Thinking Outside the Gift Box Review

Every now and then, we are fortunate enough to meet someone who quickly becomes a genuine best friend, someone who is always there to offer an encouraging word, a funny joke, a prayer from the heart…  Lauren from The Thinking Closet is that friend to me.  I mean it when I tell you that I love her dearly, and today, I am honored to help her promote her new e-book by sharing it with you!  Introducing, “Thinking Outside the Gift Box – 21 Money Saving and Meaningful Gift Ideas“.

Lauren has been pouring her heart & soul into this book for months, and when she sent me the draft to review, I was blown away!  I emailed her letting her know that I wanted to help her spread the word, because friends, you need this book!

Here’s the truth.  You could scour Pinterest for hours upon hours and compile some seriously amazing handmade gift ideas.  Heck, I’ve even shared a few round-ups here on the blog of various handmade gift ideas.

But Lauren’s ebook goes way beyond just gift ideas.  That’s the coolest part of “Thinking Outside the Gift Box“, in my opinion.  This is Lauren’s heart, her story, her memories and experiences beautifully woven throughout the chapters that provide you with tons of gift ideas for every person and every occasion.

As I read, not only was I inspired to recreate these gift ideas, but I was touched.  She shares sweet stories of how she met her husband, and how she loves nothing more from her man than a handwritten letter, because that’s one of his talents.  She shares hilarious memories that will keep you in stitches, like the video she made for her sister’s birthday.  (Seriously, you’ll crack up!)  She tells of growing up surrounded by amazing gift-givers and crafters, and how they influenced her and molded her into the person she is today.

“Thinking Outside the Gift Box” is a gift in itself, and I will put my personal seal of approval on it and guarantee that you will never run out of gift ideas ever again.  Promise.  Cross my heart.

I was so inspired by Lauren’s ideas that I decided to create a Thanksgiving Survival Kit, a special gift for my daughter.  You see, her dad and I are divorced which means that we have to rotate our holidays.  This year, she will spend the week of Thanksgiving with her dad, so I’ve used some of Lauren’s ideas to create a fun little gift for her to enjoy while she’s gone.

Lauren provides these fun Survival Kit printables, so I printed one out and wrote the contents of Marley’s Thanksgiving Survival Kit – a book she’s been asking for, her favorite candy and gum, and a scented candle.  She’s kind of fallen in love with scented candles lately!

These are just little tokens of my affection, and will help keep her occupied while she’s out of school for a week for Thanksgiving.  I love the simplicity of this unexpected gift, and it’s something I wouldn’t have thought to do had Lauren not put the idea in my head!  (Thank you Lauren!)

I encourage you to pick up a copy of “Thinking Outside the Gift Box” for yourself or a friend.  Lauren has put together 3 package options for you:

• BASIC: eReader version with Printables Appendix (11 printables that correspond with gift ideas in the book, 4 inspirational quotes)
• MIDDLE: pdf version with printables
• PREMIUM: eReader version, pdf version, audio book, printables appendix, access to 3 expert interviews, birthday & anniversary calendar, printable gift cards, membership to the Insider’s Club for monthly gift tips, and more

Basically, your holiday gift wrap is going to be rockin’ this year. All that you need now is some inspiration to get your gift-creating started. And she’s totally got you covered there, too.

Full Disclosure: I received a free preview copy of Lauren’s eBook in order to share this review. However, all opinions are my own. I only recommend products or services I personally use and believe my readers will love.