So Obsessed With: The 2020 Gift Edition (Pt. 1)
If you're anything like me, you've already purchased a lot of your Christmas gifts this year! With more online shopping and delayed shipping times, getting all my gifts purchased has been a recent priority for me. There are gift guides galore online, so you definitely don't need one more to read. However, I thought it might be fun to share two holiday-inspired editions of So Obsessed With: one with the things I'm eyeing for my boys and one with the things on my list this year. Here's what I'm so obsessed with for my boys this Christmas:
One of my family's traditions growing up was opening one gift on Christmas Eve – a pair of pajamas. I always loved getting ready for bed in something new! Nick and I decided to continue the tradition, but I decided to add one more thing: a new book, partly inspired by the Icelandic tradition of exchanging books on Christmas Eve.
1. Vintage Village Pajamas from Hanna Andersson ($30, on sale)
The quality and softness of Hanna Andersson pajamas are hard to beat! I couldn't resist this print in such a lovely green, especially when I found them on sale. But most of the boys' everyday pajamas are from Baby Gap, and I love many of their Christmas pajamas this year (like these with holiday donuts).
2. Various Books ($10+)
I would typically buy one book, but couldn't resist recent "Buy 2, Get 1 Free" sales. I bought All the Colors of Christmas by Matthew Paul Turner for both boys to enjoy. For my big boy, I got Wherever You Go, I Want You to Know by Melissa B. Kruger, Llama Llama Loose Tooth Drama by Anna Dewdney, and Goodnight, Little Blue Truck by Alice Shertle. For the baby, Who Sang the First Song? and Don't Forget to Remember by Ellie Holcomb.
In the past, I've struggled with stocking stuffers. So many list online have suggestions that are either too expensive for a stocking or something cheap that we don't even need. It's easy for me to go overboard, buying "just one more" thing until the stocking is practically falling off its hook. So, this year, I decided to use six categories:
3. WEAR: Carthartt Acrylic Watch Hat ($8)
My big boy loves matching his little brother, and he loves trying on the baby's hats. So, we decided to get them matching beanies! This will be perfect to keep them warm on walks or at the playground on chillier days.
4. USE: SmileFrida ($8) and Spinbrush ($8)
I want to get a nice electric toothbrush for our big boy but decided to start with a cheaper one to make sure we like it first. And the baby has two teeth now, so it's time to add brushing in to our routine with him, too.
5. EAT: Reindeer Reese's Pieces ($1) and Gerber Puffs ($2)
You've got to have some kind of treat in your stocking, right? Our big boy will get some of his favorite candy, and the baby will get one of his favorite snacks – Puffs! I'm sure both will be totally gone by the end of the day.
6. BATHE: Crayola Bath Bombs ($5) and Boat Bath Toys ($5)
Our big boy always wants to use my LUSH bath products, so I was excited to find these Crayola bath bombs last year. They were a hit! I'll get those again for him, plus a set of boat bath toys that both boys can enjoy.
7. REPLACE: Ubbi Tweat Snack Containers ($16)
We usually have at least one thing that's broken / been outgrown / etc. that needs to be replaced, so I'm going to try this category as a stocking stuffer. This year, it's more snack containers after we accidentally broke one.
8. WANT: Chuckle & Roar Card Games ($6) and Mushie Stacking Cups ($15)
And, of course, you've got to have at least one thing in your stocking from your wishlist! Our big boy will probably get these playing cards from Target for our family game nights, and I think the baby will love these stacking cups.
And finally, the main event: the gifts! In the past, we tried the "Want, Need, Wear, Read" tradition but decided it's not our favorite. We're trying something different this year! Growing up, my parents gave us three gifts on Christmas day because baby Jesus received three gifts. One present would be wrapped in green paper, one in gold, and one in red – we'd open green first (go), gold second (slow down), and red last (stop). The last gift was usually the biggest and most exciting! I'm excited to try this with my boys and see how it goes.
The items above are just some things I've saved throughout the year, and it isn't a perfect representation of what the boys will be getting from us or our families. But you'll definitely find many of these items under our tree!
For My Big Boy
My big boy loves all things animals and dinosaurs, and he loves to create "figure setups" all over the house and outside. If you've got an animal lover, I highly recommend this barn and safari research station. They're his favorite toys ever! Our big boy also loves books, games, and building forts. So, his list this year includes:
9. AirFort Barn ($60)
My husband makes awesome forts using blankets and furniture, but we love the idea of this easy-to-use airfort. I've looked at tents for our playroom before, but I prefer something that can be stored when not in use.
10. Prime Book Box Subscription ($20/month)
Last year, my parents gifted our big boy with a BookRoo subscription. He received two books a month and adored it! This year, we're trying Amazon's subscription because I want to preview and choose the books.
11. Honey Bee Tees ($20)
My son just went through a growth spurt and suddenly outgrew all of his clothes. While I love play clothes from Walmart/Target with a few nicer things from Gap, I splurge on a few tees from this company. I love them so much!
12. Schleich Dinosaur Research Station ($100)
This is the gift I'm most excited for my son to open because he doesn't know it exists! We look at lots of animal toys online together, but this is new release will be a complete surprise to him. He's going to be obsessed.
13. Dinosaurs from Schleich and Safari Ltd. ($7+)
For the past two years, our big boy asked for "animals and dinosaurs" for every occasion. He has more than he possibly needs, but it's always at the top of his list... and this year is no exception! So, he's getting more!
14. Wild Kratts Game ($15)
We've started doing monthly family game nights in 2020, and our big boy loves it! We have lots of classics, like Candy Land and Chutes & Ladders, but we can't resist a game inspired by his favorite TV show.
For My Baby
Our baby doesn't need much and generally prefers to play with things like empty water bottles and TV remotes. Plus, we had so many baby toys saved from our big boy! So, we decided on a mix of useful stuff we already intended to buy, things our active baby can climb over and through, and a few heirloom-quality toys, including:
15. Tommee Tippee Grobag Wearable Blanket ($30)
Our baby's room gets chilly at night, so we bought him one of these wearable blankets a few months ago. It's a lot longer than others we'd found, and we love it. We're buying a second so we've always got a clean one to use.
16. Chuckle & Roar Pop-Up Play Tunnel ($15)
The box says Ages 3+, but I think our baby will adore this tunnel (with supervision, of course). Now that he's crawling, nothing can slow him down! He loves sneaking into all sorts of spaces, we this seems right up his alley.
17. ezpz Mini Mat ($20) and Tiny Bowl ($15)
We've noticed that our baby is happiest at mealtimes when he's completely in charge. To continue to encourage independent feeding, we're getting him this plate (and a bowl, too) that will suction to his high chair tray.
18. Keys ($26) and Other Wooden Toys
We didn't want to get a bunch of toys, but I can't resist a few wooden ones! I love things like the keys pictured, this Rattle & Teether Bundle Set ($32), and these Crate & Kids Etched Wooden Blocks ($70).
19. Fat Brain Toys Dimpl and Whirly Squigz ($20)
I've read rave reviews for the dimpl, even though it doesn't seem that entertaining to me. But what do I know? Our baby's favorite toy right now is a drink coaster. Ha! This set at Target is a nice price for these two toys.
20. Softscape Step and Slide Climber ($120)
This is our baby's big gift this year! We looked into the Nugget, but I'm not ready to commit to one yet. This smaller climber takes up less space and seems like it will be a big hit for a baby that's always on the move.
What's your favorite gift for kids?
Check back tomorrow for my personal wishlist!
Those PJs are so darn cute! I love the print <3
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