Over our summer hotel Waterpark stay I noticed Husband totally needs a new leather overnight shaving case. And when we red boxed a movie which he later hinted, more then once, for yet another movie (again). I did watch the special features where there was a themed movie t-shirt to boot (so he got the blue ray and movie t-shirts this year).
I found some great unique gift idea websites they I keep tabs on in Pinterest. I also find items in Amazon and add them to our gift idea wish list as my way of tracking these ideas for next year. Otherwise I feel overwhelmed when it's actually time to shop and searching through options.
Here's our giving list, with prices. My general goal, is to stay affordable because we have soooo many family members. Luckily we buy for kids only.
As my own keepsake, via this blog, I'm keeping note of my kids favorite wish list items:
The boys both love our iPad, and since I don't let them buy apps, a gift cert to iTunes with a card that says it to buy your own apps is a great gift.
OR a National Geographic KIDS magazine - 1yr subscription is $15 0n amazon.com - yes they'd LOVE it. We still regularly watch "Life of Mammals" series in this house (a Christmas gift from my older sons 4th Christmas).
OR more specifically older son (8years old) asked for a lava lamp (orange is his fav color), eyewitness kits or smithsonian kits have good stuff too. He still loves everything animal kingdom. Hero factory (similar to bionicles). They already received new Bey Blades spinners and Wii game. And I told grandma he's ready to start reading the Harry Potter book series. She'll get him a hard cover of book one since he's building his "book collection." {I've already thrifted hard cover books 5 & 7 for $2.50 each.}
Younger son (almost 5) asked Santa for "squinkies" or "Legos" or "wrestling ninjas"... He LOVES Legos! the regular Legos, not mega blocks. And he likes hero factory too. He also like scooby doo a lot!
Baby girl (almost 2) likes tigers and lions (figurines more then stuffed). She loves Elmo books (we have the tickle me Elmo doll which the kids never really played with, a music one who sings and plays musical instruments and stuffed one who's actually MIA). She's also into scooby doo, Arthur (omg, loves him!), and "super y."
Christmas List Gifts for 2013
- National geographic LITTLE kids -
1yr/ $15 amazon.com for neighbors daughters (that's $7.50 per girl).
- Grandpa and step mom get a great immersion blender (Ross $25), they both love to cool. She also gets "the best rated" wine cork stoppers $10 at Amazon with free shipping (because after dinner one night they fought about how to store wine) and he gets whiskey rocks $9 from amazon. He'll like the gimiky fun aspect of them.
My older son (age 8) and younger son (age 5) are asking for:
- Wrist compass from bass pro - $10
- bey blade toy set $12 from Kmart Black Friday (but a good price is under $6 for one) and wii bey blade $9 black Friday normally $25. They'll be secret Santa gifts.
- Dispicable me movie ($15 cyber
Monday)
Younger son specific:
- Lego set (prices vary)
- Squinkies (under $3 a set is a deal) KMart wanted $7 on clearencec, Walgreens runs at $5
- Scooby doo pjs 100% cotton (under $8)
Older son specific:
- Orange nurf football hard core play (from Black Friday $10 normally $15 when I couldn't sleep).
- Lava lamp (preferably orange, normally $20 but I've found rebates at menard's priced for $5)
- he gets a snow globe from me every year, because he said he loves them.
- I found a set of Pokemon cards in a collectors binder at a garage sale for $2. Half now / half for his birthday. Another thrifted set for $1.50 of 200 cards... For both boys.
Baby girls (almost 2) is in love with -- Elmo and Arthur!! She's also all about animals, especially lions, tigers and monkeys.
- Elmo themed book, thrift store sale
- an insect sticker book, ditto
- and a hero cape and mask (all three kids got the cape set, big lots on sale for $2 each)
- an oversized "Color a house" $20 for a pair of cousins. Comes with markers, but ou can find sales for ) $10.
- pre teen cousin gets her 1D boy band video $10
- another set if pre teen boys gets these remote control helicopters that are going off market ($20 instead of $100).
- new drivers, teenage and early 20's, gas cards!!
- rainbow looms for 8-10 year olds (regular price $16 each)
- brother and sister in law gift cards
- MIL gets a (thrift store) framed picture of her son and grandkids (from the session at my grandmas 80th birthday family picture). Picture reprints via snapfish.com at $1.50 each.
- Grandma coffee commuter mugs (Ross $3) & framed reprints if family photos from earlier this year.
- Great grandma bath mat set ($11 Black Friday), & framed reprints of all the grandkids and her kids with their children I a large 8x10.
- Husband wanted Harvard / Ivy League baseball caps. So I've asked family who's traveled for college visits / in college to fetch um for me.
- gift ideas for 6-13 year olds: eyewitness kits / smithsonian kit (Tuesday Mornings had these for $10 each).
- Husband will be getting Superhero themed cuff links ($25-50) or socks to get a set.
- we are Crocs converts in our house. I discovered there wonderful comfort while traveling this summer. My husband needs a pair - check! On sale at kohls.com with kohls cash $35.
- my husbands always wanted the Star Wars movie collection. I kept it in my amazon cart forever, and it went down in price $20 during cyber Monday - check!
- another set of teen cousins gets an iron cross wristband and some tshirts. Maybe a pullover. Spencer's is great for teen / pre teen gifts.
- Husband also gets two books on his list. He's a history buff and public radio covered two great sounding ones on dictators and WWI veteran stories collected from ccentarians.
- my girlfriends a hairstylist, and she'll get a Shears V-Neck I came across on Rebelcircus.com. I also found her a great little bag ($7) at a boutique and keychain with scissors and comb ($2).
- another newer neighbor friend mentioned she needs a hat. So I'll be asking my mom to crochet her and her daughter a matching set ($14 for materials). Her son will get the "Where's Baby?" Book by Katy Katz (the Maxx $4). And her daughter a bead set and book I have in my presents stash. All my kids loved that series since age 1. And now my older son reads it to my daughter.
- my other neighbors daughters get TJ Maxx found Melissa and Doug make your own picture frame ($4) and a keepsake box ($3).
- boxes of chocolates for my Husbands staff and gas gift cards. My sons teacher may get this too.
- my brother off to college next year, so he gets a 1001 tips for going awa y to college book. And a sweatshirt.
- another teenager will get a sweatshirt and candy or chocolates too.
This years family photo was a collage (cyber Monday pricing) of our years best days! And photos.
Shopping online takes so much hassle OUT I the holidays... Thank you technology!!
Make mistakes. Breath. Reflect. Laugh Out Loud
