13 Non-Toy Gift Ideas

It's that time of year again.  Grandparents are asking for gift ideas.  Stocking stuffers are popping up.  And Mom and Dad are searching for items that won't break before Christmas morning is over.  So while we're all scouring the mall and online, don't overlook those Non-Toy Gifts that will last, reduce clutter, and build memories.  How's that for getting the most for your buck?

1. Gift Certificate for activities, classes, lessons, etc.-- My kids are very active.  There's rarely a moment when we're still.  GCs for activities and lessons will help your kids try out a new skill, engage in a new activity, and help build a new "muscle" in their life.

2. Gear for activities, classes, lessons, etc.-- And with all those activities comes a lot of equipment.  Dance shoes, baseball mitts, and art supplies can add up quickly.  Why not gift your kids with some new gear for a hobby they love?

3. Movie tickets-- Kids love going to the movies.  That too can add up quickly.  But a gift certificate for a special matinee together (complete with popcorn) makes for a lasting memory for the same price as a plastic trinket.

4. Special outing with grandparents, aunties, uncles, etc-- Maybe Grandma and Grandpa want to get your kids something, but aren't sure what?  How about an afternoon of doing whatever the child wants?  Ice cream, sledding, or a trip to the bookstore are all great ideas for spending time together and treating a child at Christmas

5. Family membership to a local zoo, museum-- These have beens some of our favorite gifts.  We used to have a membership to the local museum that our grandparents would renew every year.  It was a gift that we used multiple times a year and contributed to our kids schooling.

6. Science kits-- Science kits can be a lot of fun.  Whether growing crystals or erupting a volcano, they're a great way to get some hands-on experience and learn something new.

7. Baking kits-- All of my kids have loved being in the kitchen with us from a very young age.  And I love having them with me.  But that doesn't alway translate into me having time to cook from scratch.  Having a few pre-made items to work on together gives us a chance to create and not stress about time.

8. Craft kits-- I'm raising a crafter and this is at the top of her list.  She loves all the beading and crocheting and crafting she can get her hands on.  And if you're not into traditional crafts, there's all kinds of crazy kits out there, including how to make bouncy balls.

9. Educational items-- As a homeschool family, I'm always looking for gifts that do double duty.  Science kits are a great idea.  Spelling games, math games, circuit kits, playdoh kits, headphones, ... all these are great ideas for giving a gift with the homeschool family in mind.

10. Something they need-- Most of the time, my kids don't NEED anything.  But occasionally they need a new coat or a new pair of shoes.  To make it extra special, I might seek out the light up shoes or the coat with the favorite character.

11. Contributions to a savings account (bonds and investments too)-- This is a great one for family that's far away.  Contributing to a savings account would be a great long term investment for families thinking about college or saving for a first home.

12. Big ticket items-- Sometimes pooling money for a big ticket item is a great idea for a family with multiple children.  Most Moms and Dads would love to receive that trampoline or bike rack that the kids can use together and be something that the family would normally splurge on.

13. Family Trip-- If you're kids are older, it can be a lot of fun to plan a big family trip for after the holidays.  Sneak one or two gifts under the tree and save the rest for going to the beach or the mountains.  It's a great way to bless your family with a new experience and create lots of new memories.

What are some of your favorite Non-Toy Gift Ideas?

On Santa Clause

(Image Credit)

I had a friend ask me awhile back what we do with Santa in our house.  Personally, I think he can be fun.  But we've never put much emphasis on him.  My kids know who Santa Clause is, what he does, and they've seen most of the movies.  But they also know that he's not real, and have known since they first knew what Christmas was.

I take the kids shopping with me when we pick up stocking stuffers.  We talk about how Santa is fun to pretend and they help me find small items to put in each other's stockings.  We just call it "playing Santa."

We also try to convey to our kids that sharing the truth about Santa is not up to us, but to the parents of our friends.  We tell them that some parents like to "play Santa" by pretending that he's real and it's their choice when to tell their kids the truth.

That's not to say that my kids haven't let the cat out of the bag a time or two.  Like last year when Lydia announced to the entire preschool art table that Santa wasn't real.  And then again a few days later at lunch time.  Luckily we went to school with some very understanding parents.

How do you handle Santa in your house?

Our Simple Christmas: What We Do and Don't Do

With Christmas fast approaching, it's easy to get wrapped up in all the details of the holiday.  But for all the emphasis we put on one day, it can easily become stressful.  So in an attempt to focus on the reason for our celebration, our family tries to simplify both in what we do and in our expectations.  Here's what we do and don't do:

Do:
We try really hard to focus on experiences during this season so our time can seem busy.  But for our family, spending time has more significance than spending money.

*Christmas Parade--This Christmas Parade takes a significant amount of planning from Mom, but it's one of those experiences that anchors us from year to year.  Planning a sack dinner, loading up numerable layers of clothing, and filling thermoses with hot chocolate, our evening pulls us together in the lights and sounds of the season.

*Experience Advent Calendar--Each year we do an Advent calendar, filled with experiences for us to enjoy as a family.  Some things are more elaborate like making it to the Christmas parade, while others are as simple as having a pancake and hot chocolate dinner.  I keep this list so it's one of those experiences that can flex as mom needs it to.  But it also reminds me of some of the small things we like to do at this time of year.

*Bake cookies--I know.  This one can get out of hand.  That's why we've narrowed it down to our three favorite cookie recipes and just make giant batches of those.  If I find I have time to do more later on, great.  Otherwise, we focus on our three favorites and never feel like we're missing out.

