The Season of Giving

Tis the season for giving. If you are anything like me, while I love giving gifts, I agonize over what to give. I spent years buying toys for my kids only to have them play with them for a few days and then have them sit around in corners or on shelves until they ultimately end up in the donation box or trash b/c too many pieces are missing to donate it. I worry that there is such a thing as too much technology when it comes to kids. I want my loved ones to be excited. I want to put so much thought into every gift I give.

So, with all the thinking I do on this topic every year, I thought I’d put together a helpful list of things for anyone still looking for ideas this year.

1) Books. If you have a reader in your life, books can be a very exciting gift. My fifteen year old gobbles up books like they will disappear from the shelves if she doesn’t read them. She loves historical fiction, fantasy, dystopian, and the classics. My husband recently took a 30 pound box full of books she’d already read out of her room. This year, she’s getting a kindle with a monthly service to unlimited books. If you have littles, touch and feel books, or any of the board books with interactive properties are a fun option. Early readers typically enjoy easy books that they can sound out.  And if you’re on a budget, check out consignment book stores. You can not only get like new books at a discounted price, but you can trade them in when you’re done for store credit.
I, personally, love audiobooks because I can do other things I need to do while listening. I can clean my house, I can work out, I can drive all over God’s green Earth for kids or work. I don’t, however, recommend picking out a particular audiobook for anyone. If you are a listener, you know the pain of wanting to listen to a book, but you just can’t handle the narrator. A subscription service is a wonderful gift however.

2) Educational gifts. There is such a variety of STEM  (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) gifts out there that will stimulate growing minds.  If your kids are techies, but you hesitate to let them on the devices too much, there are all sorts of educational games and programs. We are big fans of ABCmouse for the younger kids. You can increase the difficulty as they grow so a years membership might be fun. There are subscriptions to STEM boxes that you can get. KiwiCo, Mel Science, Crunch Labs. They can be engineering, coding, chemistry etc. When I was a kid, I LOVED the giant chemistry sets. They have robotics kits. Rock tumblers. Microscopes kits are really cool and of course, Legos are always fun.

3) Sports Equipment. My kids do a variety of sports and they are ALWAYS needing new equipment. Weather it be a new pair of running shoes, a World Cup themed soccer ball, or swim goggles and swimmers ear drops for the stocking, my kids are excited to get supplies for their sports. If you are looking for bigger items such as skis, snowboards, boots, etc, my honest recommendation would be to look at second hand stores like Play It Again Sports or any place that has a “previously loved” section. The reality is, ski/snowboard equipment is expensive and kids outgrow things rapidly. Unless you know you’ll be able to hand down the equipment, I’d opt for a program that allows trade ins. Another great gift for older kids is a ski/snowboard pass. Just like the equipment, actually getting on the slopes is expensive and it can be hard to swallow for young adults. The full season passes aren’t always an option, but you can always go with a single day pass and most pass programs and resorts do offer multi day passes as well.

4) Arts and Craft Supplies. This one is one of my favorites because you can never have enough art supplies. And it eventually runs out. We joke that if we (Gen X’ers) got a box of 100 Crayola crayons with the sharpener in it when we were kids, we were thrilled. But I can tell you if my 6 year old got one of those, he would be too! Last year I found giant post it note paper that he could put on the wall and decorate. To be fair, we did that as a deterrent to actually drawing on the wall, but regardless, it made everyone happy. There are paint by numbers on canvas, and adult coloring books, too. Clay that can be made into jewelry or figurines is fun. A recent discovery I’ve made is Woobles. A crochet kit for making fun things.  There are limitless options for creative minds.

5) Music. This can come in many forms. Years ago we used to give iTunes gift cards, but with the access to digital music now, those have become less necessary. I can tell you that one of my teenage daughters is in LOVE with vinyl. She inherited a record player and now loves to check out the vinyl section wherever we go. Believe it or not, there are even thriving small businesses that specialize in vinyl. If you have a gift to buy for anyone who loves to make music, an instrument and/or lessons can make an excellent gift. Concerts are a fun experience gift, Pop, country or the symphony and broadway performances. Whatever your musician is interested in.

6) Games. Something that our family has started doing on a semi regular basis is having family game night. It started with Apples to Apples at an extended family Thanksgiving. Then, we started having friends over and we would play board and/or card games with them. Now, we try to do it whenever we can. Some of the games we play other than your typical Monopoly, Life and Uno are Cards Against Humanity FAMILY Edition (very important to make sure it is kid appropriate if you are playing with anyone but adult friends). Scabby Queen. https://www.htae.net/checklist/how-do-i-play-scabby-queen/1102/.   Screw Your Neighbor https://playingcarddecks.com/blogs/how-to-play/screw-your-neighbor-game-rules

Yes, I know these sound inappropriate, but they really aren’t. You can rename them if you’d like. Regardless, games you can play as a family are great gifts.

