We don't go overboard for Christmas. The kids each get one BIG thing from Santa (plus a stocking) and 5 things from us, one from each person in the family. I have each kid pick out their gift to their siblings, to focus on the idea of giving, which for us, is what Christmas is about. I will admit that sometimes, I come up with the idea, ask if it's ok and just get it, but generally I take them individually to the toy store and we pick something out for each kid. It's doubly nice because they get to shop for Christmas gifts and they get one on one time with a me. They also do lots of wish-list making while they're shopping, but that's ok too! So once the kids get a gift for each other, that leaves only the Santa gift, stocking, Olivia's gifts to the big kids and the Mom&Dad gift.
Because our kids have some many people buying for them, I always have them do a wish list on Toys R Us. I find it easier to do it that way so any gift-givers can see what they want, and also what they've already gotten. Even though their lists are always extensive, I try to stay away from items on the wish list from us. I want to try to think outside the box for them and get them something that I really think they'll like, even if they've never specifically asked for it. Enter my natural toy websites. I actually already ordered a few things for little Miss Olivia from Nova naturals. I also love Magic Cabin. I used to say diapers.com was good, but now it's probably easier to just say vine.com since they're going to be all the natural toys when you search through that sister site. I like these sites because they're all pretty green first of all, and second they have unique toys that are built to last. They're creative playthings, like the play silks that can be used for anything from doll blankets to capes to costumes to walls for forts...ANYTHING! The thing that's so great about these kinds of toys compared to some of the more mainstream things you'll find at the toy store, is that they encourage imagination. Take the Spiderman car Vince is playing with right now. (He loves this toy by the way so it's not a slam on this particular toy.). It's a Spiderman car. It can't really be anything else. But when he plays with his wooden blocks, they're eggs for an Angry Birds show (which run on the hour here at our house) or building a castle, or a corral for "guys" the possibilities are as vast as his little imagination. I also like that a lot of the toys are from other countries, usually Germany. I know it's best to buy American, but the thing I like about the German toys, is that they're different than all the traditional American toys, but they're still traditional. They've been kid-tested over time, but they're not as familiar to my kids because they're from a slightly different culture.
I'm also doing books. All my kids love books and Usborne Books are THE BEST! They have some fantastic titles in non-fiction that are great for early readers, but just as great for young kids. I got a book about bats for Vince and it was just enough info to keep his interest, but also a good learning tool. Last year I got him an Airport book with pop-out magnets of planes and other vehicles at an airport that stick to the pages as you read the book. They also have Kid Kits that are a book with additional activities, like the Volcano book and kit that I got Caden last year. They have books for infants through chapter books, sticker books, coloring books, internet-linked books...I just can't say enough great things about them! If you're not familiar, check out their website. They're a home party company, but you don't have to have or go to a party to order. You can order directly from their site. Last year I got each of the kids 3 books and put them in a Thirty-One cinch sac with their names on it.
So I'm in the planning stages of my Christmas shopping. Because we don't buy a lot of gifts, each one has to really count. I'm a huge fan of researching my purchases before I buy them so I really don't impulse buy, which makes shopping for 4 kids kind of time consuming. And I only have 67 days left!
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| Christmas Morning 2011...before Vince threw up all over the place! |
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