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maallen
PeaAddict
PeaNut 289,617
January 2007
Posts: 1,779
Layouts: 0
Loc: USA
 |  Posted: 11/24/2012 12:40:35 AM
Other than that there are gifts for each person:
Something they want,
something they need,
something to wear,
something to read.
Read this on the santa s/o thread that someone does this. Someone else said they do the 3 gifts of Christmas.
Just wondered if anyone else plans gifts for their kids along these lines??? My mom does a toy, a book, clothes, game for my kids. I don't want to do the same, but having a little "list" and getting something to fulfill each area seems like a great idea.
Anyone do something like this and care to share?
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eversograceful1
Feeling Spaztastic!
PeaNut 69,237
February 2003
Posts: 7,467
Layouts: 73
Loc: Northern Florida
 | Posted: 11/24/2012 6:59:00 AM
I've seen that too and really liked the idea. DDs birthday is the 27th so it's easy for it to get overwhelming. This seems like a way to simplify a bit. |
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Roundtwo
BucketHead
PeaNut 473,695
July 2010
Posts: 831
Layouts: 0
 | Posted: 11/24/2012 7:18:22 AM
I've been doing something similiar for years (my categories are clothes, books and hobbies, essentials such as socks and toiletries, chocolate and a special gift, something I know they would like but would never ask for or expect). I find I am much less stressed about shopping for the kids now and feel that their gifts are really useful and not just boxes under the tree. |
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GrinningCat
Proudly Canadian
PeaNut 43,061
July 2002
Posts: 31,546
Layouts: 2
| Posted: 11/24/2012 7:25:22 AM
My gut reaction to this list is that it sounds really stingy and not fun at all. I'm all about lots of gifts and a full tree and the more the merrier. To me, that just sounds like it's done too quickly. I love the something to read part, but four things just isn't "enough" for me. I get that people are trying to cut down on gifts, though I don't really know why because I believe Christmas is all about spoiling people. But this list is very popular here on peas. | |
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pageturner7
BucketHead
PeaNut 258,426
April 2006
Posts: 938
Layouts: 0
 | Posted: 11/24/2012 7:38:00 AM
When our four older children were small, we held to the three gifts, such as the three gifts from the magi to the Christ child. Their grandparents didn't give gifts at all, so the gift giving wasn't materialistic. I really like this list of four things.
One of my fondest memories was Christmas at my grandparents' farm house. My grandma sewed a new pair of pajamas for every grandchild. We all new their were pajamas wrapped up for us. The excitement was all about the suspense of wondering what the style and fabric would be! Would it be atop and bottom, or a night gown style? We knew we were loved, and that a gift of grandma's time (sewing all those pajamas) was a beautiful thing.
Our "Santa" gifts were also very minimal...one gift, not super expensive. Today we all just have too much stuff, all the time. | |
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ksuheather
low-information individual
PeaNut 190,373
February 2005
Posts: 7,935
Layouts: 0
Loc: wherever the army sends us
 | Posted: 11/24/2012 7:57:06 AM
We do three gifts from mommy and daddy. Our reasoning is because Jesus got three gifts from the Magi. One of those gifts is also religious in nature.
Santa also brings a gift and fills a stocking and our kids have grandparents and aunts and uncles that give them gifts. Even restricting to 3 gifts our kids still have an orgy of gifts that we spread out over 2 days to open. |
A veteran is someone who, at one
point in his life, wrote a blank check
made payable to 'The United States of
America ' for an amount of 'up to and including my life.'
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shescrafty2
PeaFixture
PeaNut 178,427
November 2004
Posts: 3,343
Layouts: 0
| Posted: 11/24/2012 8:05:01 AM
We don't do this at all. We do one Santa gift each plus stockings, and then buy what we think is a good amount. I have moved away from buying "stocking stuffer" crappy stuff but still get the fun soap and silly toothbrushes, etc. we don't buy gifts throughout the year so Christmas and birthdays are really it.
