Christmas gift giving can be stressful! Every year we think we’ll be more prepared. We’ll get it done early. Why did we spend so much? How can we have a pleasant Christmas with less stress when everything is so commercialized?
In this blog, I share seven truly enlightening Christmas gift giving ideas that make this Mom’s Christmas season more enjoyable, less stressful, and easier! No matter your budget – big or small – these simple tricks will change your Christmas for the better.
SETTING YOURSELF UP FOR A PEACEFUL CHRISTMAS
I love gift giving. The gift getting isn’t so bad either – but honestly, my favorite part of Christmas is finding the perfect gifts for the special people in my life. I relish in the planning, the making, the searching, the comparing, the shopping, the surprising. Nothing compares to the joy I feel when I BINGO, and the perfect present is revealed Christmas morning.
That joy has fallen flat, though, when stress becomes the prevalent seasonal mood. With five kids, a bonus son, plus up to four foster kids at a time, that was a lot of gift-giving. (We don’t have “foster kids” anymore. We have four MORE kids.) Add in extended family and BAM! It doesn’t matter how much I love giving gifts, when I don’t implement these strategies, it becomes a nightmare.
I’m going to share 7 tips I’ve learned over the years that create an atmosphere of peace and love during one of the most stressful times of the year.
TIP #1: Set A Budget
One of the biggest stresses around Christmas time is money. Spending too much and/or getting in debt over Christmas gifts can create pressure that lasts well into the new year. Set a budget you can afford, either for the entire family or an amount for each person. Keeping it the same for each person ensures that it’s fair. One person might get several presents, and another one big gift, but regardless, the same amount is spent. When I had a range of ages, we spent more on the tween than we did on the baby. Choose what works for you at the time.
I write the cost of each gift on the list we’ll talk about later, or I keep receipts and a running total. Planning ahead is crucial, but worth the extra effort. The last thing you want to receive for Christmas is looming debt – or worse, deprivation.
Make that budget work in your favor by implementing tip #2 and shopping sales all year long.
TIP #2: Start Christmas Gift-Buying Early
By far, this is the tip that reduces my stress the most. Start buying gifts for Christmas earlier. Not only does this ease the stress of last-minute shopping, it also eases the stress on the budget. Some years I even start shopping during the After Christmas Clearance sales.
I once belonged to a group who organized a “Christmas In July” activity where we’d make decorations, gifts, and ornaments. One year we made child-size picnic tables. The excitement I felt anticipating Christmas morning was only bested by my toddler’s delight over the table she truly loved and used every day. Even without a group, you could plan a summer activity like this with your kids or neighbors.
By the time my third child came along, it had become a goal to have most of my shopping finished by November 1st so I could focus on the holidays with their numerous activities. By the time #5 came around, there were so many concerts, parties, school gift exchanges, etc. that I was super glad I’d created this habit.
Even with no children at home, this tradition continues because:
- We now have 11 children (and their spouses) we’re buying for – gene kids and heart kids – plus 10 grandkids.
- It clears up brain space for other holiday planning.
- Life is still crazy busy and getting the gifts out of the way leaves my time open for what always matters the most, and that’s experiences.
TIP #3: Make a Gift-Giving List
This seems self-explanatory. But I’m a list maker, so for those of you who don’t write down everything and color code and check off and double check . . . this is for you. You don’t have to be as detailed as I am, but . . . it wouldn’t hurt.
I write down the main child’s name. If they have a spouse, I write their names together. Grandchildren get listed beneath their name. For kids in my home, I subcategorize with the Four Somethings I’ll cover next. We usually go with a Tip #5 for adult kids and get everyone similar but individualized. Some years they get exactly the same thing. Man is that easy!!!
I list my ideas (on my phone) and start researching: online, in stores, recommended products, reviews, etc. I highlight the ideas I’m most interested in. When I’ve chosen the specific gift, I erase the others and note the cost of the gift. When it’s in a cart or if I have it already, that gets written in blue. Placed orders are yellow. Once they arrive (and are even wrapped), I type that in red. I strikethrough after everything is finished so I know I don’t have to do anything else.
Taa Daa!
With so many things being ordered online, I lose track if I don’t list it. And color coding helps my eye immediately see what I need to follow up on and what I can stop worrying about. When I only have four presents per person, that makes it even easier.
TIP #4: Four Something Gifts
Raise your hand if you’ve ever been wrapping presents Christmas Eve and realize one kid has WAY more presents than anyone else and another kid has hardly any!! Yep, that happened. Last-second shopping was traumatic!! It was a result of starting early but not having a budget and not making a list. Even after having those two other rules in place, I realized I could make our gift giving even simpler and more meaningful.
When we began fostering and the family grew from 5 kids to 8 kids to 10 kids, I needed something REALLY simple. The foster kids struggled to read, so when I heard “The Four Something Gifts” poem, it felt right. It is not new – though I made the title up. You’ve probably heard of the poem or concept.
“Something they WANT. Something they NEED. Something to WEAR. Something to Read”
Everyone gets four gifts.
Simple.
