What She Wants for Christmas
Here’s what your wife, mom, sister, girlfriend — or friend, who forwarded you to this post! — told me that she wanted for the holidays…
It’s the most wonderful time of year… unless buying gifts gives you rampant anxiety! I host a weekly Mom Talk Mondays on my Instagram page and here’s what your wife, mom, sister, girlfriend — or friend, who forwarded you to this post! — told me that she wanted for the holidays.
Most Requested…
A Housecleaner
This was at the tippy top of the list for most of my friends online. It may not seemingly be the most romantic gift, but there’s nothing festive about scrubbing mildew out of the tub either.
And while a clean home is part of the appeal, what you may not realize is that the real gift here is taking over the mental load of finding and scheduling a housecleaner.
If you’ve never hired a cleaning service, start by asking around if anyone has one that they would recommend. Your neighbors or a co-worker may someone they love. Merry Maids and Eco Maids have branches throughout the country. Another option is hiring someone through care.com where you can post a job, read reviews, and also do background checks on the provider. We’ve had a good experience finding a babysitter through this site.
Housecleaners can come weekly, bi-weekly, or just every once in a while depending on your budget and needs. The holidays are an extra busy time of year for cleaning services, so book early if you want to have them come before the holidays.
A Solo Night (or two!) Away
Your loved one is probably the heart of your family. And while it may seem daunting to have her leave for a night or two, it will fill her cup up and allow her to reset. If this is the gift that she wants, ask her if she wants to plan her outing or if she wants you to take over.
Either way, take a look at your family calendar and identify a few nights that might work. Would a weekend be better or would a weekday when the kids, if you have them, are in school make things run a little smoother? Once you have a few dates in mind, sit down and figure out a time together. Circle it on the calendar!
If she wants to plan the trip herself, one extra thoughtful thing that you can do is to have a treat waiting for her in her room when she gets there. Call the front desk of her hotel and see what they can put together or order flowers to have put in her room before she arrives.
If she wants you to plan her trip, does she want to travel somewhere or stay local? Would she prefer a hotel room or to stay at a bed and breakfast?
Practical
Nearly half of my online friends surveyed said that they prefer something practical as a gift. Here are a few favorites:
A Robot Vacuum
A few years ago, I would have laughed if you told me that I would put a vacuum on a Christmas wish list. But, here we are! I’ve had this eufy vacuum — known in our home as RoRo — for 18 months and I love it. If I had to do it over again, though, I’d go for a model with mapping and that self empties like this one. My toddlers love pushing the button to turn her on and knowing that RoRo is going to make her rounds motivates them to help clean up. It’s the gift that keeps on giving!
A Coffeemaker
I like this machine a latte! When our Keurig kicked the bucket a few weeks ago, I spent a few days researching coffee makers. This one ticked all of the boxes for me. My husband could have his regular cups of coffee and I can make all of the fancy hot and iced lattes my heart desires. Even better news: the pods for this are less than half of what our old machine cost and you can buy my favorite at Costco.
Kindle with Digital Notebook and Pen
I’ve had my eye on this for a while — hint! hint! hi, hubby — because it would be the perfect combo of a tool to read and write morning pages. I enjoy writing long hand but don’t want to have to then type up my notes afterward. This will do it for you! This would be a great gift if your loved one enjoys scribbling in the margins of books, but wants to have the convenience of a Kindle.
Stocking Stuffers
I have and love all of these items.
Tired Moms Social Club Hat
My favorite hat to wear at preschool drop off!
Knife Organizer
Sparks joy every time I open the drawer!
Cord Organizer
Such a simple thing, but stick on the back of small kitchen appliances!
From the Heart…
Let’s face it: your desire to buy something luxurious for your loved one may not match up to the reality of your budget this year. Most of the items on this page are admittedly expensive. They are not necessarily in our budget this year, as much as I’d love a weekly housekeeper or a weekend (or two!) away.
If you can’t afford a large gift this year, it doesn’t mean that you can’t come up with a thoughtful one that matches the spirit of your loved one’s dream. This is part of the card my husband made me for my birthday this year and it’s one of the nicest gifts I’ve ever received. He traced his and our children’s hands and put a thoughtful note with each of them.
A few ideas that are full of love, but don’t cost a lot:
Print out your favorite photos and put them in an album. If you don’t have many candids of your loved one, make an effort to take a few over the next couple of weeks. If you have children, have them draw photos or write a note to include with the gift.
Make a weekly playdate with the dads of your children’s friends or find a free event at your local library to get the kids out of the house for a few hours. Your wife can have the house to herself or go do something fun with a friend during this time.
Find a copy of your wife’s favorite childhood book on eBay or at a used bookstore.
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What We’re Getting Our Toddlers for Christmas
As a mom of two toddlers, shopping for the holidays feels like a bit of a push-pull between…
As a mom of two toddlers, shopping for the holidays feels like a bit of a push-pull between wanting to get my kids really fun gifts and also not wanting to add more clutter to our house. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking through what my kids seem drawn to at their current stages and what will be things that they can grow into for years to come. Here is what we’re giving our littles for Christmas plus these matching jammies.
Gifts for Dino Boy, age 3.5
Firefighter Pretend Play Costume
Dino Boy is obsessed with all things firefighting right now. The trucks! The uniform! The sounds! The firefighting dog! This costume will be under the tree this year.
Triceratops Pretend Play Costume
With a nickname like Dino Boy, this is an obvious choice. A dino head and a dramatic cape. What more can he ask for?
A Favorite Book
We borrowed this book from the library multiple times this year and Dino Boy would read it all quiet time long. I can’t wait for him to open it up on Christmas!
Gifts for Sunshine Girl
Doll House
I found a cute wooden doll house that comes with a ton of accessories on Facebook Marketplace. I have slowly been refurbishing it with new fabric, paint, and some flooring. There’s still plenty of time for you to find your DIY — just search for “wood doll house” — expect a large one in good shape to cost $50-$100. If you’re out of time or not crafty, this is a cute doll house.
Doll House Family
The only thing that Sunshine Girl’s dollhouse didn’t come with is… dolls! This is a cute family and matches the color scheme.
Pretend Play Outfit
Sunshine Girl is currently all about tutus, capes, and all things sparkly. I can’t wait to see my sweet girl running around in this!
Stocking Stuffers + Wishlist for Family
A few cute items that are on the wish list.
Magnatiles Road Add On
Silk Streamer
Playdough Texture Rollers
Not on the list, but worth a mention…
An awesome and very appreciated and (no clutter!) gift option for families is a membership to a local zoo or museum. My mom renewed our membership for Dino Boy’s birthday and it’s really the gift that keeps on giving all year round. It allows us to visit the zoo for about $6 for parking plus snacks and gas.
If your loved one doesn’t live close enough to an attraction to make a membership feasible, a gift of tickets plus gas and restaurant gift card for a day trip would be incredibly thoughtful.
It’s so easy to get wrapped up in what’s under the tree this time of year, but what really matters is who is in the room with you.
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