Favorite Gifts from 2022

I had to laugh because I found this post in my ‘DRAFTS’ and I don’t think I ever published it or if I did I guess it didn’t go through… these have been some of our favorites throughout the year and may give you some gift ideas for this year.

It’s been a few weeks since Christmas and I thought I’d ask everyone about what their favorite gifts from Christmas were… this can help give me a better idea for future gifts and also let me know which things they may not have cared for at all. This past Christmas we were able to scale back quite a bit… the increased prices on everything helped with that as well!

We found that by putting together a Wish List on Amazon we were able to help get the items they have been asking for and it helped others buy what the kiddos really wanted… this truly made the gift buying a little easier. We have decided that all of our family members should create a wish list of some sort so we can access it for birthdays, anniversaries, special holidays, Christmas, or ‘just because’ gifts… the lists help to narrow down what everyone really wants or needs so that we aren’t just throwing money away on something they can’t or won’t use.

Here are a few of the answers I received:

  • Life ** The kids had been relentless in asking for this game
  • Lego Klutz sets ** What is there not to love about Legos? — maybe stepping on them but other than that they are always a hit with everyone
  • Clue Jr and the Clue Disney Villains ** We got the Clue Jr for our home and big sister got the Villains but we played while she was here
  • Battleship ** The older kids loved this game and they bought it for their younger siblings who now love it just as much!
  • Cash Flow Game ** One of the older kids bought this and it has been a bit tricky to learn but everyone loves it — the junior version may be easier to start with and there is an online version as well
  • Ticket to Ride ** We have seen this on several different videos and the kids really wanted to try it out, it was one that was a little tricky to learn but it does have expansion packs but we haven’t quite figured out how they work yet

Can you tell that they really love board games? Some of these were games that we had never heard of so the learning curve has been a bit hectic but they love playing them all!

Everyone also loved their new blanket throws that they got from Granny!

Continue reading “Favorite Gifts from 2022”

Non-Toy Christmas Gift Ideas for Kids & Families

I know some of us aren’t really ready to talk about Christmas shopping yet but I wanted to throw a few ideas out there really quick. I’ve been getting lots of requests for sizes and likes for the kids so I know there are some busy little elves about. I’m so glad that I printed out this Free Printable Shopping Guide – Makes Christmas Shopping So Much Easier!I filled it out too which is always a good thing!

Katie over at Kids Cook Real Food has some great ideas for simple, inexpensive gifts that won’t clutter up your house. This is great for Mommas like me who HATE clutter… our house is so small that it doesn’t take long before things get cluttered in here and Christmas time is probably the hardest part of the year. Even though we’re hoping to be in our new house by Christmas I really don’t want to clutter everything up! Continue reading “Non-Toy Christmas Gift Ideas for Kids & Families”