*Buy simply and thoughtfully--Just a few things for each kid, something that will foster their imagination and help further their intellect.  I try to find gifts that straddle between fun and educational and think of each of their personalities in mind.  Just a few things to not overwhelm them, or our limited space.

*Do a Book Advent--We love books so I do a book advent each year and we open one a night through the month of December.  Some come from our collection while others come from the library and it's a new adventure each night.

*Cut down our own tree--We make a day of it.  Combine a snow trip with a Christmas tree trip.  We make lots of memories, sled, and build snowmen.  This is also a great opportunity to spend time with cousins and other family.

Don't:

*Elf on the Shelf--Our family doesn't do Santa so the Elf seemed a little pointless.  However, I will admit I do feel a little prick in my spirit when I see all the cute ideas you moms come up with as these little elves run amuck.  Just doesn't fit our family culture so I don't make the time for it.

*Buy presents for each other--My husband and I haven't exchanged gifts in years.  We don't buy for each other at Christmas or on our birthdays and instead opt to do an overnight trip on our anniversary.

*Buy many gifts--I love crafting anyways so we just pick out a few gifts for each kid and then I supplement with a few small things that I've crafted for them.

*Buy outside our family--We have tossed around the idea of buying for our siblings this year, but in the past, we haven't bought for anyone other than our kids and parents.  If we do exchange gifts with our siblings this year, I've been collecting ideas for jar mixes, homemade kitchen items, and homemade gifts.

*Every dish and dessert--I grew up in a house where the Christmas table was overflowing.  Every dish and dessert was available during the holidays.  But with three little ones in the house and a very limited budget, it's just not realistic.  Nor is it healthy.  So we've narrowed it down to our favorite dishes, those that really say "Christmas" to my husband and I.  And we're starting our new holiday traditions.

These are just some of the ways we're keeping our simple Christmas.  How do you try to celebrate without going crazy?

10 Goals this Week

Here's how I did on my goals this week:

Parenting:

*Take kids on reward lunch

*Finish a couple of projects

Blogging:

*Finish review book

*Finish 1-2 unfinished posts

Homemaking:

*Finish Christmas cards

*Try 1-2 new recipes

*Work on Christmas projects

*Make cookies 

Personal:

*Get 8.5 hrs sleep/night (ehh??)

*Workout 3-4 days

These are My 10 Goals for the Week:

Parenting:

*Get back into homeschool routine

*Go to Christmas parade

Blogging:

*Work on book club book, review book

*Finish 1-2 unfinished posts

Homemaking:

*Try 1-2 new recipes

*Wrap Christmas books

*Plan games for birthday party

*Make pinata for party

Personal:

*Get 8.5 hrs. sleep/night

*Workout 3-4 days

What are your goals for the week?

Continue Loving Those Who Are Grieving

*Sorry I wrote this earlier, but didn't want to just squeeze it in.  I felt like it really deserved some attention.  So please take an undisturbed moment to read.

It's November... Thanksgiving is around the corner... changing leaves, turkey in the freezer, cranberries waiting to be cooked...

And for those who are grieving, memories around every corner.

For those who have lost a loved one, this is a tough time of year.  Last year, I shared my own story of how 2011 rocked our family and how it taught us to love those that are grieving.  As I've reflected on another year come and gone, I'm reminded how important it is to love grieving families during the holidays and wanted to write this simple list of ways we can continue to love.

*Know that it's ok not to know what to say-- When we were in the midst of the early pain, it was easiest to hear that others didn't understand, but were willing to sit with us nonetheless.

*Bless them with fruit, orange juice, bottled water-- It's the little things that count.  Sometimes it might hard to get a full meal down, but juice and fruit will do the trick.  And bottled water is nice to have around with all the family in your home.

*Snacks-- Again, a little thing that goes a long way.  Especially if there are kids around.

*Letters-- Some of the most treasured items are letters.  Take the time to write a letter saying how much you valued the lost family member or how your heart goes out to those that are grieving.  Never underestimate the value of the written word.

*Gifts of service: babysitting, phone calls, dishes, house cleaning-- Even when we're grieving, life goes on.  Offer your assistance if you can: watch the kids while they go to the funeral home, call family members, clean the house for company, do dishes or laundry while they take a nap.

*Gifts of money for the kids-- I can't even imagine being a mother with small children and loosing my husband.  Not only have you lost your best friend, but now you're reeling with financial difficulty.  Set aside some money for the kids in an account or bond, just enough to reassure mom that you'll be there.

*Paying utilities-- Same goes with everyday bills.  Anonymously pay a bill, just until the family can get back on their feet.

*Presence at the funeral-- One of the dearest things you can do is show up.  Even if you didn't know the individual, show up for the family.

*Being "on call" for the funeral-- If you didn't know the person that died, offer to be "on call" for the funeral day.  Pick up last minute items, transport family, bring an extra box of tissue, pick up someone from the airport... just be available to serve.

*Being with the kids as needed-- I mentioned babysitting earlier, but one of the best ideas I've heard came from in-laws offering to watch the kids during the viewing the night before.  While the family was grieving, the in-laws took the grandkids (and all their cousins) and had a sleep over: snacks, movies, and dinner.

Whatever you do, do it with love and know that we all grieve in our own way and time.  Tears will often switch to laughter and back to tears again in the blink of an eye.  And when in doubt, just remember to show up.  You are truly making a difference in people's lives.

*Linked to these Parties