Teaching Sam and Scout

December 2015 Favorites: Gift Buying Edition

Happy Monday folks! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Today, as I always do on the last day of the month, I’m sharing my “Favorite Finds” with Heather; but, this is a special GIFT BUYING EDITION for those of you in holiday shopping mode (like me) right now.

Here are my tried and true favorite gifts to give:

For Babies/Kids:

Fisher Price Nativity – we got one of these on discount after Christmas several years ago, and it continues to be hit. Sam LOVES it, and even Nora is enjoying eating it this year. (Shh… I’m probably going to buy my new nephew one of these this year!)

Snowman Kit – Jeff’s mom gave Sam one of these last year, and we loved using it during the several big snow storms that hit. This year, I got six more to give as gifts to all his little friends. At $5 a pop, you can’t beat it! (P.S. I never thought I’d see the day, but these are A LOT more expensive on Amazon. If you’re going to buy them, make sure you get them at the link above – not affiliate.)

Snow Balls – A friend gave these to Sam a couple of years ago, and they have provided endless fun. I keep them in a big bucket in his room, and kids always flock to them when they are at our house.

National Geographic Kids subscription – My sister-in-law has given this to Sam for several years in a row, and I think it’s genius. It’s not another toy, it’s educational, and Sam genuinely gets excited to get it in the mail and read it each month. Bonus: You can pretty much order this on Christmas Eve and just print something out to give.

For Grown-ups:

Alex & Ani Bracelets OR Kate Spade Idiom Bangles– These are beautiful, can be worn every day, add a personal touch to gifts for important people in your life, and are WAY less expensive than they seem!!  (Both are on sale at Nordstrom for less than $25 today!)

I-Chart-You Genealogy Prints – A few years ago, Jeff and I made one of these for each of our families (and ourselves), and they might be my favorite gift ever. It takes a little work to get all the names together, etc. but the result is totally worth it. The design is modern and cool looking, and the family record is priceless. (These are printable files that we just sent off to Kinkos to have done on cardstock and placed in Ikea Ribba frames. Also, I think the prices might have even gone DOWN since we made ours. Nice!)

Monogrammed Mug – One of these plus a gift card to Starbucks or Barnes & Noble is my go-to teacher/co-worker/hostess gift at Christmas. It may be a little “overdone,” but really, who doesn’t get excited about coffee and books?! (Mugs are only $10 and ship free from Anthropologie today!)

Ice Molds – A more “masculine” twist on the above, we gave these to pretty much every man on our list last year with a bottle of Honey Bourbon. For a nicer gift, you could also pair it with a set of monogrammed barware or coasters.

 

 

Ok, that was fun! I’d love to hear your favorite gifts to give in the comments too if you’re willing! 

Happy gifting! (And don’t forget to check out Heather’s Favorite Finds here.)

E

 

P.S. If you liked this post, you might want to check out these old posts too:

15 Gift Ideas When You Already Have Too Much Stuff

7 Fun Wedding Gifts

5 Books to Give as Gifts

 

Exit mobile version