Rebecca: We used the Swedish Drill books for several years in our homeschool co-op and at home!)
Sabbath Mood Homeschool – Discover the beauty of science and nature the Charlotte Mason way. From Black Friday through Cyber Monday (Nov 28–Dec 1), enjoy 20% off all SabbathMoodHomeschool.com curriculum with code WONDER20. Open the Door to Wonder! (Note from Rebecca: I have used Nicole’s science guides since my oldest was in Year 4, we’re using her new Nature Study curriculum in our homeschool group, and they’ve both been wonderful! A friend of mine has also used her special studies guides and has found them so helpful!)
Beauty & Truth Math – We provide a complete Charlotte Mason math education for students in Years 1-7 and are working on producing our Year 8 products throughout this year. Our math guides provide scripted lessons using Charlotte Mason’s method alongside mathematically rich textbooks. Visit our website to check out our free implementation helps, learn more about our products, and see our Black Friday deals (live beginning Friday) through Cyber Monday. Also, subscribe to our newsletter so you’ll be the first to know when we run sales and produce new products! (Note from Rebecca: I have a friend who uses this math program for her kids and recommends it!)
The Children’s Feast – Charlotte Mason Bible Lessons for devoted homeschooling parents that help you follow Mason’s method for Bible Lessons by reading the Bible reverently, having them narrate it back faithfully, and finally discussing the passage engagingly so that your children will know the LORD (John 17:3). The discussion questions and answers are curated from Mason’s prized commentary series, written by John Paterson Smyth, in a user-friendly format, to free you up to do the fun part of engaging in heart-to-heart discussions with your children. Use coupon code BLACKFRIDAY20 to save 20% off “The Book of Genesis” through 12/1.
Kind and Cultivated – All products in my store are 25% off! This includes single issues of Composer Study Companion, literature guides, and other stand alone holiday guides! In each Composer Study Companion guide you will find an easy to read biography of the composer’s life and 6 listening examples with activities and extension ideas. Be sure to also check out the free Christmas Around the World unit study! Use coupon code “THANKS25” to get the discounts!
Tillberry Table – Sweet and simple Charlotte Mason–based guides for a full term of Composer Study! Each of the 22 grab-and-go guides includes a short bio, song details, listening links, and handy QR codes for all the music. Enjoy 25% off sitewide from Thanksgiving Monday through Cyber Tuesday (11/24–12/2). No code needed — just add to cart and turn up the music! (Note from Rebecca: We very much appreciate Heather’s composer study guides and have used them for several years!)
Min Jung Hwang – Get 30% off all Charlotte Mason education tools in Min’s Shop, including the bestselling “Charlotte Mason Homeschool DIY Planning Tool”, and “Kingdom of Mansoul” diagram: No code needed. Bringing Charlotte Mason to yourChildren’s Ministry? This comprehensive course (plus all future updates) and private online community of Children’s Ministry Directors at 30% off too! Use promo code: GRATEFUL30 (Note from Rebecca: We’ve been using Min’s Kingdom of Mansoul diagram as we’ve been reading through Ourselves, and it’s so helpful to have a visual layout!)
Charlotte Mason Simple Languages– These foreign language programs help families learn modern languages together through children’s folk songs, poems, conversational family phrases, copywork, and more. Until 12/5, save 35% off digital products with code CMBLACK, and 10% off online classes with code CMONLINE
Under the Manzano– Resources to help families foster a language-learning atmosphere in their home. Visit Katrin’s shop to explore 12-week Repertorio guides filled with riches in the Spanish language including prayers, hymns, scripture…, a storytelling-based curriculum for the whole family, and hand-drawn Spanish-language materials such as calendars, weather wheels, and nature study materials. Use the coupon code GRACIAS to receive 30% off from 11/28-12/2. (Note from Rebecca: We have used Katrin’s guides for Spanish for the last several years in our homeschool and they are beautiful and rich. I highly recommend them!)
Humble Heart Press– a homeschool print shop designed to make homeschool printing for families fast, affordable, and high-quality. We offer lay-flat tape-bound books perfect for teacher’s guides, wire-bound books for those student consumables, as well as premium art prints, flashcards, lamination, and more. FREE SHIPPING from 11/24-12/1 on all US orders – no code needed! (Email to inquire re: discounted international shipping).
If you’re interested in finding new holiday traditions for your family, I’ve designed a free Jesse tree guide for you to download! It includes the above list of 28 days of topics for you to read through during the days leading up to Christmas as well as Bible references for each topic as well. I’ve also included two pages from my Advent Art Devotions Volume I for you to add some fine art to your holiday traditions! Fill out the form below to receive your free printables!
Rebecca graduated summa cum laude and first in her class with a bachelor's degree in art history from the University of Colorado Denver. She has been homeschooling her two children (B, age 15, and C, age 11) using Charlotte Mason's methods since 2016. She enjoys the freedom found in a Charlotte Mason education and the fact that it not only nourishes the minds, hearts, and souls of her children, but hers as well.
