Only a few more weeks until Christmas! I thought I would share what a $250 budget for gifts looks like. As I wrote in this post we do five categories per person plus a stocking. The goal was to do it all for $250 and 70% locally and so far we are on task. Here are some ideas I had and the grand total adds up to $249.95.
To Wear: Zara Printed Shirt – $7.90 – I have a seriously love for Zara and their kids clothes are incredibly cute and while some are a little out of my budget they have some incredibly cute and inexpensive kids items. This shirt is one of my favorites but there are a number of other cute shirts for $10 or less. Also the quality is really great.
To Read: Potty – $3.97 – This is a book that Edith already has and she loves it. Today she was sitting in her room reading it too herself and while she isn’t regularly using the potty yet she likes to read about it and I think it helps to inspire her to want to try.
From Baby to Tot: Melissa & Doug Color Blast Artwork– $4.99 – I know your baby won’t be officially picking out a gift for their older sibling so this year you get to pick something small but fun. Edith loves these Melissa & Doug Color Blast Artwork so I thought it was the perfect gift “from Alder”. Alternatively this works as a great “create” gift as well!
A Want: SugarBooger Zippee Robot BackPack – $15.00 – now Edith isn’t quite at the point where she is asking for things so this is based off of something I already know she likes. She has the SugarBooger Robot apron and loves it and she has been talking about getting a backpack so I thought that this would be the perfect thing.
To Create: Melissa & Doug Design-Your-Own Bracelets – $4.99 – I bought these for Edith and as gifts for two of her friends and everyone loved them! They are so much fun and Edith still plays with the bracelets today. The kit comes with stickers to decorate the bracelets so your tot can design their own bracelet and then they have a fun bracelet to wear after!
For Stocking: Ickle Baby Bot bath bomb ($3.95), Sjaak’s Chocolate Nog Bites x2 ($1.30), Sjaak’s Winter Wonderfuls x2 ($1.30), Sjaak’s Organic Mini Chocolate Cups x2 ($0.80), Snackimals Animal Cookies ($0.99), Mini Dinosaur Tattoos ($1.99), stickers x2 ($2.00), travel coloring book ($1.00) and Seitenbacher Strawberry Alligators ($1.50).
To Wear: Zara Lightning Detail T-Shirt – $6.90 – I bought this shirt for Alder and it is one of my favorites. It’s super soft and so cute on him. I think I need to go back and buy all the other colors.
To Read: Daddy Kisses– $5.13 – This book is so cute and this is the actual book that we bought Alder for his “to read” gift. We found it at a local shop and had a coupon so it was about the same price as on Amazon. There is also Mommy Hugs, Daddy Cuddles and Mommy Loves.
From Tot to Baby: Nuby Wacky Teething Ring– $2.99- If your tot is like mine they have a strong opinion about what they like and don’t like so chances are they are ready to pick out a gift for their sibling. In Edith’s case she gets to pick the gift with a little guidance aka I give her a handful of options that I think are suitable for Alder and are within budget. For this I chose the teething ring because we are reaching teething time around here so it’s the perfect gift and it’s inexpensive.
A Want: Sassy Fascination Station – $5.99 – Alder is not at the point where he wants anything besides a boob, snuggles, a nap and a clean diaper so this is the year that instead of a want we choose more of a need. Soon Alder will be joining us at the table but until he starts solids he is going to need something to entertain him. For Edith we had this Fisher-Price Booster Seat with the toy attachment tray but we left it at my parents house and we now just have the basic one without the toy tray so I thought why not get a suction toy to put on the tray to entertain Alder? Bonus we can take it with us when we go out to a restaurant as well!.
To Create: Green Tones Llama Shaker – $9.98 – You can interpret “to create” as you would like, for us this includes creating music and this little llama shaker is a fun baby friendly toy. It is made from chemical free wood so no worries when baby puts it in his/her mouth and is the perfect size for babies hand.
For Stocking: Zara Pack of Two Panda Socks ($7.90), Bright Starts Theeter – Teethe-a-saurus ($2.99), Nurtria Silicone Teether – Penguin ($2.99), Happy Baby Packet ($1.39) and Weleda Calendula Baby Starter Kit ($9.79).
