You have figured out the importance of keeping a running wish list file in your computer, right? After each gift-giving holiday, update it with deletions, and when your fancy is struck, collect your “wishes” in one place so that you’re ready to procure the list when requested by family members for birthdays or Christmas.  I keep the whole family in one document.  My own part is, as you might imagine, overrun with kitchen gadgets.  Here’s a little glimpse, if you care, at some of the items I’m pining for and some that I’m buying for others this year:

For Lovey Girl, 18 months:

Under the Nile Sleeping Doll

I found the doll above at Keeper of the Home‘s guide to Safe Children and Baby Toys, a post I wish I had more time and money to peruse with ! 

Organic clothing, especially PJs or a crib sheet.  My mom found some sites in her search:

• Comfort Cotton
• Happy Green Bee
• I’m impressed to find organic crib sheets at Amazon, too.

Organics are particularly important for children’s sleepwear because PJs are treated with flame retardant chemicals that offgas all night long. 

We still LOVE her Bugaloos, if you have a very young one on your list!

Poor Lovey Girl.  What boring stuff!  We just have too many toys…  Other than this, I always request no batteries, wood over plastic, imagination over buttons.  That doesn’t always work, but there are always gift receipts! 

For Buddy Boy, 4 years

Santa is bringing him a Razor scooter, because he’s a boy, and he’ll love it.  We almost got it at Amazon with the free shipping if you sign up for their Amazon Prime program (and then cancel before 30 days to avoid fees), but it was the same price at the store here.

He saw this thing on TV (during sports with Daddy) and talked about it all day.  Batteries are involved, but it seems like an interesting creative thing.  He better not forsake his trusty crayon box, though!  (It was $10 less at our local store, so you  may not want to buy it through Amazon, unless you’ve got Swagbucks to spend!)

Organic PJs too

Lessons:  ice skating and gymnastics (the perfect “no clutter” gift for kids!  When they go to their classes, remind them who treated them and have them call with thank yous and updates after each session.)

Family Wish List

Rechargeable Batteries and Charger – for all those toys we still have that require batteries.

A new cooler – to replace the one with the broken latch that finally wore out after almost weekly use making homemade yogurt.  I’m just bummed that I don’t see one without wheels.  I hope all my jars fit!

I won’t scare you with my husband’s list.  He is a computer guy, so everything on his list is over $100 and very techy. 

The Kitchen Stewardship Wish List

I’m buying these things for other people to help them reduce waste and avoid plastic:

• Wrap-n-Mat reusable sandwich carrier
• Snapware glass dishes with lids
• Lunchbots lunch boxes (interesting lunch box reviews for info on price and ease of use)
• stainless steel water bottles (not aluminum!)

I want these to avoid harmful products like aluminum, teflon, and BPA plastic:

• stainless steel grill basket
• enameled cast iron saucepan with lid
• cast iron pan (I’m sure you can get these for less – try Marshall’s or Sears!)
• Tinware bread pans from Urban Homemaker
• Pampered Chef Rectangular Stone
• silicone baking mat

To clean safely:

• Soap nuts for laundry (Best deal: 32 oz. – 320 loads for $28.95, or the NaturOli Soap Nuts 48 oz is 480 loads for around $45.95.  Works out to less than 10 cents per load, comparable to sale price on standard laundry detergent.)
• Soap Nut Natural Shampoo Bar
  • There’s a deal going right now for half off trial sizes and free shipping on orders over $50 (expires Dec. 21), plus holiday soap bars are available!  I’m seriously tempted by the trial packages
• Biokleen:
  • automatic dish powder
  • produce wash
  • Bac-Out
  • oxygen bleach
• The WINNER of the Biokleen Giveaway has been chosen by random.org!  If you’re not Brittany of couponsnmore, don’t be too sad.  You can still get Biokleen products without breaking the bank.  Here are two coupons I found this week:
  • Bac-Out 75 cents off
  • $1 off any Biokleen
  • Find a store near you with the store locator.

