Can we talk Christmas presents?

crystalbella77

New member
This is sooo horrible, but I haven't purchased Christmas presents yet! EEEEP! I am kind of at a loss. There are a couple things I know they really want, but other than that I have no idea! So, what are your kids Christmas lists, or what have you already purchased? And what are your kids ages?? Here are what my kids want:

Gabe, 11 - Legos and/or a tablet of some kind
Ezra, 9 - Legos and/or a tablet (He kind of copies his brother lol)
Stella, 7 - Calico Critters/Woodzeez and/or American Girl doll (Kaya)
Jasper, 14 months - obviously can't ask for anything lol But I think I am going to get him some kind of electronic as that is what he always wants of ours lol

Other than that I have no idea! My kids don't get many things, only for Christmas and birthdays, and we don't have TV so they don't see commercials. That's good and bad...lol They don't ask for things constantly, but when I need ideas, they have no idea what to ask for LOL
 
I am buying new games for us this year... Carcassonne, Zeus on the Loose, Clumsy Thief, Forbidden Island, No Stress Chess, and Castle Panic. Aside from chess those are sneaky math practice card games to help with school and the board games are cooperative, which I think we need more of as Ben (9) and Grace (almost 7) are very competitive and it's getting annoying playing with them!

Grace is getting some clothes (she wants them, which isn't at all like me when I was her age), a few barbie-type dolls, a stuffed animal, a few books, and art supplies like a new colored pencil set. My big gift for her will be a dollhouse. She is dying for one to play her Calico critters in.

Ben is harder to shop for. I plan on getting the next 3 Harry Potter books for him and other books on his wishlist, his own pair of flippers and new swim shorts, a carving set, some sort of fake gun like a nerf or sword, and I don't know... something else. I have to think of 1 more big thing.
 
No!

I haven't thought about it, don't want to think about it, and won't think about it... until December at least.

We usually buy some Lego but I'm hoping not to this year as our house is completely overrun with the stuff already!
 
No!

I haven't thought about it, don't want to think about it, and won't think about it... until December at least.

We usually buy some Lego but I'm hoping not to this year as our house is completely overrun with the stuff already!

No Lego for us this year! They have so much. If they come out with new mini fig mystery packs (that are NOT the Simpsons) they might get a few in their stockings.
 
I'm planning on getting lucas some lego but NOT a set.. just a box of lego because he doesn't actually like building the figures with instructions he just wants to do his own thing.

Originally I had been thinking about getting a wii U as a big gift but I didn't realize they are as expensive as they are.

I bought Lily (almost 13 :O ) concert tickets today to go a show with my sister so that will be a christmas gift for her :)
 
Ethan is getting an iPad mini, clothes, some video games and he wants new room stuff. He's 12.

Savannah is getting clothes and a room makeover. She's 9 but really into bigger girl stuff like her room, clothing, accessories and anything cats.

My oldest, Austin, is 18. He's getting clothes, headphones, movies, etc.
 
Crystal I saw Amazon has an Amazon Fire for 49 dollars now. And a kids tablet for 99 which is guaranteed if it breaks they will replace it.
 
I have not shopped for my son yet. I dont know what he really wants. My daughter will be getting something turtle related, a bottle of perfume and a few odds and ends from the dollar store for her stocking. In the past I have always bought hher a turtle something or other. One year she fell in love with a necklace at Etsy. It was a quarter with a turtle and hibiscus cut into it. Another year it was a wood jewelry box with a turtle cut in the top, also a crystal turtle paperweight/knick knack. Im also getting her a picture frame. My son in law will likely get some cologne and I always buy him an Ax gift set. Probably some tools or something like that. I have no idea what Ill get my husband. I want a couple Pops, some perfume and my laptop to be fixed.
 
We don't buy for Christmas until December. DH gets a great bonus so we use that. Our girls won't be getting much. They already have so much & i'm still trying to "Konmari" (which i'm failing at, especially since getting pregnant). Rian's birthday is in the beginning of December & we want to give her some room stuff. We just separated the girls & I think she'd love to have some of her OWN stuff/decor.

