I used to love Christmas shopping, back in the days when I only had to buy for four people. I had no money back then, but I could finish in a couple of hours.
But then my family grew. And grew. And grew. And while I was making more and more money, I still stretched my budget to its limit. It got really out of hand. It became the most unpleasant time of the year.
A few years ago we made a wise decision – everyone buys for one person. My niece buys for me, I buy for my sister, my sister buys for our dad, etc. It makes everything so much simpler. I only have to think about what one person might want.
And even though we have a cap of $50, I love going over that. Now that I have some money, I can afford to be pretty lavish. A couple of years ago I shopped at Tiffany, for example.
But this year is going to be the best. I get to buy for my 5-year-old great nephew! There’s nothing like having money in a toy store! I can shop for something I would have really wanted when I was that age. I can even pretend he’s twins and buy two (and keep one!).
Does he have a bike? 5 year olds would love a bike, I think! Has he learned to read yet? They have these new “kid Kindle’s,” or various other kid level e-readers on the market now.
I think this is a great idea for a big family that is gonna spend Christmas morning together!
when i was five, i would have thought “insert X type of action figure” would be the best type of present. especially if it was a big playset from that type of toy.
I got my nephew a cash register and a set of 50 different foreign currency banknotes off amazon. He loved it.
I have bought him every “cars 2” toy under the sun - and the currency was a hit - so I’m thinking about getting him some of the “uncleaned roman coins” off eBay, but not sure if he is too young.
Be careful going too far over budget. You may make the others feel badly because they stuck to the $50 budget. Cue “The Office” Christmas episode where Michael Scott gave a $300 iPod in the office exchange, then got pissed when he opened a hand-knitted oven mitt.
Not on the subject of Xmas presents, but we used to have this great Power Ranger activity with the kids I worked with:
Put out a big mattress, preferably 2 in a row. Go about your business while the kids practice Power Ranger moves. The only rule is: not on each other. They can each be a particular Power Ranger, or not. They can add scenarios and baddies.
Later, put on some exciting music and the kids put on a Power Ranger Show of all their moves and scenarios, while adults leisurely “ooh”, “aah” and applaud. If you put two normal lamps flat on the floor facing the “stage” you get cool lighting.
This year is the first year I’m buying gifts for the little ones, usually I get them all bonds because the get so much from everyone else. One year my niece stopped counting at 50, the number of gifts her daughter gotten and they still had to visit her other grandparents. My other niece has had to leave gifts at my mother’s because she couldn’t fit them all into her apartment.
Anyway, you can’t get paper bonds anymore and I hate to give a check so real gifts it is.
I have to buy for girl 8, boy 8, boy 6, boy 18mos. The three oldest are getting science kits, including one for making a volcano. My son always loved those. It’s something they can do with their parents too, fun for the whole family.
Remote controlled cars are cool too.
I like my nieces a lot so I take it easy on them. When they were little girls I figured I scored bonus points if the gift not only made them happy but drove their parents crazy. Drum sets are nice.
Heh. I once got my nephew a remote-controlled T-rex. It drove his parents crazy. I probably shouldn’t visit that curse on my niece and her husband and… everyone else in the house.
I really liked giving my nieces and nephew toys that were not only fun, but covertly educational. I also liked the toys to be intended for kids slightly older, because I believed them to be of superior intelligence. (And really, they are. :))
I’ll probably do something like that next year, this year caught me a little quick. I know I can give them a check and my sister will put it in the accounts she opened for them, but I want something just a little more personal that they can see.
