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.
Sometimes a review is just plain fun! When I saw the request for reviewers for CrossTimber, I knew we would enjoy doing this one. We were offered the choice of either five personalized Name Cards or Name Bookmarks, or an 8×10 Plaque print, along with a set of Amazing Name Print Activity Sheets. It didn’t take me long to decide that the bookmarks would be perfect for us. Since we have five boys and three girls, it was easy to make the decision that each of the boys would get a bookmark. 
I allowed each of the boys to choose the picture for their own bookmark. We spent a few hours, on a couple of different evenings, perusing all the different options and trying to decide which picture fit each boy best. There were so many different categories, and so many beautiful options within each category, that it was hard to make the decision—but it was great fun. The four major categories are Symbolic/Meaningful, People, Outdoors, and Creatures. We spent most of our time in the Outdoors section, although the Creatures section also appealed to my boys (Mr. Diligence debated about choosing the rooster!). Once the photo for the background was chosen, we had to decide about letting CrossTimber choose the Scripture verse to go with the meaning of the name, or choose our own. Only Simon decided to spend the extra dollar to choose his own verse; he wanted something that would be a reminder of what was happening in his life right now. The other option would have been either a quote from a president or famous author, or a character quality. We could also have added a ribbon or corner design, or gotten a matching name card, greeting card, coffee mug, or any of a few other gift items. 
We were also given a set of AmazingName Print Activity Sheets. I had those done with Little Miss’s name on them. She loves the mazes and was delighted to get to color a name label to set up on her dresser. There are also coloring pictures, both for children and adults, word searches of various difficulty levels, and penmanship pages. These sets will appeal to many different ages! As with the other products from this company, they talk about the importance of names to God and the importance of the meaning of names. We were sent a printed copy of the set, on nice, thick, semiglossy paper. You can also choose to receive this set as a PDF, and then print pages as you wish, as your child grows up and can do more things.
It was very easy to order the bookmarks and activity set. The only difficulty was in narrowing down the choices and finding the perfect one! My sons are very happy with their bookmarks. They are pretty and seem fairly durable. Esther (who tends to be quite picky with graphics!), however, felt that they could have been better quality. She pointed out that the designs are not centered on the cards, and in her opinion, too many different fonts were used. For most people, these wouldn’t be an issue, but just something she noticed. 
If you are wanting special, personalized gifts that encourage people and glorify God, have a look at CrossTimber’s offerings. I was impressed with the variety of products they offer! Having the meaning of your name in front of your eyes can be very encouraging. We were amused at the meanings attached to the names of a couple of our boys; we had never heard those meanings with their names before, but they sure fit their personalities! (Grandma, maybe you can figure out which ones I’m talking about!)
As always, check out what other families had to say about their experiences with CrossTimber by clicking the image below.
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