For gifts, it'll probably be the Want/Wear/Need/Read thing. We'll do a few family things and then some more fun stuff in their stockings.
 
Ben is harder to shop for. I plan on getting the next 3 Harry Potter books for him and other books on his wishlist, his own pair of flippers and new swim shorts, a carving set, some sort of fake gun like a nerf or sword, and I don't know... something else. I have to think of 1 more big thing.

Boys are definitely harder!!! I am thinking about starting the harry potter books with one of mine this year as well!! I love them so much and want the kids to as well!

Nerf guns are always a good idea so I am glad you mentioned that!
 
I'm planning on getting lucas some lego but NOT a set.. just a box of lego because he doesn't actually like building the figures with instructions he just wants to do his own thing.

Originally I had been thinking about getting a wii U as a big gift but I didn't realize they are as expensive as they are.

I bought Lily (almost 13 :O ) concert tickets today to go a show with my sister so that will be a christmas gift for her :)

I had my first concert at right around 13!! I think it was my 13th bday actually! The Backstreet Boys!!

I feel the same about the Wii U!! I looked at them today and then nixed it. Maybe next year lol!
 
No!

I haven't thought about it, don't want to think about it, and won't think about it... until December at least.

We usually buy some Lego but I'm hoping not to this year as our house is completely overrun with the stuff already!

I understand! I am a planner though so even though the tree won't be up for a bit I have to space out the present buying and need ideas because I freak out easily haha!
 
Ethan is getting an iPad mini, clothes, some video games and he wants new room stuff. He's 12.

Savannah is getting clothes and a room makeover. She's 9 but really into bigger girl stuff like her room, clothing, accessories and anything cats.

My oldest, Austin, is 18. He's getting clothes, headphones, movies, etc.

Aww those are all awesome and totally things I would want! My kids wouldn't like the clothes or room stuff. :( Which bums me out cause I would love that!! It would be like redoing the house and buying presents haha! Stella might like some accessories though! bags and I love an excuse to buy bags haha!
 
I have not shopped for my son yet. I dont know what he really wants. My daughter will be getting something turtle related, a bottle of perfume and a few odds and ends from the dollar store for her stocking. In the past I have always bought hher a turtle something or other. One year she fell in love with a necklace at Etsy. It was a quarter with a turtle and hibiscus cut into it. Another year it was a wood jewelry box with a turtle cut in the top, also a crystal turtle paperweight/knick knack. Im also getting her a picture frame. My son in law will likely get some cologne and I always buy him an Ax gift set. Probably some tools or something like that. I have no idea what Ill get my husband. I want a couple Pops, some perfume and my laptop to be fixed.

Thanks for the Amazon tip!!! I love the turtles! that's so fun and such a nice tradition! I hope you get some pops!! I have some of those on my list too hehe!!!
 
We don't buy for Christmas until December. DH gets a great bonus so we use that. Our girls won't be getting much. They already have so much & i'm still trying to "Konmari" (which i'm failing at, especially since getting pregnant). Rian's birthday is in the beginning of December & we want to give her some room stuff. We just separated the girls & I think she'd love to have some of her OWN stuff/decor.

For gifts, it'll probably be the Want/Wear/Need/Read thing. We'll do a few family things and then some more fun stuff in their stockings.

Omgosh..I'm failing at Konmari too! We need to help each other better...after christmas... *sigh* I did so good for a while!

I do the 4 things too! And then also Xmas Eve jammies and then a family gift or gifts on christmas even which is usually a movie, snacks and a game. then we can watch and play on Christmas Eve.
 
