We don’t usually go for the super trendy items for the kids. We really like to stick with toys and items they can grow with and will encourage play, rather than something they’ll quickly give up on in a few weeks or months. That being said, it doesn’t mean we skip what the kids really want, we just keep it simple. Right now Finn is very interested in Transformers and Kensi enjoys My Little Pony.
We’re really excited about this year, because the kids are getting older and grasping the understanding of giving more than receiving. We let each of the kids build a shoebox for Operation Christmas this year and we purchased a tree for a military family. We love being able to teach the kids the importance of creating Christmas magic for others in simple ways. It’s so important to keep it at the center of our focus rather than ourselves and I'm excited to share more about our thought on this in the next year.
So here’s our wish list for the kids this year! We know they’re going to be excited and a little bummed since we’ll be traveling for Christmas, but they’re have so much fun playing once we get back home.
/ Rain boots / Wood Work Bench / Wood Blocks / Board Game / Muslin Quilt / Smart Piggy Bank / USA Puzzle /
Wood Work Bench // We’ve been looking for a fun and simple workbench for the kids over the last year, but really didn’t find anything we loved, that is until Hearth & Hand released theirs! The kids love helping us work on projects and they’re always in the garage learning new skills and building their own small projects (like a balance beam)!
Wood Block Set // I’ve had my heart set on a large colorful block set for a couple years now, but the price was just killing me. Instead, we purchased a set of natural wood blocks and I’m painting them in the garage. Much more work, but I love a good DIY and I can’t wait to see what the kids build!
Money Saving Piggy Banks // We are teaching our kids to be money smart. Each month, I’ll sit down with them and we count all their money they’ve received whether it’s from a birthday or chores and we sort it into three piles: save, spend and give. I found this cute piggy bank trio set that has a separate bank for each one, so now instead of sorting it every month, we can sort it immediately and place the money where it needs to go.
Puzzles + Games // All the kids enjoy working on puzzles. They’re great for building fine motor skills, cognitive skills and learning different concepts depending on the theme of the puzzle. I love this United States Map puzzle for learning geography. We also picked up one of the new wood board games from Target. We picked out CandyLand because it’s one of our most loved games and we no longer have any of the cardboard markers, because seriously who still has the cardboard markers all in one piece?
Rain Boots // I love having rain boots on hand for the kids because they’re so easy to put on, they typically run a little large so they last awhile and we can get quite a bit of rain here in coastal Carolina. London Littles also have super cute prints!
Muslin Quilts // We all love muslin quilts. Let’s be honest, I really need/want one in my size! Any-who, I love these blankets because they’re so cozy, breathable and warm. We use them for sleep, cuddling on the couch, walks in the stroller and even in the car. We currently own two, but since we use them all the time we decided to get a few more for the kiddos. We have a few different floral prints for the girls so I they’re sharing one this time around. I snagged this whimsical rainbow and unicorn print from Clementine Kids. Kensi is seriously going to die over excitement. For Finnley, I got the Zoology quilt. He’s going to love all the animals!
Books // This year Kensi has become much more mature and patient with reading and listening to stories. We came across The Fairy Bell Sisters over the summer and she’s officially hooked. She’s not reading on her own yet, but I love being able to read to her and it’s just special one-on-one time we get together and can enjoy. To help her along her reading journey and to spark her interest even more so I found My Little Pony Phonic Box Set at Barnes & Noble. Finn still really loves the BabyLit books, but he’s also taken an interest in Dr. Suess and he loves anything that has to do with robots. I got him The Adventures of Otto Collector’s Set by David Milgrim. Finn loves reading silly books; I adore hearing his sweet giggle with all the silly words. Olivia loves getting books off the bookshelves, climbs into my lap and says ‘wee” (read). It’s so dang cute. We enjoy reading about lots of different things.
A few other fun items we’ve found throughout the year include Boogie Boards Writing Tablet. We found them at Costco in the office supply aisle. They’re essentially a digital version of a magna doodle board, except it has a button to clear the image rather than a swipe. The Hot Cocoa Set by Hearth & Hand at Target and the kids all love Legos so we have a few fun small sets for their stockings. Kensi stumbled upon Shrinking Trinkets in the Land of Nod catalog and I flipped with excitement! I loved making Shrinky Dinks when I was little and she thought the Shrinking Trinkets were pretty cool.
I do get a lot of questions about where we shop, how we find deals and what tips can I give to save as much as possible. Our biggest trick is shopping all year round. I often hit up the clearance section at Barnes & Noble. They have dozen of toys and puzzles marked to 70% off sometimes and it’s a total steal! I constantly wait for sales. There is ALWAYS a sale, it’s just a matter of waiting for it. Shops like Land of Nod will send out 15% off coupons almost monthly throughout the year. We also compare prices with Amazon and can usually find a better deal there. When we shop we try and get items that can grow with all our kids and are gender neutral. Of course we buy some items that are kid specific, but in general with larger items we try to go as neutral as possible (like the work bench). I also try and keep the mindset that they don’t HAVE to have anything. We are extremely blessed and we try not to get caught up in stuff or spending too much money on it, but instead focusing on the moments and experiences. At the end of the day if we’re gone tomorrow none of the stuff is going to matter, but we’ll always have the memories.
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