Gifts That Keep Giving

The influx of toys around Christmastime can make me a little nauseous. So much generosity from friends and family, but so much STUFF.  My children want for nothing, but *I* want simplicity and that's hard to come by when you feel overwhelmed with all-the-things.

Our solution since Max was a baby has been for Santa to only bring 3 gifts per kid.  And when they ask WHY they only get three I tell them, "Jesus got three gifts from the three Wise Men...should you get more presents than Baby Jesus?!" Works every time;)

This year we're taking it a step further and Santa is bringing experiences instead of stuff.  And the shock of this will hopefully not ruin Christmas morning.  My hope is that in the long run they're getting memories that will last a lot longer than the toys broken and forgotten by January.  

We'll see how this works out.  There could be a mutiny. 

Here's a list of a few things my kiddos are getting from Santa in hopes that it might help another Santa with some last minute non-toy gift ideas:

Mail Order Mystery - puzzles, clues, adventure and intrigue.  No batteries required. The boys have done one of these before and LOVED it.  They stay busy solving each mystery for hours and then another one arrives the following month.  If the first package doesn't arrive in time for Santa to put under the tree...there's THIS letter to put in a stocking.

KC Culinary Center - Max is determined to be the next Top Chef Junior.  The courses here for kids include knife skills and learning how to read a recipe.  The first actual "cooking" class focuses on a Chinese New Year menu...he'll be learning to make dumplings from scratch (is it bad that I'm imagining all the ways I can benefit from this?!). There are options for all ages (starting as young as 2 years old) and they're all wonderful.  We've done 3 or 4 classes over the years and cannot recommend this place enough.  Santa is packaging the gift certificate with a cook book and starter knife set.

Max at the KC Culinary Center - 2013

Sullivan at the KC Culinary Center - 2014

Kiwi Crates (<--$10 off with this link)- this monthly subscription curates hands-on projects for kids as young as 0-2 years, but also goes up to age 16 with some fun STEM projects. Each of the boys will get their own box each month full of things to make and explore. 

Little Passports - Each month a small suitcase will arrive at the house that contains things to discover about a new country each month, with souvenirs and hands-on activities.

Actual Passports - this one is a little extreme, I admit.  Santa is delivering the two oldest boys their first real passports and our gift to them is a trip to Iceland.  We heard about an amazing airfare deal through a travel agent friend and it was just too good to pass up.  If you feel like being spontaneous and maybe a little impulsive, contact Tara Koehler at Royal Travel & Tours.  And it doesn't have to be as drastic as going to another country:)

Needless to say, my kids are going to be waiting at the door for the mail to arrive A LOT this next year.  And also asking..."how many more sleeps until our trip?" on a daily basis.  Which might make me crazier than tripping over a million new toys:))

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and Peace in the New Year!