Also our grandparents are not spoilers so they get something nice but nothing grand or
Over the top unless it is from us. |
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your true character is shown not by how you treat people you agree with, but how you treat those you don't
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BrinaG
PeaFixture
PeaNut 205,553
May 2005
Posts: 3,491
Layouts: 0
| Posted: 11/24/2012 8:41:32 AM
We don't do the want, need, wear, read, but we do 3 gifts.
our kids still wind up with a fair bit to open. 3 gifts from Santa, the stocking, the new pjs they get on Christmas Eve and gifts from Grandparents, aunt, uncle and each other.
My kids are 12, 12 and 9. The gifts to each other were originally paid for by dh and I, but chosen by the kids. They all get allowance and part of their learning to budget, they are now responsible for buying gifts for each other using their own money. It has been interesting to watch them evolve as gift buyers. We set minimum amounts, but they are actually quite generous with each other. | |
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howjudi_ofyou
Peas Sir, I want some more...
PeaNut 189,173
February 2005
Posts: 5,145
Layouts: 534
Loc: North of Tonawanda
| Posted: 11/24/2012 10:52:17 AM
Yes, we are taking this approach this year. My children are 8,8,10 and 18. Their "want" gifts are getting more expensive (iPods), so we are scaling back. We do stockings in addition to 4 main gifts, and they also get presents from each other and grandparents. My oldest is the easiest to shop for-he just wants Amazon gift cards.
This is my 8 year old twins list this year:
Want-ipod Shuffle
Need-new bike helmets
Wear-wool pea coat
Read-Diary of a Whimpy Kid book
Stockings will have fun socks, yarn and a crochet hook, lip gloss, candy, toothbrush, a handmade pin cushion, itunes card and an ornament. |
~judi vanvalkinburgh-garber
mom to Ethan, Eddie and twins Caroline and Charlotte.
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PeculiarP
PeaAddict
PeaNut 421,228
April 2009
Posts: 1,197
Layouts: 5
Loc: Appalachia
 | Posted: 11/24/2012 11:20:02 AM
I never really thought about it, but I have always done something along this line. Every year DD gets the Holiday Barbie and a snow globe. I started getting both when she was a baby and she still looks forward to them at 12.
We always get her 1 "big" gift, meaning more expensive that what extended family will buy but we aren't extravagant. Last year it was a Northface jacket she wanted, this year it will be a new TV for her room.
I try to have a couple of other inexpensive things for her to open, but always something practical. Last year she asked for a hair straightener, and this year she wants a curling wand, lol. Several other family members have bought her clothes, so I will probably skip the "wear" thing all together this year.
And her stocking, I have put paper back books in it in the past. She doesn't eat a ton of candy, but I try to include and least one sweet thing. Now that she's getting older its more toiletry type items like hand lotions or makeup.
DD's grandparents and aunts tend to buy "fun" things, and we've often been over run with toys she only played with a few times, so we have stuck to her 2 traditional items and practical stuff from the start. |
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PB&J_88
PeaNut
PeaNut 531,581
December 2011
Posts: 238
Layouts: 0
Loc: Washington
 | Posted: 11/24/2012 11:50:46 AM
My neighbors do this.
Santa will bring something they want, read, wear and need and then her and her husband will bring the same. So they will get 4 gifts from Santa and 4 gifts from their parents. They have a 3 & 7 year old boys.
Their most desirable gift will be their "Want" from Santa. And the other 3 gifts that are from Santa are the more fun/silly gifts. For example, her son wants footie pajamas, so Santa will brings those for his "Wear" gift. |
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raindancer
Capt. Sparrow's Pirate Wench
PeaNut 217,886
August 2005
Posts: 15,458
Layouts: 44
| Posted: 11/24/2012 12:04:45 PM
We don't do this at all. We do one Santa gift each plus stockings, and then buy what we think is a good amount. I have moved away from buying "stocking stuffer" crappy stuff but still get the fun soap and silly toothbrushes, etc. we don't buy gifts throughout the year so Christmas and birthdays are really it.
Also our grandparents are not spoilers so they get something nice but nothing grand or
Over the top unless it is from us.
