Christmas is the hardest time of the year for me. A few years ago we started doing family vacations as Santa’s gift to the kids, but then when Covid hit and now places our kids want to go still have travel restrictions or closures, it made those vacations a little harder.
And now this year, on top of the fact that I have to think of gifts, I am also having to think of them earlier because of the supply chain issues!
Before I get in to the list of what Santa will bring her this year, let me start with what we already have that has made a lot of gift guides.
Art Supplies / Bracelet Kits / Clay: We have an entire walk in closet dedicated to art supplies. My 9 year old has always shown a huge interest in art. We usually do a huge art project each week in addition to all her other crafting. Having all the supplies in one closet has been a huge help for us and her imagination. But if this is something you are looking for, there are a ton of choices!
Bedroom Decorations / Lights / Jewelry Holders: My 9 year old and 4 year old share a room (by choice). They have a lot of “collections” (aka junk). The bedroom is also very small so I limit what goes in there so it doesn’t get too cluttered and make my anxiety shoot through the roof. There are a lot of great ideas though if your child needs something in this area.
Books: We do the library multiple times a week. They rarely read a book more than once so I feel like it is a waste to buy some books. Plus we have 3 full bookshelves and I am not really sure where else I can put books in the house.
3Doodler Start+ Pen || RockJam 61 Keyboard Piano || Mini Cruiser Skateboard || Underwater Camera || LEGO Home Alone || Practice Balance Beam || Floor Mat
Ever since we visited a friends house and they had a piano, she has been wanting to learn. I remember having a keyboard growing up and my sisters and I always played on there and taught ourselves different songs. We love playing outside – and she got a new bike and scooter last year. So this year, a skateboard will be added in to the mix.
My daughter’s favorite movie is Home Alone. Her favorite thing to play with is legos. So as soon as I saw that LEGO was coming out with a new Home Alonso set, I knew we had to have it!
Shared gifts: The balance beam and the floor mat are shared gifts for the two girls. The both recently started gymnastics and they are obsessed. To limit trips to the hospital, the mat was a definite must.
In addition to the above, I also do any clothing they may need. She will be getting more swim suits (she is on the swim team 4 days a week and chlorine eats through their practice suits like crazy) and a gymnastics leotard.
I know this is probably not your “standard” gift guide, but I wanted to give some extra ideas for older ones in case you were having trouble like I was!
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