Baby Gifts for the holidays? « Back to Group Discussions

[jbk21]

Our families have been asking for gift ideas for DS and baby for Christmas.  DS is pretty easy to shop for- he loves all things Thomas and we usually give a few ideas for eco-friendly toy companies and the grandparents can choose some toys from there.  But for a baby?!  I mean.... I can't think of anything he needs (especially since he is our second boy) so clothing and even toys are already filling our house.  Nobody seems to want to buy the practical stuff that I want, so what in the world am I supposed to do?  I guess if they just bought books/toys for the baby it would be fine, even though we are filled to the brim with those things!  The baby just really doesn't need anything, you know?  Any other mamas dealing with this question?  

If you need great eco-friendly toy company ideas I just found this new one:  

http://beginagaintoys.com/index.html

and some of our usual go-to's are:

http://www.greentoys.com/

http://www.plantoys.com/home.php

http://www.sprigtoys.com/

http://www.imagiplay.com/

[meesh933]

I've been mildly stressing this, as well. I spent the last 6 months cleaning out the playroom - I got rid of literally HALF their toys. And now the grandparents are going to fill it back up! Aghh! Our Christmas list for the kids is short, and very well thought out. Playsilks, new wooden kitchen, etc. Not mindless plastic crap. And the baby....poor guy is probably not getting much. What does a 3-4 week old baby need, really? Maybe I'll order an amber teething necklace from a friend who sells them on Etsy...

IDK what to tell relatives, either. I really like when they send things like museum/zoo memberships, etc, but we're moving in a few months, so memberships to places here would be useless. I just don't know how to say "please don't send a bunch of junk that I'm going to donate to Goodwill in 4 months" nicely.

[jbk21]

Originally Posted by meesh933 

. I just don't know how to say "please don't send a bunch of junk that I'm going to donate to Goodwill in 4 months" nicely.

   

[mcacat]

I love the idea of zoo or museum memberships.  It's nice to have outings even with a small baby and helps to keep the older ones occupied.

[Abraisme]

I don't plan on getting the baby anything really..  She doesn't need anything and none of my family has asked, so I'll just take whatever they send.  I suspect that if anyone gets her something it will be clothes, not that she needs any more clothes, but it's not the end of the world.  My parents just tend to send money, so I don't have much to stress about. 

My DS is getting a few building kits, books and clothes and my DD is getting my old dollhouse filled with new (used) furniture.  My DH is going to rebuild the dollhouse and fix it up, so she pretty much just gets one large gift.  We already have too-much-stuff-itis and  I give stuff away all the time!

It is really easy to get to the point of having everything, especially when you have several kids.  Memberships are really a great idea!

[dashley111]

We have such a hard time with this- my kids have all their needs met, and most of their wants, too.  Aside from the art supplies needing replenishing, there are very few things even *we* can think of to get them. 

I have found that no matter what we ask, family always gets toys with 3 bajillion small plastic parts that end up scattered from one end of the house to the other, and ultimately make it into the garbage can within a few months. 

My response to people when they have asked about what to get the baby is- she will be a baby, she wont care.  Get her whatever you want.  I imagine she will end up with a lot of clothes, which I dont mind at all.

[Jaimee]

I second the rec for memberships to local museums, zoos, aquariums, etc.  You could also suggest dolls.  Yeah, I know, dolls for boys... but HABA has some nice boy dolls and it might be helpful for your ds to have something to nurture while you're nurturing the baby. 

As for the baby, well, what about warm stuff for the winter?  Wasn't your ds born in a different season?  I have asked for more expensive things like wool or wool/silk long johns from Ruskovilla or Engel.  What about winter boots?  Or other shoes?  Slippers?  While on the more practical side, they are still things that relatives can shop for since I assume they'll be purchasing clothes anyway- grandparents always do!

Oh, and anything else you wanted to decorate with?  Picture frames?  Photo sessions?  Scrapbooking materials?

[jbk21]

great ideas, Jaimee!  I love the doll idea.  DS is such a nurturer and we totally dropped the ball on getting him a doll like we had planned during this pregnancy.  

Oooh photo sessions is a great idea too.  there is a wonderful photographer in the neighborhood....

Originally Posted by Jaimee 

I second the rec for memberships to local museums, zoos, aquariums, etc.  You could also suggest dolls.  Yeah, I know, dolls for boys... but HABA has some nice boy dolls and it might be helpful for your ds to have something to nurture while you're nurturing the baby. 

As for the baby, well, what about warm stuff for the winter?  Wasn't your ds born in a different season?  I have asked for more expensive things like wool or wool/silk long johns from Ruskovilla or Engel.  What about winter boots?  Or other shoes?  Slippers?  While on the more practical side, they are still things that relatives can shop for since I assume they'll be purchasing clothes anyway- grandparents always do!

Oh, and anything else you wanted to decorate with?  Picture frames?  Photo sessions?  Scrapbooking materials?

[meesh933]

I almost forgot dolls! I had ordered a small one for DS, but it ended up being way smaller than I expected and more of a lovey-type doll for the baby. DH has resisted me getting DS a doll until now; he carries around his sister's pink dolls, so I figured if he had a "boy" doll of his own, DH would be happier!