This is us as well. We put gift cards in stockings, those are fun for the kids. And I agree too with grinningcat, I love to spoil everyone, and it's not like I do it all the time. My kids wait till Christmas or buy it themselves.  We just don't buy "big" stuff throughout the year, but once a year, it's fun.
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~Heidi~
"You can make excuses or you can make progress but you can't make both."
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B. Pea
PeaNut
PeaNut 453,111
January 2010
Posts: 366
Layouts: 0
Loc: midwest
 | Posted: 11/24/2012 12:29:36 PM
Santa brings want, need, wear and read gifts as well as stockings. Everyone puts their kindle under the tree and a new book magically appears  DH and I do a big gift plus maybe a few small ones.
We live far away from family so they all ship their gifts here to be opened on Christmas day. The kids have 3 sets of grandparents gifting, plus aunts and uncles, plus other extended family. So no matter how low key I keep it, we're overrun by presents. | |
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moveablefeast
do justice, love mercy
PeaNut 265,707
June 2006
Posts: 11,129
Layouts: 0
Loc: Northern Virginia
| Posted: 11/24/2012 12:45:06 PM
My gut reaction to this list is that it sounds really stingy and not fun at all. I'm all about lots of gifts and a full tree and the more the merrier. To me, that just sounds like it's done too quickly.
I guess I'm stingy this year! Not that it matters too much what someone else thinks of my gift giving, but still. We did want - need - play with - read.
Want - a small collection of Hello Kitty items she begged for last month
Need - a half dozen new outfits, socks, panties
Play with - Lego set
Read - six new books (she is young and her books are inexpensive)
So it isn't exactly one thing from each category, it's a few from each category, but considering how much stuff she will get from everyone else, I saw no reason to go overboard. I buy nice gifts that have thought behind them but I don't spoil anyone on my list. Just not my style or my budget IYKWIM. | |
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stacyscrapper
BucketHead
PeaNut 56,183
November 2002
Posts: 966
Layouts: 0
Loc: West Coast Girl Transplanted to Middle America
| Posted: 11/24/2012 2:59:28 PM
We follow the want/need/wear/read guidelines and I find it works really well for us. We have three kids, so the tree still looks exciting and full of gifts. I find it helps me focus on finding gifts that will have a wow factor and not just on buying random toys that will end up broken or forgotten.
This year, for instance, my 5-year-old's want is an American Girl Doll. So she'll open that, new Melissa and Doug art supplies for her need, a necklace for her something to wear, and a Shel Silverstein book for the "something to read." Those are all things she'll really use and enjoy. She'll get some stocking stuffers too, and then gifts from grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc.
We don't buy toys throughout the year and I still find my kids have more than they need. So we keep it simple. | |
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Maizie
* Happy Camper *
PeaNut 223,117
September 2005
Posts: 16,350
Layouts: 22
Loc: Heffalump Hollow
| Posted: 11/24/2012 3:10:44 PM
We do kit buy all year for our kids, only birthday and Christmas - so we enjoy it and do more than that! |
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angievp
Ideay pues?
PeaNut 143,106
April 2004
Posts: 6,643
Layouts: 36
Loc: Miami
 | Posted: 11/24/2012 3:17:32 PM
My gut reaction to this list is that it sounds really stingy and not fun at all. I'm all about lots of gifts and a full tree and the more the merrier. To me, that just sounds like it's done too quickly. I love the something to read part, but four things just isn't "enough" for me. I get that people are trying to cut down on gifts, though I don't really know why because I believe Christmas is all about spoiling people. But this list is very popular here on peas.
ITA. I may get one big thing or several smaller things. To me, the holidays are also about spoiling people. I get people stuff that they would love to get for themselves but never do--for whatever reason. I follow the same line of thinking for kids. | |
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angela_d
Stuck In The Bucket
PeaNut 372,311
April 2008
Posts: 703
Layouts: 0
 | Posted: 11/24/2012 3:29:53 PM
We do this. Our kids love it! Each gift is wrapped up with a tag or label telling which category it's in. They love seeing what we decided they 'needed', what clothes and books we picked and what one special 'want' we got for them.
