Christmas Wrapping Ideas

I love wrapping Christmas presents. I love finding the perfect gift for my friends and family. And then I love picking out the perfect wrapping paper or bag for that gift. When I was little I was the one that volunteered to wrap everyone else's Christmas presents.

Here are a few options to make your gifts stand out underneath the Christmas tree!

I love this Chalk Board Inspired wrapping paper from LilyandVal on Etsy. Their cute store also have all kinds of chalkboard signs and prints. 

I love the idea of wrapping in brown kraft paper. This idea is especially cute idea from Saffron Avenue. Another simple and quick way to dress up brown kraft paper is with twine like these festive colors from Paper Presentation. 

Glitter Twine

Red and White Twin

If you aren't into wrapping presents bags are a quick and easy way to wrap your gifts. I love these polka-dotted paper bags from Bahana Splits Boutique. And they have all kinds of cute Christmas Washi tape. 

Washi tape is pretty much just fancy masking tape. 

For those that aren't crafty and want a reusable idea why not a Christmas present sack. I like to think that my mom was way ahead of the trend on this one. She sewed cloth sacks when we were little to hold those awkward shaped gifts. The fabric she choose said "I've been so good" all over them, but they also glowed in the dark. The glow in the dark words said "I've been so naughty!"

I love these burlap inspired sacks from Kelly Avenue's Etsy shop. If you search Christmas Present Sacks on Etsy you will find tons of options. For more packing options check out my Pretty Packages Pinterest page. 

Now who has started their Christmas shopping?! It's a month until Christmas. And don't forget to sign up for the Crystal Cattle Beauty Swap. We have more than 50 women registered already from all over the country and Canada!

Be #ThankfulforAg and Fight Hunger

I don't think I have really ever experienced what it truly is like to hungry. Not the I just ate lunch and now I'm hungry so I'll have a snack, and a glass of milk, and now I am stuffing my face and not really hungry. I'm talking about the kind of hungry that happens when you haven't ate for awhile, and you have no idea where your next meal is coming from. As farmers we are blessed to know that our freezer and fridge is full of beef that we raise ourselves and other products that our farmer friends grow or raise.

This year I have made a conscious effort to donate to our locate food bank. It has been pretty simple to buy a few extra cans at the grocery store or make a pile of the things that have sat in our cupboards for too long and then run them over to our local pantry. Also, when we butchered our steers we took frozen meat in. I made me so excited that families were going to get nutritious and healthy beef.

This is a great video that explains what a lot of Americans are going through.

The holiday season is here and I have been thinking of other ways that I can help the 1 in 6 Americans that struggle with hunger. I admire the numerous ways that Feeding America helps raise dollars and awareness about hunger. A trip to their website showed me lots of different way we can make a difference this holiday season.

1. Shop online at Zappos.com on Black Friday. For every order placed 10 meals will be donated to Feeding America. 
2. Target and TOMS are teaming up to provide simple ways for Target guests to give back. For every item purchased from a limited-edition collection, Target and TOMS are giving a blanket, one week of meals, or shoes to those in need through American Red Cross, Feeding America, and TOMS. They have everything from TOMS shoes to sweatshirts to candles and bracelets. Shop here! 

And finally my personal favorite. The #ThankfulAg campaign from Bayer Crop Science. When you visit www.thankfulforag.com you get to build your holiday meal, while learning facts about some of our favorite holiday foods. Did you know "One bushel of corn converts to the amount of feed to produce 15.6 pounds of pork." - Iowa Corn Promotion Board

Once you create your meal Bayer Crop Science will donate $1 per share or #thankfullag hashtag to Feeding America. That $1 donation is equal to 10 meals! 

Farmers work hard year round to ensure that there is food for all to eat. Now let's make sure everyone no matter what their situation is has access to that food. If you have ideas of how you support families during the holiday season share them below.