Not just preseason shop for gifts or baskets, but also clothing, leaving nothing out of prebuying consideration. With clothes it has become so much easier since my kids are in the "generic Toddler" sizes and now even "Big Kid" sizes so I no longer have to count months and anticipate big growth spurts.
But lets get back to the gifts. I have a huge gift closet in the basement that I keep stocked. I always have something on hand for a birthday party or an unexpected gift. I rotate the stock to make sure it stays current with toy trends and if I just want to start weeding out odds and ends. I recently just went through and had a massive purge. The rest of the purge will be donated when those toy tubs are out in the stores since everything is brand new in boxes.
My kids receive three gifts from Santa and a stocking full of fun goodies. Why three gifts? That's our way of keeping the "reason for the season" in the gift giving. The three kings brought baby Jesus three gifts so they get three gifts. The gifts range small, medium and large in value. It's just easier and keeps things on track for expenses.
Wonder what my kids are getting this year? Here's what I have so far, although things may change.
Bear - 2 years old
A Mooska Sing around the Rosie doll like this one
The Ariel Duplo set (price matched at TRU - awesome!)
A Minnie Mouse board book library set
TW - 4.5 years old
A LeapBand (that I have to switch out blue for green now - of course)
A Melissa & Doug wooden car kit
**Insert a Lego set here - not sure yet - maybe Batman)
Lulu - 6.5 years old
The Lego Heartlake Friends High School (price matched at TRU - score!)
Frozen Elsa trunk box (for her Legos)
The Rare Little Live Pets Butterfly
(on fence over this gift for her I might switch it over to a sibling gift)
The kids give each other sibling gifts - one gift from the other two. This year the girls are giving TW the limited Lego fire hall set (which was a sale freebie and is a Toys R Us exclusive from a few weeks ago). Not sure what the girls gifts are quiet yet. I have a few items in my gift arsenal for them that I keep going back and forth on.
I've decided that next year I'll start having the siblings pick out books for each other and have that be the traditional sibling gift. Which reminds me of a traditional gift my cousin and I do for each other's kids - we gift silly socks every year. It's perfect because they're not super expensive and the kids all have a blast picking out fun socks for each other. Besides kids always need socks!
It might seen weird to shop year round thinking of holidays and birthdays but that's what I've done and continue to do.
Do you shop year round for gifts?
Or wait for Black Friday and Cyber Monday?
Do you always keep the holidays in mind or just birthdays?
What are some hot items on your list this year?
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