For fun-Early Christmas/b-day ideas??

[Curlyfry7]

We get started early here, to help spread out the money aspect. Anyone else do this? Or have any ideas what they are getting their kids this year?

My kids will be 4 (DS) and 2 (DD) and I am not exactly brimming with ideas, esp. for DD. I know I want to get her a nice doll -any ideas there?

Seeing other mamas' ideas usually sparks some for me, so I thought I'd start this....

[mommariffic]

I can't start early because I end up giving the presents to everyone

DD's birthday is in a week and I got her:
A huge play silk
Wooden tree stump blocks
Scavenger hunt cards off Etsy
A pack of eco scented play doh


During Christmas time DD will probably get a slew of books, craft supplies and wooden toys. I'm trying to simplify her toy collection -- DS will get one or two things, but he'll only be a few months old so he won't understand what's going on!

[Storm Bride]

I used to start early, but haven't for the lsat few years. I'm going to try to get started this year. (We bought a new van in January, and had a body shop bill a few weeks ago. Cash flow is pretty messed up around here.)

I haven't had any ideas for ds1, dd1, or dd2 yet (well, probably some playsilks for dd2 - I think she'd love them). But, I want to get ds2 one of these:

http://www.iseeme.com/piratevirtual.html

I got the fairy princess one for dd1 a couple years ago, and she loved it.

[gbailey]

I started a couple of months ago. Already purchased DH's niece a lovely blank journal from Marshall's ($4.99). I start early because I find cheaper items and don't have to wait on those long holiday lines.

For your DD, what about a learn to dress doll or a trike?

This year I want to get DD (she'll be 2.5 by Xmas) a traditional Memory game, a play kitchen and something art related since she loves to color.

ETA: DD loves dogs. I wanted to get her one of those fake dogs that barks, has a leash and a little bag she can carry him in.

[mumkimum]

I'm usually starting now, but with less steam this time (trying to sell our house so, like, half our stuff is packed up. . including my stash of 'extra giftables' and all my sewing stuff - that helps my planning it all just kinda bums me out lately - I love making dd at least 1 something).

So: dd1 (4) - if I can get to it, I have a secondhand playmobil A frame vacation house I picked up, plus would buy her a bathroom set to go with it for xmas.
Her birthday is next week (yippee!) - dd2 got her an ella the elegant elephant book and tiny stuffed ella. Dh is picking up a playmobil ambulance, and I hope to pick up a dress-up doctor jacket for her (might give her a striped hanna dress and/or a few necklace-making packs).

dd2 (4mo now) - found a secondhand rody that I'm saving for xmas, and will probably pick up a few 'new' diapers (so practical ). Also really want to get her a small kathe kruse baby doll. .


Last year, we got dd a corelle doll (she'd been really wanting a baby doll for the bath) - it was a big hit. She has an old cloth doll with clothes that my grandma made me too that is liked alot too (these wee wonderful dolls are kinda similar? - in case you sew, you have time to pull off something like that.)

[AFWife]

BIL2 is getting homemade chocolate syrup. He's a syrup FIEND and uses the Hershey's stuff all the time...We got him a huge container of it last year.

ILs are going to get a container with a fun hodge-podge of gifts. I'm getting FIL the Tremor's Attack Pack movie set. MIL is going to get a suction wine saver thingy (she likes wine but doesn't drink it fast enough and always ends up having to throw some away). I'm going to put some more things in there...pictures of the baby and whatnot.

BIL1: No idea yet. He's military and living in Germany so it's not 100% that he'll even be here.

[Jenne]

I bought this for BFF's new baby girl as a shower gift because I just loved it. If you were crafty I bet you could stitch one up but I thought for what it was the price was fair.

http://www.potterybarnkids.com/produ.../?catalogId=80

Jenne

[AFWife]

LOL I guess I should have included what I'm getting DH and DS...

a new baby. done!


But really, I'm putting a toy ban on Christmas this year. DS doesn't play with the ones he has (he prefers tupperware) and the new baby doesn't need NEW toys...or clothes for a few months. (There is a box of stuff DS barely wore. He grew out of it so quickly)

[karemore]

We have enough toys too.

DD who will be 5 1/2 at Christmas will be getting a new Betta fish, a real camera (she's outgrown her kid's camera) a good keyboard, a marble run, an outfit for her 18" doll, and a matching outfit for herself and the doll.

[junipermuse]

I was thinking maybe one or two items for the kids individually and then a couple more things for them to share.

For dd (she'll be 4 in Feb) I want to get a Kathe Kruse waldorfy mermaid doll

http://www.magiccabin.com/product.as...x=2&pcode=2001

because she's way into mermaids

For ds (1y4mo in Dec) I don't really know. We have so many toys already (for dd's first two years I bought very gender neutral toys so we have tons of things like cars and trucks already plus a beautiful wood kitchen that he loves). I was thinking maybe a waldorf cuddle doll or another wooden truck because he loves trucks and cars. We have all the other toddler big ticket items, like ride on toys and push toys. Really if anyone has a good idea for something special just for a one year old boy please tell me.

