At my house Christmas gift giving has gotten a bit out of control. There is so much going on at once that it is hard for my kids to focus on enjoying the gifts and not making it a race of who can rip through the wrapping paper first. Can you relate? This year I’ve decided to focus my gift giving into practical gifts that will last all year long. Here are some ideas:

Subscription Boxes or Magazines

• Here’s a list perfect for children: 10 Monthly Subscriptions Geared Towards Kids
• Some great ones to consider for adults: Amazing Clubs (lots of options such as BBQ sauce, dessert club, hot sauce club, pizza club and tons more) or Dollar Shave Club.
• And for your dog: BarkBox

The benefit of some of these is you pay buy the month so it allows you to stretch your spending throughout the year.

Season Passes or Memberships

Examples: Zoo pass, skiing, Science Center, Costco, Gym Membership or Netflix Subscription.

Classes

Have your kids been begging you to try something new? Perhaps horseback riding, art classes, guitar lessons or dance? Get them lessons as a gift!

Books

Read more about: Instant Happy Journal

My kids enjoy books where they are the main character. You can order these online at places like this: Put Me in the Story or Story Bots.

Practical Items

Give someone a product or service you love and use and think they will find useful too.

Here’s an example of a practical item I love: Sleepy Time Headrest

Gift of Time

House cleaner (I’d really enjoy this one!) or Errand Runner (many services are popping up in local communities where they will run errands for you.)

Vacation

Consider presenting a vacation as a gift. When my sister was going to Jamaica she got each of her kids an item that represented the country and then had them guess where they’d be going for Spring Break. It helped to build excitement and anticipation for months leading up to the trip.

Pictures

Lots of options with this one: picture frames, picture books created on sites such as Shutterfly, calendars, ornaments, coffee mugs and the list goes on and on!!

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It’s hard to believe the Holiday Season is quickly approaching!  I’m pairing up with some spectacular bloggers to bring you a variety of holiday ideas AND an amazing giveaway valued at over $1,500 dollars.  It’s a mixed collection of gift cards and products from awesome companies.  Be sure to check out the various sponsors, hop around to all the blogs and enter the GIVEAWAY.  You’ll get lots of ideas for this holiday season!

Ten Tips for a Joy Filled and Stress Free Holiday with Your Family from Bare Feet on the Dashboard

The Ultimate Guide to Having Kind Kids This Christmas from Bits of Positivity

Christmas Sensory Play Ideas from Adventures of Adam

Gingerbread Play Dough from The Gingerbread House

Raising Charitable Kids from Peace But Not Quiet

10 Exciting Toys To Encourage Learning for 3-4 Year Old Kids from Play Dough and Popsicles

Christmas Crafts for Toddlers from Kidz Activities

DIY Hot Chocolate Kit from Taking Care of Monkey Business

Gifts Kids Can Make from Simply Vicki

Christmas Yoga from Kids Yoga Stories

Gifts That Last All Year from Local Busy Bees

10 Idea for Festive Table Decoration from La Cité des Vents

Christmas Tree Decoration and Card from Castle View Academy

Book-Toy Gift Sets for Preschoolers from P is for Preschooler

DIY Gift: Science Kit for Kids! from Preschool Powol Packets

Christmas Poems to Color from Are We There Yet?

5 Things to Make For a Christmas Stocking from Peakle Pie

The Frugal Family Gift that Keeps On Giving from Kimie Pruessner Photography

Christmas Hand and Foot Print Crafts from Play & Learn Everyday

20 Non-Candy Stocking Stuffers for Boys and Girls from Non Toy Gifts

10 Silly Gifts For Your Kids this Christmas from Witty Hoots

Mom’s Holiday Wish List (Give This To Your Husband) from The Realistic Mama

You’ll find all of the details for the Blog Hop here: Barefeet On The Dashboard.  The giveaway runs from November 2-19, 2015.

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Many of these ideas I shared in my post Gifts That Last All Year help to build memories, focus on family fun and reduce the amount of gifts that aren’t used. For the pricier gift items consider going in as a group to get one larger and meaningful gift rather than numerous lesser-priced items. I know I would appreciate that! Enjoy this holiday season!