Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.
I get to review all sorts of curricula, websites, and other homeschool-related things as a member of the Homechool Review Crew. Every now and then though, I get the opportunity to review something different.
CrossTimber is one of those companies as they offer unique and personalized gifts. The great thing is that their products appeal to much more than just homeschoolers since they specialize in name-meaning gifts, and everybody has a name. We were first introduced to their company a few years ago and have gotten different products from them. This time, we received 5 Name Bookmarks from www.Bookmarks.name and a set of AmazingName Print Activity Sheets.
CrossTimber is a family company that was started by the Dehnart family in the late 1970s. From photography to carpentry to printing and graphic design, they've offered many services over the years. Then, in 1994, John Dehnart started the personalized name products portion of the company as a way to show Christ's love and bless those that persecuted him. Now, he and his wife, and even his kids, work together to create beautiful gifts that highlight the meanings of names and are still blessing people through their products.
I bought my three oldest kids name bookmarks four years ago. The foundation of our education is literature, so naturally we do a lot of reading around here. As you can imagine, those bookmarks were in rough shape! I was excited to replace them with new personalized ones and get them for my younger kids, too.
Last time, I spent so much time poring through the 200+ design options in order to find the perfect bookmarks to surprise my kids. This time, I deferred that job to them. There are multiple design themes from which to choose and then many background options under each category.
- Faith & Encouragement
- Castles & Lighthouses
- Celtic, Irish, & Gaelic
- Fantastical & Imaginative
- Musical Instruments
- Sports
- Sunrises & Sunsets
- Flowers
- Animals
- . . . and many more.
My girl spent time looking through all the options and carefully decided on the best one for her, whereas the boys found their preferred styles in less than a minute each. Obviously she is the only one who takes after me! I love that CrossTimber has many options which makes it easy for everyone to find something perfect to match their likes and personalities.
Each bookmark includes a name along with its meaning and origin. After choosing a style, you can also add other personalized features such as a ribbon and corner design punch. You also get to choose what else you want printed on the front of the bookmark from a presidential quote, famous author quote, Bible verse that matches the name meaning, a character quality, or a custom text (for an additional cost.) The possibilities are endless!
We chose the matching Bible verse for our bookmarks. I want my kids to claim Scripture as their own and apply Its message to their hearts. The website says that they "typically start with the King James Version." Because that version is very important to us and we use nothing else ever, I sent an email to John to let him know of my wishes. With all of my other orders over the years, he was quick to reply and happy to make changes. This time, however, I did not get a response and then one of our bookmarks came with a verse from a different version. My kids always double check verses on things like this right away, so not only was I disappointed by the bookmark, so was the boy it belongs to.
On top of that, the oversized envelope was shoved into our mailbox, bending all five bookmarks and the name activity sheets. Thankfully, nothing was creased, so time and some heavy books helped to flatten everything out. Packaging the materials between cardboard would have helped keep it all smooth through shipping though.
We received an AmazingName Print Activity Sheets set for our youngest son last year when he got a personalized Amazing Name video. This time, I chose our 8-year-old to receive the set. He was very excited to have 28 pages of name activities. There are mazes, crossword puzzles, word searches, coloring pages, and both printing and cursive practice that feature the name over 80 times. There is a variety of difficulty levels for ages 3-12. I was surprised to see so many new pages from last time! Some of the worksheets feature characters from the Amazing Name cartoon video, so that was fun for my kids to see.
This really is a fun option for helping young ones recognize and spell their names, but also for older ones to appreciate how special their names are.
Maybe you're looking for a unique gift for someone older. CrossTimber also sells personalized name plaques, coffee mugs, music boxes, and more. There are also names of God plaques that would look beautiful in any home. Just like the bookmarks, there are many different options for themes, frames, and other personalized features. Some of my other Crewmates received a name plaque print, so be sure to check out those reviews, too.
CrossTimber offers many beautiful and special personalized products that would make perfect gifts. Head over to www.Bookmarks.name and you won't be disappointed!
You can connect with CrossTimber on the following social media sites:
You can read more reviews of these name meaning gifts on the Homeschool Review Crew blog.
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