A Simple System for Christmas Gift Giving

 Christmas is coming, and the top shelf of my closet shows it: wrapped gifts are already stacked there, waiting for our Christmas tree (which we get the day after Thanksgiving!). 

Over the years I've developed a little system for gift-giving to our children that seems to work well.  I've seen different variations over the years; some people give each child "something to make, something to wear, something they need," et cetera.  I follow a different approach.

Each Christmas, now that my children aren't tiny, we give them:

*a pair of pajamas (which they open on Christmas Eve, to wear on Christmas morning)

*a stocking full of goodies which they open first thing on Christmas morning, before our brunch

After brunch, they open the other gifts: 

*an ornament (we have always done this! in fact, my husband and I began the tradition with each other when we were first married, and now have dozens of ornaments reflecting what we have done over the years!) that has something to do with what we've done or they've enjoyed during the year, and is dated

*a book that appeals to their current interests (this year Finn is getting this one!!! He has the European version and loves it...) 

*some sort of much-desired item, or an item that I know they'll love (this year they're each getting a Lego set)

*maybe one or two other small things that I think they'll like, such as a game or another book.....

and....

*a trip!  I originally got this idea when Finn was tiny, from Anna at Pleasantview Schoolhouse.  I squirreled away in my "one day" mental files, and now "one day" is here because our children are definitely old enough to enjoy trips as gifts.  They don't have to be big trips, either.  This year I think Finn's will be more of a local low-key "day outing" with treats built in, and Annie's will be a longer trip that will involve a nice hotel, George Washington (her hero), and dollhouses........and since all four of us go on the trips, both children will get to enjoy each other's trips. :) 

(This was our tree 2 years ago--not the usual concolor fir, because my husband was so sick from his cancer treatments that we couldn't go to the Christmas tree farm.  My father-in-law picked the children and me up in his pickup and we bought a tree from a local nursery, then he came back and put it up for us so that we could decorate it later in the day with my husband watching......

oh, I'm so glad for health.  So, so glad!! The rejoicing never leaves my heart.)

So that's my simple system for our children: an ornament, a book, a stocking, a pair of pajamas, a "fun" much-desired item, and a trip, with maybe another goodie or two thrown into the mix.  This is plenty! I also appreciate that we can take the trip later in the year, and thus spread the cost out a bit.  I typically do the other shopping in August or September, so that's done and those gifts are wrapped.  November and December are generally very expensive times of the year for us, with insurance payments, property taxes, and post-Christmas travel all coming at us at once, so it's nice to not have the added expense of a lot of Christmas presents all at once. 

And do you want to know the one thing I never give my children at Christmas? Clothes!  Or shoes. 

Maybe next week I'll talk about stocking stuffers. Because that's a whole realm unto itself.

Do you have a Christmas gift system that works for you?  I'm always curious to hear what other people do!