I used to always tell people books, but honestly, we have sooooo many at this point. And I feel like we end up with a lot of licensed character "fluff" type books, which again, I trash as soon as the newness wears off.

[KaliShanti]

For baby:

Teething Necklace
Teething doll/toy/ring etc.

A "lovey"/blankie if he doesn't already have one

[Krystal323]

We try to be minimalistic on toys, but with this many kids, there kinda isn't any such thing, lol.  

I agree that babies don't really need anything in the way of "gifts" (as opposed to needs or useful things, yk?).  I am big on one gift per person, so I'm more likely to make it something pricey/quality, as well.  

I remember my first Christmas as a mother, I spent loads of money we didn't have on every cool baby toy I could find for my then-6mo old.  Why?  Well, I guess I felt like I was "supposed to"...or like it'd look bad in pictures to see that baby got nothing, heh.  I failed to realize then that there's a huge gap between overboard and nothing, hehe!

Two years ago, when my other November babe was the new one,  I splurged on organic handspun wool longies for him--you know, "for Christmas"   Practical yet really not necessary either--but definitely qualified as a gift in my book! 

 

Places I think have awesome stuff for babies, in no particular order:

 

http://www.novanatural.com/  (Sorta Waldorf-flavored, lots of German-made stuff)

 

http://michaelolaf.com/store/index.html  (it's a very small Montessori company, but they just have really cool, thoughtful stuff)

 

And of course, etsy and hyena cart!!  You just cannot beat the fabulous woollies, playsilks, Waldorf style dolls and toys available from WAHMom sellers on there 

[jbk21]

Krystal- how do your families do with your minimalism?  Ours Do. NOT. Get. It.  Wondering if you have any tips ;-)

[KayPea]

My in-laws get it pretty well, they are pretty good at getting one large thing for DD that we would otherwise not be able to afford. Like a Radio Flyer wagon. 

My mom doesn't really get it, though her gifts are thankfully not plastic battery-powered crap, because we have been very forward and blunt about what kind of toys we do and do not want in our house.  There's just only so much she can get in her small town though, and she doesn't understand ordering online. This year I've asked her to stock up DDs dress-up box, and she was thrilled with the idea.

I'm curious about what people will get for the baby, if anything.  So far we have gotten zero new-baby presents (even though it's a 2nd baby, that still seems weird to me) so perhaps folks are waiting for Xmas. We actually need clothes for this baby, so hopefully that's what we'll get.

I'm not getting the baby anything for xmas, except our two holiday traditions. Pajamas to "open" on Xmas Eve, and a handmade ornament. Seems crazy that I have to make two ornaments this year!

Originally Posted by jbk21 

Krystal- how do your families do with your minimalism?  Ours Do. NOT. Get. It.  Wondering if you have any tips ;-)

[jbk21]

Aww we do Pj's and ornaments too!  Yeah my parents are from small towns so they shop at wal-mart and obviously can't find eco-friendly gifts.  My inlaws live in a city but they just don't know to look for independent toy shops that carry more selection than Target.  *rolls eyes*.  I guess I would have thought that after 2.5 years of us telling them about our ideals, what kinds of gifts we prefer, etc, that they would GET IT.  They've been to our house- they see the things that get kept and played with and I am sure they notice the things that 'disappear'.  I just don't know what to do...

Originally Posted by KayPea 

My in-laws get it pretty well, they are pretty good at getting one large thing for DD that we would otherwise not be able to afford. Like a Radio Flyer wagon. 

My mom doesn't really get it, though her gifts are thankfully not plastic battery-powered crap, because we have been very forward and blunt about what kind of toys we do and do not want in our house.  There's just only so much she can get in her small town though, and she doesn't understand ordering online. This year I've asked her to stock up DDs dress-up box, and she was thrilled with the idea.

I'm curious about what people will get for the baby, if anything.  So far we have gotten zero new-baby presents (even though it's a 2nd baby, that still seems weird to me) so perhaps folks are waiting for Xmas. We actually need clothes for this baby, so hopefully that's what we'll get.

I'm not getting the baby anything for xmas, except our two holiday traditions. Pajamas to "open" on Xmas Eve, and a handmade ornament. Seems crazy that I have to make two ornaments this year!

[Krystal323]

Heh, my mother didn't get WHY we preferred the things we did when she was around, but she did amazingly.  She didnt' drive, but she was a catalog shopper extraordinaire.  Always ordering from Chinaberry and Barefoot Books, asking for catalog recommendations (I'd subscribe her to my favorites!), even asking point-blank if X was a present that i thought the kids would like, or if it would end up at Goodwill, lol!  

My dad's idea of holiday gift giving is to write us a check, which works, even if he rolls his eyes when the kids show him what we bought!

The only other family we have is my SIL, and she asks the kids directly what they'd like (this is where they request whatever shiny thing they last saw at Target, hehe), and then gets one item for each.  I think it's a good balance.  

When I was still married to my older two's dad?  His family....o man.  Those holidays were an explosion of plastic, battery-powered lights and sounds, and glitter, no matter what we said.  I imagine it's still sort of like that when the kids spend holidays over there, but I don't have to deal with any of it, hehe!