2018 Gift Guide
In my house, I've got a rule that all Christmas shopping is done by December 1. So some years, that's pretty tough when Thanksgiving falls late. But let me tell you, it's been such a source of freedom for me.
Confession time: I used to approach shopping during the holidays in a horrible way. I'd start out with a hyper-judgmental mindset, as if I were somehow above the materialistic nature of what Christmas has become in our day and age. I'd scoff at Black Friday sales and then two weeks later, I would freak out that we didn't have any gifts under our tree. Stress ensued. I'd begin buying gifts for people whether they asked for them or not. It was seriously destructive and hurtful. My husband even had the nerve to RETURN some of the irresponsible gifts I'd unthoughtfully bought for him. The nerve.
I did some soul searching and realized the damage I was doing to myself and those around me with my perspective on gift-giving and repented of some major pride and self-exaltation. I decided I wanted to learn to embrace gift-giving at Christmas in as holy of a way as possible. I'd like to encourage generosity and gift-giving in my children, so I better figure out how to model it myself. At the same time, we also would like to encourage simple living and going against the lifestyle of gluttony that we use when it comes to buying things. The over-accumulation of stuff that takes place in so many homes, inadvertently I think, is something I absolutely want to be on-guard about. Because so many of us, if not all have come to that point where we look up one day and think "this was not what I had in mind". "Just how did all this stuff get here?"
With that in mind, here is my 2018 Gift Guide, complete with the fine print that when we bring one thing in, we take one thing out. Donating toys is a fantastic way to prevent over-accumulation. I'll do a whole series on purging and organization in the new year, so stay tuned but one awesome thing we always do is purge a toy for each new item we buy. I also keep track of EVERYTHING in a spreadsheet when buying gifts. It helps keep things fair and it keeps your budget in front of your eyes the entire time! (If you'd like to know more about budgeting with Christmas gifts, let me know!)
So you've waited long enough...Or you've scrolled down so STOP here!
For the BIGGEST kids
Shutterfly calendar- this is the only thing my husband EVER wants for Christmas. It's a bit time consuming for me, but it's become a tradition that we both love. I put pictures from the current year by month in a calendar for the next year and he hangs it in his office. So in December of 2018 he sees pictures from LAST December. He loves the memories each month from the previous year and the conversations it brings up with his co-workers.
These copper measuring cups and spoons- I am always in need of more measuring spoons (esp the 1/2 tsp for some reason). I figured I "needed" these cups too.
Spoonflower dish towels - I LOVEEEE Spoonflower so much! You shop for designs that you love and can have them printed onto fabric, wrapping paper or wallpaper. There are SO many amazing designs. This year, I printed out 5 different patterns that I loved in Fat Quarters on Linen Cotton Canvas Ultra to use as dish towels.
Cookie cutter - ok, I realize that basically everything for me is for my kitchen, but our kitchen is in the center of our home and I spend most of my time there. I want to love and enjoy it as much as possible. When I saw this in the Target catalog that came last month, I knew I needed it, I just needed to decide who would be giving it to me.
Running shoes- every year I get new running shoes for Christmas. I found that I was never quite sure when I'd put too many miles on my running shoes and replacing them yearly at Christmastime has become a bit of a routine for me.
Personalized Plates- SO cute and so many designs! I get them for the kids, but they're really just as much for me to enjoy.
Fitbit Versa- We both switched to Fitbit Versa's this year and will never go back. These smart watches are INCREDIBLE. Their HR monitors are much more accurate than previous models, you can track nutrition, weight and other health goals and you can modify communication settings so your watch isn't buzzing everytime you get an instagram like. We've always found the best prices for these at Bed Bath and Beyond and once, they took a 20% coupon. So maybe try that for an extra sweet deal.
We also love "experience" gifts that would feel like too much of a splurge during the year. Concert tickets, memberships to museums, indoor play spots, game day tickets and trips are great too!
*disclaimer: sorry, I don't have teenagers yet, so I have no idea what you should buy for them! Good luck and send me your ideas so I can use them in 6 years.
Big Kids: (3-7)
Holiday Train- my kids are obsessed with trains, all three of them! I wanted one to put under our tree and this one was exactly what I was looking for. There's lots of options for these out there, but I grabbed the most affordable one since we'll just be using it for this one purpose. We're giving this to the kids on tonight so it can run during this entire holiday season!
Kids headphones- Road trip coming up? These will be a gift for your kid AND you!
Lego Tape- oh my goodness!! I didn't even know this stuff existed and I ran across it recently. Logan is going to be so pumped. He loves building tracks and obstacle courses, so this is going to blow his mind to be able to do this with his Legos.
Caboodle- it took me a couple of weeks of shock and dejavu to get over the fact that these are back in stores, but I can't wait to give one of these (a purple one, obvi) to my daughter. She's asked for earrings and nail polish too, so I guess this phase is here now.
Elsa tent- Six words...my daughter is going to flip. It lights up and comes with a sparkle light.
LCD Writing tablet- my kids love those books where they can scratch off the black surface to reveal all the colors underneath, but they never stick to the suggested pictures. This should allow them to color freely and it seems awesome for the car!
Paint sticks- these mess-free sticks seem to be on every list I see! I also love these Twistable Crayons for art time. I sometimes find myself even writing with them.
Jokes Book- I can't tell you how many times a day my kids say "Hey mom, listen to this joke I just made up!!" I'm hoping this will help with their content. :)
Who Sang the First Song? - LOVE this new book from Ellie Holcomb. Grab one and add it to your collection of special holiday books
Crayola Light Up Tracing Pad- I've got one kiddo that's particularly fond of art, and he's really good at it too. I can't wait for him to try all the traceable images that come with it.
Little Kids: (0-3)
Paw Patrol Toys- Is there a kid in this country that's not obsessed with Paw Patrol? We are going 3 years strong over here. Plus, all the Paw Patrol toys are on sale at crazy prices, so snatch 'em up!
Soccer ball- we've given this as a birthday gift to TONS of our friends but never gotten one for our own house. That's changing this year.
Anywhere Chair- these are amazing and are used ALL the time in our home. Use them for movie nights, fort building and more! I used to have each one of these in the individual rooms, but now they're lined up in the playroom and I love how playful and fun they are! We especially love this faux leather one!
Little People Nativity - a family friend gave this to us for Logan's first Christmas and it's been a staple every year. I love how the kids can move things around and touch them. Jesus's birth is all about him coming to us and teaching our kids to approach him with curiosity and questions is so important.
Dancing Mickey- my two year old is OBSESSED with Mickey Mouse. This Mickey is all the things he's ever dreamed of.
Alphabet Popsicles- I personally think every home with young kids needs a play kitchen, and these will be the perfect addition to ours. All of my kids are at different stages of reading (ok, one is just now learning his ABC's) so I love the matching letters for each of them to practice.
Bubble Machine- these things seem to last about 6 months in our house, but they are worth replacing when you've got a kiddo like mine who is so obsessed with bubbles.
Jumbo Dinosaurs- another staple over here. I love how imaginative play sparks up when there's not a light, a motor or sounds on a toy.
For ALL the kids!
Come back on November 30 and grab my first product for each one of your kids (1-8 yo)!!!!!
What's on y'alls list!? And have you entered my Instagram giveaway for a Target gift card? If not, go to the top of the page and click the Instagram icon to take you there!