Favorite Books

• King Arthur’s Whole Grain Baking Cookbook
• Real Food: What to Eat and Why by Nina Planck

Time Savers

I don’t know if I could ever let go of my control enough to follow someone else’s menu plan, but if I did, I would choose one of these two bloggin’ ladies’ menu mailers:

• Stolen Moments Menu Planning (3-mo gift subscription on sale for $16.50 through December 25)
• Cheeseslave Menus by Mail (nutrient-dense, “real food” plans)

Random Stocking Stuffers

• EXTREME 18x Soap Nuts Laundry Soap 1 oz. trial size
• A Spoonula!
• Mini natural hand sanitizers from Cleanwell
  • For free shipping, use code frship09 (expires 12-15-09). You also might be able to save 15% with code WB15.

Helpful Kitchen Gadgets

• Food chopper
• toaster oven (for reheating without the microwave, muffins without heating up the house, etc.)
• steamer basket

My Personal Wish List

Fermented Cod Liver Oil – I read about this at Kelly the Kitchen Kop, and although I’m scared to death of the stuff (yes, my mother had to count to 10 to get me to take medicine as a kid!), it’s just perfect for a wish list because I don’t have to think about the money spent, just about open-mouth-insert-spoon.  I guess I’d go with “cinnamon tingle”.  *cringe*

Some products from Natural Momma’s Etsy store -

• Minty Face Wash (I’m almost out!  And guess what I’ve found – coconut oil is the most amazing thing to get mascara off.  Wipe on, wipe off…and it’s gone.  It’s like a magic trick every night!)
• Mess Free Baby Bottom Salve for Lovey Girl (stocking stuffer?)
• My wish list of pamper products for ME:
• Refreshing Lavender Toner
• Hungary’s Water Astringent
• Ylang Ylang lotion
• Finger and Nail Repair Oil

BIG Gadgets

The more I cook from scratch, the more I wish two things:

1.  That I had a bigger kitchen
2.  That I had more big gadgets to fill it with!

On my list for this year are two biggies, and I still can’t figure out exactly what I’m asking for.

Grain Mill I go back and forth about whether I want to make the leap and grind my own grain.  I know for health reasons that I should – a whole bunch of the nutrients in whole grains are lost within 24 hours of grinding.  The thought of adding one more thing to the routine when I just want to bake something scares me a little, though, and a big gadget needs a home (mine is small!).  I think I’d go with the Nutrimill if I had to choose one today, after reading the reviews here and here.  You can peruse for yourself at Amazon’s grain mill list.

The other hard part about this choice is that I hear amazing things about the Vitamix, a blender that acts as a food processor and grain mill all in one!  It’s super expensive, almost double the Nutrimill, but for space-saving economics and pure power, maybe it’s worth it.  I’m currently borrowing my mom’s food processor and don’t think I can live without it when she takes it back…What do my dear readers have to say?

Water Filters I have a lot more research to do on water quality and how I want to filter it, but here are a few water filters I’m considering to get the flouride, chlorine, ETC out:

• A Berkey (recommended highly by Tammy’s Recipes) – I’m concerned about the counter space this one would take up.  I don’t really have any to spare, and as we’ve discussed already this week, I’m too lazy to be carting water all over the house if I have to store it elsewhere.
• A Reverse Osmosis Filter – If you want to get all the possible yuck out, this is the way to go (I hear).  You even have to add minerals back in to make sure you’re not leaching everything out of your body.  You can get reverse osmosis water in jugs at our grocery stores, but I’ve not jumped that hurdle yet.  I don’t think I’d keep up!  Here is an example of a reverse osmosis filter, and Urban Homemaker has some reputable options as well.  (We already have a shower filter much like this one that my mom got for us last Christmas, and I LOVE it)

What Kitchen Stewardship seeking gifts are you giving or receiving this year? (You better not be giving anyone that antibacterial stuff from Bath and Body Works, you know!)

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Kitchen Stewardship is dedicated to balancing God’s gifts of time, health, earth and money.  If you feel called to such a mission, read more at Mission, Method, and Mary and Martha Moments.

This post is filled with associate links from Amazon and some others, but there are also links to sites with which I have no affiliation whatsoever.  I wouldn’t tell you about a product I didn’t appreciate, and although I’d love it if you made a purchase through on of my links (I would get a little kickback), I strongly encourage you to shop around, shop local, and get the best deal on the best stuff!