We don't do straight forward stuff though. This year my 11 year old is really getting into cooking. So his 'need' gift is a little culinary kit. His own knife, peeler, cutting board, whisk, etc. My daughter is an art lover so she's getting a mini easel with canvasses and some oil paints. In years past she has gotten a wardrobe for her AG doll clothes, a sewing machine, etc. It's not all fuddy duddy stuff
They also still get a couple of gifts from Santa. Nothing big this year as we're trying to cut back on 'stuff' in general but they'll all be happy. And we have our traditions of Christmas Eve jammies and Santa always brings them a new nutcracker for their collections. They won't be hurting for gifts to open
They usually get several things to wear and they always get a pile of books b/c we're a big reading family. Sometimes there's a few family gifts. A board game, a couple of movies. This year we might get a kinect for the Xbox.
It's not necessarily to cut down on gifts or to "only" have four gifts under the tree but to help me zero in on what to get them. It helps me to be a bit more particular and not feel like I have to buy a bunch of filler gifts they really don't want or need. Every year I think this is the year we're cutting back and then the holiday crazies start and I think they need every little thing they point. This *really* helps me curb that, for me and them. They know what to expect and they're never disappointed. | |
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maallen
PeaAddict
PeaNut 289,617
January 2007
Posts: 1,779
Layouts: 0
Loc: USA
| Posted: 11/24/2012 6:57:16 PM
My gut reaction to this list is that it sounds really stingy and not fun at all. I'm all about lots of gifts and a full tree and the more the merrier. To me, that just sounds like it's done too quickly.
We're not stingy at all. Just thinking if we had some sort of categories, it'd make gift ideas easier. Probably at least 2 things from each category, if we go that route.
My other thought on categories was something like:
toy
toy
craft
game
video
video game
book
clothing item
But I'm really overthinking this at this point  and now I've overwhelmed myself!!! We went overboard on BF shopping and I want to fit some of what we got into categories and then have some stuff returned 'cuz we went waaaaayyyyy over budget!  |
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finally~a~mama
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 438,682
September 2009
Posts: 2,595
Layouts: 0
| Posted: 11/24/2012 10:40:38 PM
We are sort of using the want, need, play with, read thing as a guideline. I like the idea, but DD is 3 so it's not like she really "needs" anything. I also don't view it as 4 gifts exactly. For example, I haven't purchased her "read" yet, but it will be several books because we like to read & she needs some more age appropriate books. Several books in our collection are too young for her now.
Plus she will have a stocking & a couple gifts from Santa. Then there are the 4 extended family Christmas gatherings. I think it's a good guideline for us to use in order to not go overboard -- which I would kind of like to do. LOL  |
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Fraidyscrapper
Serious Interlocutor
PeaNut 38,100
May 2002
Posts: 12,480
Layouts: 0
Loc: Jersey Strong
 | Posted: 11/24/2012 10:51:35 PM
Grinning, I am another gift-limiter. I think I needed the limits myself. But in terms of stinginess, it isn't just four gifts, since my kids have about a dozen grandparents and then aunts and uncles as well. They get plenty |
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Laine
PeaNut
PeaNut 1,021
July 1999
Posts: 178
Layouts: 2
Loc: SWLA
 | Posted: 11/24/2012 11:01:52 PM
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Lynette J in La
www.frujensen.blogspot.com | |
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sa27
PeaAddict
PeaNut 221,282
August 2005
Posts: 1,069
Layouts: 0
| Posted: 11/24/2012 11:14:46 PM
I have done that a few years, except ours is want, need, play with, and read.
This year, I've given it up. I tried to enjoy doing it. I finally gave it up. I don't enjoy giving gifts like that. I like to buy what I know my kids will like. I ran into the problem previously of "Oh, DS would love this, but I already bought him that other thing for that category" For me, that's pointless. Buy both, let him enjoy both. I'm not a big toy buyer throughout the year. I do buy a lot of crafty and activity items through the year, so their Christmas gifts aren't usually crafty or family activity types.
I'm enjoying shopping so much more this year. It's truly not about the quantity, but more about this being the one time of the year where I can buy what I know they want/will enjoy and not worry about some poem restricting me. | |
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