Our Gift Giving Guide

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With all the amazing deals and hot toys out there it’s very easy to get carried away with the holiday spirit and finding that Santa has left a lot under the tree.  Which is why Mike and I came up with a plan to keep family as the priority.

For the kids we’ve adopted the age to gift rule.
Since this will be Eleanor’s 4th Christmas Santa will leave 4 gifts under the tree, since it’s Camden’s 2nd he will get 2 gifts and they will share 1 joint gift.

Now everyone asks when will you stop, and I think about 7 it will be good.  Don’t get me wrong they still get little things in their stockings, but it’s got to fit in the stocking.  In all honesty this is more a way to keep me in check then anything.  I carefully plan what I think will be the best gifts for them and do my best to find them at an amazing price.

We’re lucky right now since all Eleanor wants for Christmas is a Christmas tree and a bell (we got her a bike bell and it’s going in her stocking).  I’m sure in a few years we’ll have adopted a new idea, but for right now this works for us.

As for gifts from grandparents we like to ask for activities.  Last year we got a family membership to the Brooklyn’s Children Museum and it was great, really the gift that keeps giving and we didn’t have to worry about it taking up space in our apartment.  A class is another idea, maybe it’s an 8 week swimming lesson or art class.  We asked for classes at the Y for the kids as our gift this year from one set of grandparents.

We’re also all about giving and getting experiences as a gift, all of us doing something together is way more valuable then a toy, and we don’t need to find space for it.  Today we’re taking GG to the Whippany Railroad as her gift!

We often forget that Christmas is about spending time as a family and worry about making sure we’ve bought enough gifts, and that they are wrapped perfectly.  While this is all part of the holiday; we can’t lose that thing that makes it special, which to me, is spending time together.

I suggest the next time you start to worry about making sure you have the perfect gift for someone take a moment and really think, do they really want/need that casserole dish or would you rather put that money to spending an afternoon ice skating, or going to the zoo together?  Would you rather buy tons of toys for your grandkids or watch them go to a gymnastics or dance class for 8 weeks or get a family membership to the Botanical Gardens for the whole family?

However you choose to celebrate make sure you take a moment to enjoy your time as a family.  Wishing you happy shopping and researching there’s a lot out there to do and see!

 

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