5 Idea Back to Nature Gift Guide

Are you thinking Christmas yet?  I know, its not even Thanksgiving yet!  But for this mom and grandma, I like to be done by Thanksgiving.  I  want to celebrate the holiday by enjoying all the festivities.  I don’t want to have to worry about  presents.  Now is the time for me to shop!  This year I have been trying to live a healthier lifestyle.  So I have been turning my eye to gifts that reflect that aspect of going back to nature.  For my readers I have some healthy lifestyle suggestions.

Now I am putting away the Halloween candy.  Instead, I am getting ready to share my 5 Idea Back to Nature Gift Guide with you!

1) My grandkids have got into camping and the outdoors lately.  My first gift suggestion is the awesome Rocket Fishing Rod.

I received the Rocket Fishing Rod to review and my grandson fell in love right off the bat.  We haven’t had the chance to go fishing because the weather turned cold.  But, my grandson has been casting this cool rod that shoots out like a rocket.  My son-in-law was duly impressed with several aspects of the Rocket Fishing Rod.  The rod launches without having to cast. This reduces the  chance of catching a brother or sister, (or grandma!) with a fishhook.

Once the rod has been cast, the hook is released safely in the water.  The child can reel it in easily by themselves.  My grandkids have practiced casting and reeling the rod over and over.  This alone has brought them a lot of enjoyment.  The kids are looking forward to moving from casting to fishing.  My grandson has taken to fishing.  It has become a great bonding time for my grandson and son-in-law.  The Rocket Fishing Rod is a way to make this an easy and safe hobby.  Selling for $39.95 with an $8.95 shipping and handling, this is a bargain for the little fisher girl or boy in your life.

2)Romance or girlfriend getaway, a cabin is the place to go!  This past year, I stayed in a few cabins.  A while back I stayed at one of my favorite, Red Cedar Lodge in Charles City, Iowa.  Lorraine Winterink has the perfect winter wonderland getaway.  I stayed at Red Cedar Lodge a while back on a hosted girlfriend getaway.  Luckily, I am going on a fun hosted glamping trip in a few weeks!

This beautiful property was awarded “Outstanding Lodging Property by Iowa Tourism” and I can see why.  Red Cedar Lodge offers three beautiful log-sided vacation cabin rentals.  The cabins are lovely with phenomenal views.  The cabins are located near the fun town of Charles City, Iowa.  For those farmers out there, yes this is where the name tractor came from.  At the Red Cedar Lodge you can burrow in and have a stay in vaycay.  Or if you want, you can check out the fun local scene.  Whichever way you want to plan it, a gift certificate to Red Cedar Lodge is a great gift idea for the loved one on your list.

3)Sometimes it’s fun to try something new.  Lessons are a great way to do this without breaking the bank.  My grandson was interested in archery and I checked out lessons.  We signed up for a three-week archery lesson from Springfield Archery in Springfield, Illinois.  It was great fun.  I was the only grandma (there was a dad) otherwise it was a group of kids.  We learned the basics.    Best of all, my grandson and I had special time together.  He had a chance to learn if this is a sport he wants to learn more about.  Whether you are talking archery, karate, or whatever, a series of lessons like those offered by Springfield Archery are great.  We had time together,  we did something physical, and learned something new.  Triple win!

4) Did I say bicycle?  Trying to up my exercise game, I recently bought a cruiser bicycle from Scheels this past early fall.  I love it!  I have enjoyed riding my bike around town while upping my exercise routine.  Scheels was a great place to go.  They helped fit the bike to me.  They let me try it out as well.  Best of all, I bought a bike that was in my budget.

Rather than just surprise your loved one with a bike under the tree, I suggest taking him or her to Scheels, or a bicycle shop and letting them pick out their bike.  I had looked around and mulled over this for a while.  Having the chance to go, have the bike fitted to me and getting the perfect bike for my needs made this a successful pairing.  I had not rode a bike for years.  I worried that I would not be competent.  Having the right bike made this sport a joy.

5) Kayak! My friend Janna and I traveled earlier this year to Pulaski County Missouri.  On this hosted trip, we stayed in Boiling Spring campground.  We kayaked the next day on the Big Piney and Gasconade Rivers.  This was an awesome trip.  I had no idea I would love kayaking.  I had kayaked once in Florida for a very short time.  Again, I was quite inexperienced, and at Boiling Spring they took good care of us.  They set us up with equipment and a short enough trip in good conditions that I felt comfortable.  A stay at Boiling Spring and booking a spring kayak trip would be a great present for a family trip, or a romantic getaway.  The cabin we stayed in was lovely and Pulaski County Missouri is magical. It was a great way to get back to nature!

These are just a few ideas for your Santa list.  If you are like me, and trying to get back to nature,` and add a bit of movement into your life, these might be just the thing.  Share your ideas with me!  I’d love to hear how you are incorporating movement into your life!