Know a friend or family member who is hoping to adopt or has adopted? With holiday cheer in our hearts, we’ve created a list of possible gift ideas for every adoptive family on your list. From touching novels to unique jewelry to thought-provoking bumper stickers and more, there are many great options to choose from!

Great Reads

Who doesn’t love getting a great book to read, accompanied by nestling in your pajamas and sipping hot chocolate to ward off winter? Take a look at these page-turners from Amazon’s “Best Sellers in Adoption” list.

For Kids

I Wished for You: An Adoption Story by Marianne Richmond – This charming and endearing story with sweet watercolor illustrations is a great lap book that affirms how love is what truly makes a family.

For Adults

Will You Love Me by Cathy Glass – The story of the best-selling author’s adoptive daughter Lucy, and how the two grew from being strangers to mother and daughter.  Available in paperback and in Kindle format for those with eBook readers!

The Connected Child: Bring hope and healing to your adoptive family by Karyn B. Purvis, David R. Cross, and Wendy Lyons Sunshine – This handbook is one of the top-rated resources for adoptive parents or parents-to-be, regardless of the background of the child. What makes the book stand out is the authority from which the co-authors speak – Dr. Purvis and Dr. Cross are director and co-directors of the Institute of Child Development at Texas Christian University, and experts in the field.

My Family, My Journey: A Baby Book for Adoptive Families by Zoe Francesca – A keepsake album specifically designed for the adoptive family and all of their memories. The book has an interior pocket to store important documents, pages to fill in your family tree, over 50 stickers to decorate with, and special pages to fill in family milestones. A great gift for new families or just for families who want a special place to keep their story.

For Family Viewing

The holidays and movie watching go hand-in-hand, so why not gift a movie that they can enjoy on a cold winter’s day?

Despicable Me 2 (2013)
Hitting the stores just in time for Christmas, kids ages 3 and older will watch and re-watch this hilarious animated story of a caring single father raising 3 girls, probably until they wear out the DVD.
 

Annie (1982)
For the under 12 set: try the beloved classic musical about a loveable young girl and her quest to find a family, based on the comic strip “Little Orphan Annie.” As a bonus, the movie’s modern-day remake is currently being produced by Jay-Z and Will Smith. And if your gift recipient likes the original, take them to see the remake when it’s released in 2014.

Juno (2007)
For older teens, this film wittily yet thoughtfully deals with a teenage girl’s pregnancy and the important decision she must ultimately make. Caution: the main character does make a flippant remark about adoption from China that might sting some viewers. The film with an Oscar-winning original screenplay oscillates between comedy and drama and there will be plenty to talk about with your teens, age 14 and older.

Our last DVD suggestion comes highly recommended. Okay… you caught us… it’s our own documentary, The Invisible Red Thread (2011). The movie explores fifteen year old international adoptee Vivian Lum’s journey with her adoptive father to connect with her own past and culture in China while meeting a 14-year old pen pal who was adopted locally, within China. An award-winning documentary, it would make a great gift for anyone looking to adopt or for adoptive families with children aged 10 and older. You can order it for home-viewing, for a school or institution, or even set-up a public viewing in your community. Check out this link for more info.

Zany Gifts

Tree Trimmers

We’ve found two websites offering personalized adoption ornaments that would spruce up any Christmas tree.

1) Born in Our Heart, a website created by two loving parents who adopted their daughter last year. The ornaments range from 8$ to 16$. Our favourite is the Chinese Panda Adoption Ornament, made through the Chinese art of paper cutting.
 
 

2) Many Hearts One Beat, which has a lovely Crystal Snowflake Ornament for $30. You can have it inscribed with one of 5 adoption-related verses, such as “The journey of many hearts now beats as one.”

Driving Home A Message
Is there someone on your Xmas list who gets a kick out of a good bumper sticker? Or maybe they’re in need of some laptop case decoration? We love these stickers from Zazzle.ca, as a way to get people talking about adoption everyday.

For Crafty Folks
DIY Adoption Mugs

We can’t think of many things more adorable than matching cups, tracing the trajectory of your child’s journey from their birthplace to your home. These hand-made gifts will warm your heart almost as quickly as a good cup of tea. The best part is, you can make them yourself! Don’t be intimidated by the glossy finish, all you need are two cheap mugs (for best results, use unfired mugs), a cut-out of both countries or provinces/states, a sharpie, some hobby store spray-on acrylic, and an oven to bake the mugs in, once you’re done decorating. Here’s the inspiration for the project from TrueWhit. We found some easy steps you can follow on Lifehacker.com.

If you’re not DIY-inclined or love the idea but want to leave the hard work, while supporting an artisan, go buy a set from GreySkiesBlue’s Etsy shop (She’s the one who came up with the idea, in the first place)!

For Jewelry Lovers
Jewelry may seem like a common gift, but these necklaces are something different. Hand-made and stamped with the name of your choosing, these beautiful sterling silver necklaces are thoughtful and casual enough to wear, everyday. Order the “I searched the whole world for you” necklace or any of Chain Link Jewelry Designs other charms on Etsy.com. They go for around 50$ each, and can be shipped worldwide. ­
 
 
Remember…
While it’s easy to get caught up in the gift-giving frenzy, above all, remember to pause to enjoy the gifts of love and family, this holiday season!
 
This blog post written by Sophia Loffreda