Black Friday Sale 2024 (+ holiday gift ideas!)

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 (except free…maybe free…). 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. Today 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!

But first! I wanted to let you know that I’m offering my own Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale! From today through Monday, December 2nd, you can get 30% off all of my Picture Study Aid PDFs, and many quote print designs are just $0.99!

See the sale here!

Gift Ideas

For Kids (8-14 years old)

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!

1. Official Arduino Starter Kit – Our son has this at the top of his wishlist. He still loves his Snap Circuits sets (another great gift idea!), but this includes programming, something in which he has become more interested.
2. Klutz Friendship Bracelets – Our daughter is getting into more crafting but wants to try different things, so I appreciate that this is a simple intro to making friendship bracelets. If she enjoys it, we may look at this friendship bracelet maker for her birthday in January.
3. Both kids like experimenting with different pens, pencils, and highlighters and any other “office supplies” they can find, so variations of this as well as stickers will be in their stockings!
4. Organic Maple Candy has been another tradition for their stockings in recent years!
5. Watership Down: The Graphic Novel – Our son loved reading this book in AmblesideOnline Year 7, so I’m thinking about getting this version with beautiful illustrations for hi Jólabókaflóðið book this year. I’m also considering the re-released Bark of the Bog Owl trilogy books, as the new cover design is fantastic!
6. Puffin in Bloom Mini Book Collection – Our daughter loves my Puffin in Bloom books, so I’m getting her this mini set! (Also a few matching stocking stuffers!)
7. Our daughter would also like all of the books on this list!
8. We will also be renewing her subscription to Nature Friend Magazine (and I’m very tempted by this one as well!).
9. Our son has been very interested in sprouting seeds and growing plants in the kitchen. His proudest achievement was getting a gambel oak acorn to sprout, and his plan is to plant it in the backyard when the weather is warmer. I might get him this little kit (and a book to go along with it!) to experiment with maples 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. :))

1. For the book-lover: anything here (and of course, a common-place journal)!
2. For the homeschooling mom: a Charlotte Mason mug! (Or for tea-on-the-go, I’d love one of these and for the warmer months, these glass tumblers!)
3. Honey, chocolate, and caramel are always a good combination.
4. A Jane Austen pencil pouch (I got one of these for my birthday and I love it!), or March sisters if your giftee prefers Alcott.
5. You can never go wrong with a sweater (and get 15% off your first order with my link!).
6. And socks!
7. For an on-going gift, I have coveted these seasonal book subscription boxes for a few years now, and I also recently found this calligraphy subscription box that looks like a lovely way to get in some mother culture.
8. Juniper Grove also recently released this beautiful bundle with items from their own shop as well as others.
9. Puzzles are also cathartic!
10. And if they have any interest in art and LEGO, I really like my Starry Night, Great Wave, and Mona Lisa!

Charities

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!)

And here are a few more Black Friday sales from family-run Charlotte Mason shops!

A Delectable Education – podcast has been spreading the feast of the Charlotte Mason method for nine years, and now, you can also find many Teacher Helps on their website, such as video Demonstration Lessons and Workshops, as well as Planning and Forecasting Tools, and Lessons for several subjects. From 11/29 to 12/2 all digital products (Teacher Training Videos and Teacher Helps) in the ADE store will be 20% off when you use the code “FEAST20″. (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, Swedish Drill books, event downloads, beginning phonics lessons, and MORE.  EVERYTHING in this shop is 20% off from 11/28-12/2! (Note from Rebecca: We used the Swedish Drill books for several years in our homeschool co-op and at home [and I designed the covers :)]!)

Beauty & Truth Math – We provide a complete Charlotte Mason math education for students in Years 1-7 and are working on additional years that we produce each summer. 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. Also, subscribe to our newsletter so you’ll be the first to know when we produce new products and resources!

Nature Study Hacking – Combining Nature Study lessons with Nature Journal prompts these books help beginners learn how to use a nature journal AND study nature regularly through first hand observation. Save 25% off site-wide from Thanksgiving Monday-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!)

Sabbath Mood Homeschool – Discover the natural way to study science and nature through the beauty of a Charlotte Mason-style science curriculum. Use the coupon code “20for2024” to get a 20% discount from 11/29 to 12/2. Open the door to wonder! (Note from Rebecca: I have used Nicole’s science guides with both of my kids since Year 4, and they’ve been wonderful! A friend of mine also uses her special studies guides and has found them so helpful!)

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 30% OFF all our foreign language curriculum (doesn’t apply to live classes). Code: BLACK30.

Composer Study Companion – Each study includes an easy to read biography of the composer’s life and 6 listening examples with activities and extension ideas. 24% off all products in my Gumroad store! Be sure to also check out the free Christmas Around the World unit study for free! Use coupon code “THANKS24” to get the discounts! 

Tillberry Table – Sweet and simple Charlotte Mason-based guides designed for a full term’s worth of Composer Study. Each of the 17 grab-and-go guides contains a short bio, song info, links, and QR codes to all the music. Everything is 25% off from Black Friday to Cyber Monday. (Note from Rebecca: We very much appreciate Heather’s composer study guides and have used them for several years!)

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!

Free Holiday Bundle!

Enter your email address here to get updates and exclusive downloads, including a free Picture Study Aid!