Cheyanne is 15 and she really hasn't asked or told me anything. So far I've picked up:

Alex and Ani bracelet with an elephant (her favorite animal since forever)
Birchbox monthly subscription
Her school yearbook
A new big gym bag for basketball season in her school color with school emblem
A new coffee mug (she gets one every year)
DD gift card (there's a DD a short walk from her school and she and her friends walk there after school before practices a lot)
Books-A-Million gift card since she reads like crazy is always going there to pick out books

She won't get much more but I've been working a ton of hours the past month and will be right up until Christmas so I might spoil her this year with a Beats headset... she's wanted one every year but I haven't been able to afford it and she's always been so good about understanding me not being able to get her the big things... so I might just do it :)
 
Cheyanne is 15 and she really hasn't asked or told me anything. So far I've picked up:

Alex and Ani bracelet with an elephant (her favorite animal since forever)
Birchbox monthly subscription
Her school yearbook
A new big gym bag for basketball season in her school color with school emblem
A new coffee mug (she gets one every year)
DD gift card (there's a DD a short walk from her school and she and her friends walk there after school before practices a lot)
Books-A-Million gift card since she reads like crazy is always going there to pick out books

She won't get much more but I've been working a ton of hours the past month and will be right up until Christmas so I might spoil her this year with a Beats headset... she's wanted one every year but I haven't been able to afford it and she's always been so good about understanding me not being able to get her the big things... so I might just do it :)

Birchbox! That's a great idea. My 13 yo would love that.

I still have not figured out what to do for my 17 yo boys. They don't need any more electronic items and they usually buy whatever it is that they want anyway. I'm at a loss. I guess I'm going to have to think of some things that they need and find a way to make it seem like a gift, lol!

My 13 yo dd, she's pretty easy. I love that Birchbox idea. She's a big reader, so a stack of books or BAM giftcard will make her really happy. She did ask for a down comforter. Everytime we stop by F.Y.E she pulls out this Guardians of the Galaxy vinyl and then reluctantly puts it back, so I'm going to go grab that before it disappears.
 
I've found it hard, only just really started buying. Last Christmas Keaton was only seven months, this time around he is 18 months and it will be totally different for him.

We are getting
Board Books
A Rocket toy with little compartments flashing light, sounds and little characters
Lego Duplo
A Pull along telephone (he loves to play with the phone)
An interactive number and letters electronic toy with lots of buttons
An interactive magnetic drawing tablet thing on an easel
And some puzzles and other little stocking fillers

But he will probably be happy enough with the boxes and wrapping paper lol! Excited for christmas this year and feel a little more relieved now I have a little list of what to buy. I'll probably get him some new PJ's and long sleeve t-shirts and no doubt he'll get spoilt by his Nana, Nanny and Auntie's :)
 
Don't feel bad because I haven't started yet either!! I feel like Christmas really is sneaking up on me this year and I just am not ready!!

I did get the boys to write out a list for me.
Ian (age 13) -- wants clothes (yes it is weird for even us but this is his first time in public school with no uniforms so I guess I get it), books because he reads as much as I do, the video The Hitchhikers Guide to the Universe because he read the book and he wants his own fit bit since I won't get him an apple watch, he wants Santa to bring him a personal segway thing that looks like a skateboard and he wants the new Halo video game.
Evan (age 11) -- surprise he wants more Legos even though we have enough to build a whole house out of Legos and he wants a Steam gift card so he can buy this video game he learned about at Space Exploration merit badge at summer camp, there are a couple of Lego Dimensions sets he wants and he wants Santa to bring him his own Beats headphones.

They always get a gift for the two of them too and this year they have asked for a Raspberry Pi so they can learn how to build their own computer.
 
Ellie, 6 - really wants Disney Infinity (which she may or may not get depending on whether we buy a PS3 for her & her brother to share), Lego Friends, & a Doc McStuffins vet playset. She is obsessed with Minecraft (and video games in general) so I'm trying to steer her away from more electronics (as long as DH doesn't decide to buy his son a PS3 for our house). I haven't bought anything, but I am going to get her Legos, a few arts 'n' crafts sets, at least one Christmas Beanie Boo for her stocking, 'Frozen' (can you believe we still don't own that movie?!), and whatever else tickles my fancy.

Nate, 18mo - I think his big Santa present is going to be a kitchen playset as he loves to play with his sister's teasets as well as the cooking utensils in our kitchen. He also loves hats so I will see if I can find a baseball cap small enough for his head. Obviously, he doesn't care so I will just buy him a few toys and see if he ends up liking any of it.