I was thinking about getting each of them a bilibo
http://www.magiccabin.com/product.as...ex=&pcode=1038

I'd also like to get them this Teepee for our playroom
http://www.magiccabin.com/product.as...ex=&pcode=2082

I also was thinking about getting them some train tracks and/or some wooden blocks or some wooden jungle or zoo animals (we already have wooden farm and wooden forest animals).

I have a tendency to overdo christmas, so I'm really trying to scale back.

[BetsyS]

My 4 year old's birthday is in September, and I am getting him a Bruder truck. Haven't decided which one, though. He (and his brother) are really hard on toys, and they don't play with many outside of matchbox cars, so I'm hoping this is a hit.

I'm not sure about Christmas yet. I do know that they both (ds4 and ds2) will get new Kleen Kanteens or the like (mommy and daddy converted to those this year, nad the boys think they are way cool), as well as new baseball hats (they wear hats every day). But, that's as far as I'm getting.

Oh, my youngest son will be 6 months old on Christmas. In order to prevent the big boys from feeding him stuff, we've really hyped up that he can't eat until Christmas. So, he'll probably get a bowl, spoon, and a cup, or something similar.

[LynnS6]

For your dd:

A doll stroller. I love this one from Nova Natural. I bought when dd was 19 months (for Christmas) and she's 6 now. It's lasted many kids sitting in it, driving it around, running around with it, and tipping it over. It still looks great! It's kind of pricey but really worth it. It'll last forever.

If you're getting her a doll, this would be a natural thing to go with it.

For dolls, I really like the smaller Corolle dolls for younger kids. They're made to fit their size. My kids were never into the Waldorf type dolls. They wanted realistic dolls. Dd still plays with her Corolle doll, and the Bitty Baby that someone handed down to us. She has a couple of really nice Ganz dolls that are bigger, and they get played with less. (These were all gifts.) Sometimes she'll play that the bigger dolls are toddlers adn the smaller ones are the babies. But she really prefers the babies.

Ride on toys are great for that age too.

[LynnS6]

Originally Posted by BetsyS

My 4 year old's birthday is in September, and I am getting him a Bruder truck. Haven't decided which one, though. He (and his brother) are really hard on toys, and they don't play with many outside of matchbox cars, so I'm hoping this is a hit.

I LOVE Bruder trucks.

We have: The garbage trucks, the crane, the fire truck, the cement mixer and the roller. I'd say that the garbage truck is hands down the favorite. That's not only for my kid (who went through a major garbage truck obsession between 2 and 4), but also for the neighborhood kids.

To the OP: A Bruder truck woudl be a good idea. This site (Active Toys) has all of them listed. If you sign up for their mailing list, you get free shipping. TJMaxx/Marshall's often has some on closeout too, for about 1/2 the price. They hold up really well.

[AFWife]

If I don't do an all out toy ban I'm doing a "learning toys only" rule. I love the Garanimals ones that you can get from Walmart and Target. (Because they're cheap and you can grab it off of the shelf)

[Curlyfry7]

I love reading all these ideas!!! I already have a couple things I'm going to check into.

I have a tendency to overbuy as well-partly because I start so early and partly because I get a LOT of stuff from a local consignement sale so can get tons of things for not much money. I have a dool stroller- NOT as col as the one posted from Nova Naturals-but it cost $3. And a Corolle doll for $1 that looked almost brand new. But I think she'd really like one she could dress/undress.

I am pretty crafty EXCEPT sewing/knitting type things.

We have a lot of the general stuff from DS- kitchen (not wooden but from Craigslist) and lots of cool felt food, cars and trucks out the ying-yang, wooden blocks, a scuttlebug ride on "bike", etc etc.

I really felt last year that out of all the gifts (and they got a lot ) they maybe only REALLY liked about 5?? that they played with consistently. And I felt so wasteful. I think I'm getting better at knowing what they WILL use. Between DH's mom, one of DH's borthers (we exchange names), my parents, my sister and brother, the kids will all get MORE than enough, so we are also going to try and limit our gifts a bit more this year.

Keep the ideas coming!

[Curlyfry7]

Ooops...double post!

[rightkindofme]

Oh man. I dinno... I'm having a baby this month and I don't know how much thinking about Christmas I will be doing. We also have a Disney trip scheduled the first week of December.

So far I know my (at that point 2.5 year old) daughter will be getting a hand-me-down SUPER NICE doll house from her 'aunt'. (chosen family) And I got a balance bike from mamabargains that is hiding in storage. That's what I know right now.

I will add: jammies, stocking stuff, and probably a couple of books. I think that is way plenty.

Tiny baby will probably get a stocking and that's it. That will mostly be to preserve appearances for the older child's sake because a four month old really doesn't care.

[new2this]

Not sure what we are really doing. Baby will only be a few months old so probably a few outfits and a few toys to grow into. Nothing much.

DH some movies and tools. Been watching AMazon for their gold box deals

If my family comes down then we will give them each something as well as framed pictures of our "new" family