That gift includes a book. If you know me, you know reading is majorly important! For these kids who have probably NEVER owned their own book, it was a no brainer. An extra bonus is you’re not wrapping gifts for a million hours, and those gifts are more meaningful because you’re putting more thought into each one of them.
LESS THAN FOUR PRESENTS?
In some cases, it’s even less than four gifts because an expensive gift can cover more than one category.
Example: My foster son wanted some REALLY EXPENSIVE tennis shoes. Think famous basketball player. And not any ole pair. A very very specific pair. Okay. Fine. I can do this. I implemented Tip #1 and 2. I was shopping for 10 kids, so my budget was not huge (plus his birthday is the first week of January, so I needed to have some money set aside for that). I started early and scoured the internet for sales. I found the exact pair he wanted just within my budget. Something he wants, something he needs, something to wear. CHECK And a book from his favorite author. CHECK Only two presents to open, but you couldn’t have wiped the grin off his face with a million Mr. Clean pads.
TIP #5: Kids’ Gift Exchange
As our kids got older, we realized that not only were we shopping for our kids, but we were taking our kids shopping for each other (and who are we kidding, for us!) BUT we were paying for it. Eventually, we decided to draw names. This worked with the size of our crew. They bought for their drawn sibling as well as for parents. The rule was, they had to earn their own money to get (or make) the presents. This has taught them many lessons: budgeting so they had money come December, hard work, and appreciation for what is spent on them. Some years we’ve set a limit, but others we haven’t. Figure out what works for your crew. (And take them shopping at thrift stores when their budget is small.)
TIP #6: Choose A Theme for Gift Giving Ideas
This trick can add an element of fun and simplicity to Christmas present preparations. It narrows down the list of possible gifts to choose from, and when the kids choose to also use that theme, it’s fun to see what they come up with.
For instance, we love camping and have used this theme several times. Instead of thinking about ALL the things the kids could possibly want, we focused on what camping items they needed. One son got another son butt wipes for men. I don’t remember the brand, but they honestly do come in handy when they’re out in the woods, and they were a good laugh Christmas morning.
GIFT GIVING THEMES
Here are some other gift-giving themes we’ve enjoyed:
MOVIES
We love movies. This could include a new projector and screen, throw blankets, DVDs, movie snacks, a giant popcorn bowl, posters of favorite movies, soundtracks, movie tickets, and so much more.
PRESENTS OF PRESENCE
Games! The great thing about games is that you play them together! These can be outdoor games or inside games. You can go big — like a pool table or a regulation size volleyball set. Or you can buy small: a different card or dice game for each person. I have kids who love RPG, and that’s an entirely new category for me, even though D&D was huge in my era. Video games – the sky is the limit (and your budge can get that high, too!) Maybe a set of golf clubs, or tickets to a favorite sports team. We love horseshoes and cornhole. What games does your family enjoy?
ANIMALS
Adding pets to the family can be exciting! Something small like a fish tank w/ a single beta fish (or guinea pig or parakeet — but don’t put them in the fish tank). Or something larger like a dog or a horse. Perhaps you already have animals, and everything centers around those – a new bridle for the horse, or dog training videos, or grooming tools, or a cat tower. Be careful that you put a lot of thought into adding a pet to the family, since they are a lifelong commitment. The humane society has too many animals as it is, so consider adoption, as well.
CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
What if the gift your family gets this year is what you give away? There are many charities out there and a giving tree in every community. You could choose a family with kids the same age. There are vending machines where you can buy a goat for a family in a third world country. See Where You Can Donate to a Light the World Giving Machine. There are food pantries and non-profit groups desperate for donations. Do you think your kids would go for that?
HOMEMADE CHRISTMAS GIFT-GIVING
This theme creates the best memories and keepsakes. Our kids cherish the gifts that we’ve put our own time and love into. They’ve also learned new skills and shared talents as they made gifts for each other. These include: quilts, art, hot pads, wood projects, service coupons (good for making someone else’s bed, back rubs, setting the table, cooking dinner, etc.), crafts of various kinds, baked goods, a picture album, etc.
I bet you can think of some other great themes. Speaking of themes, our best theme was our family gift.
TIP #7: Family Gift
One year we looked at all the crap . . . err . . . I mean “stuff” our kids had, and we said, “They don’t need more stuff!! What should we do?” We tossed out the idea of a family gift to the kids, and they all agreed that a trip, or something big we could all use together would be an awesome idea. We ended up getting a movie projector, pull down screen, and a LOT of movies. We spent the entire Christmas break watching movies in the dark with popcorn and Jack Sparrow. It was great and started an 18-year tradition that has continued through five homes. No matter where we are, we have a movie theatre room.
Other ideas include:
- Vacation
- Recreational toy
- Concert
- Sporting Event
- Animal (We like English Bulldogs and travelled 17 hours once to surprise the kids with our first one.)
Family memories are what it’s all about
KEEP GIFT-GIVING SIMPLE
The years I keep it simple and organized are those I enjoy the most. Focusing on the spirit of the season and making memories together create Christmases that are the best type of gift giving.
YOUR TURN
Do you have a tip for making gift giving stress free and memorable? Have you ever tried anything that didn’t work? What’s your most creative gift? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