Tyler, 13 - It is always super tricky to buy him things since he is not with us all of the time and has several gaming systems, a phone, etc. etc. at his mom's house. He has asked for a PS for our house, so we'll see what happens. Otherwise, his big gift is usually an experience like tickets to a game, etc.

All three kids always get an ornament in their stocking and Christmas jammies. The littles are coordinated and wear theirs for Christmas morning pictures.

We also celebrate St. Nicholas Day so the littles will get new shoes that morning (which I count as part of their Christmas presents) that they are then 'required' to wear while they do a service project. Of course, Nate is too little this year, but Ellie and I are going to be bell ringers for the Salvation Army as this year's project.
 
For anyone with kids 8 or under, I highly recommend straws and connectors! I bought a set off amazon probably five years ago and my kids still play with them :thumbup:

We are gifting the kids with a trip to Florida (2 days at Universal and a day at Disney), so I'm pretty excited about that!

My 9 year old is dying for the Mario Maker game.... problem is that it's only made for the wii u and we don't have one :crying: Of course, we have an older wii and an xbox, but that doesn't help me. I had hoped to find a refurbished one, but the prices just haven't gone down enough.
 
Omgosh..I'm failing at Konmari too! We need to help each other better...after christmas... *sigh* I did so good for a while!


Yes! I'm thinking January's a good time to jump back in. It'll be so cold and I'll (hopefully) be nesting haha!


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I've got 4 to buy for. Smokey, Tiger, and Tilly are all 5 and Charlie is 2. I'm getting them a gigantic Cat tree, although they probably would be happy with just the box it comes in. I know my cats aren't kids, (at least that is what their piano teacher says), but I still spoil them! Actually they are all rescue kitties so they are all just happy to have a home, love, and food. :)
>^.^<
 
I've got 4 to buy for. Smokey, Tiger, and Tilly are all 5 and Charlie is 2. I'm getting them a gigantic Cat tree, although they probably would be happy with just the box it comes in. I know my cats aren't kids, (at least that is what their piano teacher says), but I still spoil them! Actually they are all rescue kitties so they are all just happy to have a home, love, and food. :)
>^.^<

Hahaha!!! This made me laugh! What a good kitty mommy you are, spoiling them so! <3
 
Nicholas (9) has on his wish list: Jurassic Park bluays, games for his Xbox and Nintendo DS, Ripstick, some books, Minecraft Stop Motion creater, Crayola Sketch Wizards, feetie jammies and tons of Legos. He has tons of Legos, but he loves them. That's his list for family.

What I bought him is: Lord of the Rings and Avengers bluays, blank notebooks (he loves these), 3 DS games, tons of books, a Star Wars suitcase and the Lego Dimensions video game. I still need to get a couple stocking stuffers and the Star Wars Blade Builders that he wants from Santa. There's tons more books he wants, too, which I am normally great with, but he has such a stack of books waiting already.
 
I have already started buying. I just need to know what they want from Santa to finish my list because one will be their Santa gift and another will be something they want.

Carrie 8- Inside Out DVD, books, some clothes, the board game Labyrinth, a make-up kit (so they stop getting into mine), Christmas jammies, and then the two gifts and stocking stuffers.

Molly 6.5- Home DVD, books, some clothes, the board game mouse trap, a make-up kit (so they stop getting into mine), Christmas jammies, and then the two gifts and stocking stuffers.

Since they are so close in age they often get similar gifts.
 
We LOVE this game. It's a family favorite. We can all play it, Grace (6) is often the winner.

That's good to hear. I bought it on a whim and on sale at Target. We are trying to flesh out our game collection because my girls want to spend more time with us.
 
My kids are spoiled rotten.... I know it's my fault, so when it comes to years like the past few where money has been extra tight (and even more so this year) it's been hard to keep the holidays as "normal" the way they've known it as possible. When I was a kid Christmas/Birthday/Easter were the "big ones" where we got stuff and were spoiled and I didn't change that with my boys.