7) Subscriptions. These are the gifts that keep on giving. My parents started giving my girls a subscription to iBBeautiful several years ago and it was wonderful. Whether it’s a 3 month subscription or a full year, my girls loved getting things in the mail just for them with items like scrunchies and necklaces and lip glosses along with positive messages about being strong and kind and beautiful in their own way. Other subscription services can include ipsy (makeup), Stitch Fix (clothing), KiwiCo (crafts) Book of the month (books), Universal Yums (food from around the world) and for the over 21 adult in your life, you can even do wines, whiskys and beers clubs.  There are so many.

8) Clothes and Shoes. There’s a joke that if your older children need socks and underwear close to Christmas time, you tell them to add it to their list. And while it’s funny to joke, it’s not entirely inaccurate. BUT, that’s not what we’re talking about here. I’m not going to list the companies my kids ask me for clothes from. I’m sure you can guess. But I will say, it’s a great time to buy them the item you may not be willing to buy for them otherwise. I would recommend making sure you know sizes and colors however. And make sure that the store you buy it from has a good return/exchange policy.

9) Experience gifts.  I LOVE the idea of experience gifts and am always on the lookout for something fun. The options are limitless. Mani/Pedi with Mom, Dad, Grandma, Auntie, whoever, Top Golf, Ski/Snowboard tickets, Museums, Zoo passes, Horseback riding lessons/trips, amusement park passes. For the adults in your life, wine/whiskey tasting tours, weekend getaways. Cooking classes are great for any age. Like I said before, concerts, ballet or musical performances. There are so many options.

10) Gift Cards. I think sometimes people wonder if they should give gift cards. Does it feel impersonal or easy? I suppose it can. But let me tell you, my kids love them. GCs are really kind of like experience gifts. My littles get excited to feel like they are grown. They not only get to pick out what they want, but they get to pay for it too! And they learn the value of their “money”. How much do I have? Should I get one big thing or more than one small things? My older kids like spending money without spending their own money. Plus, if you’re looking at a gift card for clothing or shoes, it’s probably better to let them figure out what fits best and what color they like.

11) Practical. Let’s face it, in todays society, things are expensive. EVERYTHING is expensive. And it can be hard to spend money on unnecessary things. Don’t overlook the value of practical gift giving. Do you know how often I’ve procrastinated on buying or doing things that needed to be done because it seems so ridiculous to spend money on something I don’t want to spend money on? Oil changed, new tires, gas. Grocery cards can be immensely helpful for so many. We laugh when people say “Don’t buy your wife a vacuum cleaner.”  And that might be true in some cases, but if you know or hear that your wife/husband/sister/brother/child needs a new vacuum cleaner, go for it. I have gotten ridiculously excited about household items that I don’t want to buy, but I do need. The trick is you have to LISTEN to what your loved ones need, but don’t necessarily want to or can’t buy for themselves.

12. Stockings. Stockings can be a lot of fun, but they also tend to be for smaller things that are harder to wrap. This is where we put candy of course, but this is also where I put toothbrushes and toothpaste, socks, sometimes even underwear. 😂 I also put chapstick, makeup and/or makeup supplies, facewipes. For my my littles I put those blind bags that I honestly don’t like buying at any other time. For my husband and older son I put in beef jerkey, cologne, hair wax etc. And husbands, if you get a stocking every year, please don’t forget your wives. It’s not about what you put into it. You don’t have to spend a lot of money. Her favorite candy, a giftcard for coffee. Could she use some new fuzzy socks? Did you notice that her favorite hand lotion was almost out. And if she’s a mommy, a voucher booklet (homemade or store bought) offering things like a morning to sleep in, a day of no diaper changing, a babysitter so that mom and dad can have a few hours to spend together.

I hope this list is helpful. At the end of the day, it really is about the thought. Don’t just buy something to give something. Listen. Pay attention. Make the effort. And if you’re at a loss, ask a friend or relative who may know exactly what your loved one is hoping for. Whether it’s a physical gift or simply a day to relax and unwind.

I’m posting this a little later than I’d wanted to, but we’ve had a kitchen renovation going on that has taken a lot of my attention the last several months. But we’re almost done and that is a story for another day. 😊