To Wear: Zara V-Neck T-Shirt – $9.90 – Again another item that I love for Zara and this time for mom. Everyone needs some basic tees but this one has as few little details like the rolled sleeve that make it a little more interesting. It’s nice, classic and great quality.
To Read: Gone Girl – $2.99 (Kindle) – I don’t know much about this book just that it is super popular and it supposed to be really good. For only a few dollars for the Kindle version I would definitely put this on my “to read” list. Tip: If you partner has a Kindle go for the Kindle version for them because it can stretch your budget!
For Mom From Kids: Framed Hand Print Photo – $1.99 – Again another inexpensive frame from IKEA however this time instead of photos of the kids try something a little more creative such as cut out hand prints (idea), paint hand or foot prints or just some basic art work that your kids worked on together. Use what you have around the house for this project and just have fun!
A Want: $25 BirchBox Gift Certificate – Okay I know I said that I’m not big into gift cards but there are about a million things I want off the BirchBox website so a gift certificate is just what I would love to have. Side Note: a BirchBox subscription is a great gift as well at only $30 for a 3 month women’s subscription or $60 for a 3 months men’s <— Neil loves his BirchBox as well! Also not sponsored we just love our BirchBox.
To Create: VELA Notebook – $8.50 – I LOVE notebooks. If you ever find yourself wanting to buy me a gift a notebook is the perfect route to go. I love them all sizes and types. They are perfect for blog brainstorming, recipe ideas and just to jot down anything that I am thinking about. They are a creative outlet for me and therefore my favorite type of gift.
For Stocking: Luxury LUSH Pud bath bomb ($6.95), Sjaak’s Chocolate Nog Bites x2 ($1.30), Sjaak’s Winter Wonderfuls x2 ($1.30), Sjaak’s Organic Mini Chocolate Cups x2 ($0.80), Newman’s Own Organics Licorice Twists ($0.79), Enjoy Life Crunch Cookies ($0.89), Alba Botanica™ Mineral Terra Tints SPF ($2.69), and Chocolove Mini Dark Chocolate Bar ($1.19).
To Wear: Zara Fingerless Gloves – $9.90 – These ones are little different and something your husband might not think to buy himself. These gloves are perfect for the hubby who likes to use his phone as it will keep his hands warm but his fingers will be free to text, Google and share photos.
To Read: Barista Magazine – $7.00 – Neil is a coffee lover and even roasts his own coffee. This is just the type of magazine that he would love to receive for his “to read” gift. Of course you can sub a different magazine that your love would enjoy.
For Dad From Kids: Framed Family Photos – $2.36 – These IKEA frames are only $0.99 each and have a little stand making them perfect for any dad’s desk. Prints can be done locally at places like Costco, Target or Walgreens for only around $0.19 each making this a cute, inexpensive but thoughtful gift from the kids.
A Want: $25 Clive Coffee Gift Certificate – Now I’m not big into giving gift certificates or cash for the holidays but in the case I make an exception. Neil really want to buy an espresso machine and since that is way far out of our holiday budget I thought I’d do the next best thing and get him a gift certificate to the store that he will be buying it at. This can help jump start the savings process and I know it’s going to be put to good use and that it’s something he would love. Side note this is NOT what I got Neil for his want gift but now I’m thinking maybe I should have because it’s such a good idea.
To Create: Fermentation for Beginners – $9.79 – Neil has recently really gotten into the idea of homesteading and doing lots of canning. I thought that this would be the perfect book to help foster some creativity when it comes to canning.
For His Stocking: Zara Mercerized Sock ($7.90), Dirty Tooth Tabs (4.95), Sjaak’s Chocolate Nog Bites x2 ($1.30), Sjaak’s Winter Wonderfuls x2 ($1.30), Sjaak’s Organic Mini Chocolate Cups x2 ($0.80), Primal Strips Jerky ($1.50), Home Free Gluten Free Mini Cookies ($1.09), Giovanni Shampoo & Conditioner ($2.98), and Nature’s Bakery Whole Wheat Fig Bag ($0.69).
Side Note: I included so many things from Zara (NOT SPONSORED) so that it would be how I would really shop if these were the items that I actually bought for Christmas. I would have purchased $50 worth of items so as not to spend the additional shipping cost.