The boys are 13, 10 and 8. and the little ones all look up to the one(s) bigger and try to be just like them, so even though I still have a young one they all are mostly the same... video game addicts. I don't mind it, because they are not the Stereotypical gamer addicts, BUT it does make me forget sometimes just how young they still are on the ODD chance they do play with something else (which is very rare, and not entirely their fault and we've been pretty much living out of boxes the past three years they don't have much space to get into anything. With that said, I am trying to be different this year.... I have been bargain hunting like crazy for a while so they can still have a big Christmas on the cheap but without losing quality.

All the boys will have a few things in common - Minecraft Lego, Found a great deal on nerdy gamer t shirts that are different that those in local stores so it's something different, 1 video game, they always get new jammies, and I'm getting them a combined gift (a table top game - settlers of catan).

Then individual stuff
Xavier (13) - he's a computer nerd, and I like to teach him new things (like graphic design, and building websites and coding... he has gotten into making and editing his own youtube videos so it's not all "play" so I found a cool Minecraft Stop Motion animation kit, he needs a new headset/mic to do his videos, and I'm working on getting him to tell me something non gamey....

Robbie (10) - he loves to cook so every year he gets a new "maker" I'm thinking maybe a pizza one, or a food dehydrator (this year in 4H his foods projects focus is on meat so he really wants to make his own jerky!), I got him the wilton cake decorating board so he can practice his borders and different tips (he's crazy about perfection!!!), and the other day he said he'd like the actual board game of life (YES! something fun that's not electronic! yay!!)

Preston (8) - He likes to Art Journal with me so I plan to get him some new art supplies, .... other than that I am at a complete loss for what to get him. I don't want to waste money on toys because they don't play with them, but at the same time I hate that he's only 8 and isn't still into them :S So I have my thinking cap on for him as well.

and Santa is bringing the Lego Dimensions game for all 3 of them.... something they have all agreed on that they'd like to have.

So yes, LOTS of bargain hunting needs to happen to make it all come together. :p
 
We don't buy for Christmas until December. DH gets a great bonus so we use that. Our girls won't be getting much. They already have so much & i'm still trying to "Konmari" (which i'm failing at, especially since getting pregnant). Rian's birthday is in the beginning of December & we want to give her some room stuff. We just separated the girls & I think she'd love to have some of her OWN stuff/decor.

For gifts, it'll probably be the Want/Wear/Need/Read thing. We'll do a few family things and then some more fun stuff in their stockings.

I've fallen behind in my KonMari effort too! I did great over the summer... anyway, we don't buy until around December either AND since the goal is to get rid of stuff, not bring more crap into the house, I doubt we will do much in the way of presents.
 
Christmas is TOUGH for me these days! When my kids were little it was EASY. I bought a year in advance and always had just the thing they wanted. Not anymore! Ha!

Declan just turned 10, Caitrin is 13. I have NO idea what to get them. Last year they each got an iPad mini for Christmas. Caitrin also got a new bed for Christmas last year and Declan got a PS3.

There is nothing they want at this point. There is nothing they need. There is nothing that is catching my eye. I am tempted to just do a little get-away for Christmas instead of presents. We are kind of tossing around the idea of a trampoline. This is a tough decision for us though as we are also kind of tossing around the idea of becoming foster parents and (in our area at least) you can't have a trampoline and foster. Caitrin could possibly use a better phone, but hers works for now and she got in trouble with it so it is locked down tight and she can only call her dad, myself and my work. Kinda makes getting her a better phone useless for now. Maybe for her birthday in June.
 
We also usually do some type of game. My favorites are old standards: checkers, chess, Monopoly, Scrabble, Yahtzee, trivial pursuit. I tend to gravitate more towards games which require skill and thinking over just plain old luck (with a few exceptions). They also get the kids to unplug sometimes for an entire day which I always loved. And bonus all of those games are relatively inexpensive.
 
Thanks for all the info guys! I appreicate it sooo much! I have gotten some ideas for new games and things and thought of a few things I hadn't before!!

Jessica, i am the opposite with games! I much prefer games of luck so then I feel like I have a chance LOL!
 
It is funny how many of us all have kids about the same ages.

I actually bought my first couple of Christmas presents today because hubby was home for Veteran's Day!
 
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