It's always a blessing to have a good year financially and be able to give to your family and friends for the holidays as well as those who are not as fortunate as we may be. Every year I say I want to limit the amount of gifts we get our son (Who is now 5) but of course we end up going overboard because there's just so many cool gift ideas out there! I am also very lucky with the amount of samples I receive for review purposes so we always make sure to donate tons of toys and other items to those less fortunate. This year there seems to be an abundance of great new toys and other gift ideas on the market and these are some of the items I absolutely love whether they are for someone you know or someone less fortunate.
I like crafty gifts for kids. I know my son and his friends love to create things and love to show off their final product. Rose Art makes some great products that kids will love, big and small so whether you are looking for a big gift or just a stocking stuffer, you'll be able to find something. My son is receiving the Color Blanks character pack for Christmas this year. He's been eyeing this set up when we go to stores and it's a cute concept. For an affordable price a child get to use markers and stickers to color in their own action figure type models. Rose Art also makes a Magic Fun Dough set with a farm animal theme. Kids can actually make their own animal game pieces and then use them to play a board game. It's an excellent, multi purpose idea that I think is worth the money.
We don't watch much television in our home especially during the week when school is the main focus but my son immediately caught site of the new Micro Chargers sets that are popular this year. Little LED race cars can shoot into a Hyper Dome and drive around while they light up. The handheld charger charges the cars back up each time. You can purchase more stunt cars for the Micro Chargers Light Racers Hyper Dome set and race cars are available for some of their other sets. This set costs under $30 and is a good purchase. My son plays with it for about 20 minutes at a time and has come back to it periodically. You do want to plan on purchasing another car and charger though so more than 1 person can play at a time and battle.
It seems all we do these days is sit and play Legos during our downtime. We bought a few sets for our son for Christmas but I was looking for a more affordable set since we all know Legos can run upwards of $100. The Kre-O Cityville Invasion Skyscraper Mayhem set is under $40 and is an awesome set for any building block lover. Best part is it works with all other blocks of it's kind. This specific set is neat because it comes with a battery operated base that makes City sounds. You also get a ton of character pieces.
For an educational gift for kids this year you can turn to Discover with Dr Cool. They have fossil kits that let you dig real fossils out of rock and geode kits as well. This is a must for any science loving kid or adult alike.
For the babies in your life the Baby Snug by Mamas & Papas is a safe, great alternative to the Bumbo seat that went off the market a while back. For ages 3-12 months, the Baby Snug is a comfortable and supportive place for a child to snack, play and rest. As soon as your child can hold up their head you can start using this product and it's a lifesaver. It also doesn't take up much room which is a plus in my book.
My son is now five and doesn't mind getting clothing for Christmas. The girls at school say he's a nice dresser so he has to keep that up with his wardrobe I guess. Cue eye roll. Tea Clothing is probably the absolute best designer brand for children that I have ever seen and I've been fortunate to receive a lot of different brands since my son was born. Tea has trendy yet really practical clothing in their line and I love the quality. I received a holiday outfit for my son which included a pair of gray twill pants. They are awesome and they have an adjustable waistband which works for my son since he has a teeny waist. The Far East Geo Print shirt has such a unique and funky print that we love it and you can add a sweater vest over the top to bring the whole outfit together. The clothes wash well, wear well and will last for a long time.
Square 1 Art is a great site that turns your child's artwork into a variety of different gifts including mugs, ornaments and even iPad cases. They run fundraisers for schools but you can also turn your child's artwork into fun gifts for the whole family. Who doesn't like receiving artwork from the cute little artists in their life? It's even better when it's on an item that can be used every day. The prices per each item are really reasonable as well as the shipping and handling rates. Square 1 Art is a great site to keep on hand for not only Christmas but year round. You can also bring it to the attention of your child's school to see if they would be interested in using the site to raise funds for their own programs.
I like practical gifts for myself because frankly, I have enough junk laying around. I'm always cold so boots were on my own personal wish list this year. I don't condone the purchase of $200 or more on boots but I strive for warmth since I take my son to school everyday and we live in a very cold climate. Kamik boots are Canadian made are designed for the extreme cold. They have a variety of different styles available as well as different colors. Personally I like the Luxembourg boots. I wear leggings a lot with big bulky sweaters or sweatshirts so these boots fit nicely right over leggings and keep your whole lower leg warm. They have foam and fleece insulation and are waterproof. Boots don't get better than this especially when you are looking for something fashionable but also practical. If you are buying someone you know boots or sneakers this Christmas add on a pair of insoles from Superfeet. They have new Carbon insoles that are lightweight but functional and make any shoe fit and feel better.
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