Tuesday, December 12, 2023
Hello and happy Tuesday!
It’s that time of the year when we’re busy
putting the finishing touches on our holiday decor!
While it certainly takes a lot of energy and effort
to get everything in just the right spot,
it always feels so magical when our homes are dressed for the season!
Of course, we’re busy making our lists and checking them twice…
and holiday gifts for our Littles - those precious grandkids of ours -
are at the top of it all!
In today’s post, we’re sharing holiday gift ideas for our Littles,
including our guidelines when making these decisions.
Then we’re highlighting one of the most meaningful gift ideas we can give our Littles
and that’s the treasured gift of time!
Read on for examples of how we can do just that!
When it comes to buying gifts for our Littles
it can be so easy to overdo(!) and overspend(!!)
We both try really hard NOT to go overboard,
but, goodness, it can be hard to restrain ourselves!
There seems to be more cash flow available than when our own kids were little
and we admit, we love spoiling our grandbabies…
After all, that’s a Grand’s prerogative, right?
Seriously though, we find that the following guidelines
help us immensely as we navigate gift giving as a Grand!
Grand Guideline #1 - Communicate openly and honestly with your Middles (your Littles’ parents)! Always defer to their wishes! Discuss the number of gifts you are thinking of giving and check to see if your Middles have any suggestions/preferences for you to consider! The last thing we want to do is to add to the stress our Middles might be feeling during this busy time of year!
Grand Guideline #2 - We each use the following strategy when choosing gifts for our Littles, whether it be at Christmas or for a birthday! Just keep in mind that you are not the only one giving your Little a gift, so be mindful of this and, most importantly, honor it!
This strategy seems to cover all our bases (and all the things we love to share with our Littles) and the list has given us direction as we shop! The good news is that it is also a strategy that can be applied at almost any price point… yippee!
Another Fun Option to Consider...
A different version of this strategy involves giving three gifts to your Little,
representing the 3 gifts that baby Jesus received from the Wise Men!
Grand Guideline #3 - Our final suggestion… Consider giving a gift of time! As our own Littles grow older, we will definitely be exploring this option! No clutter and a shared activity or adventure would be a win-win! Keep reading as we share more ideas on this subject!
We truly believe
that one of the most powerful gifts we can give our Littles
is the gift of time!
Laurie is sharing how and why she began using this gift idea years ago
with a few special Littles in her life!
I have been lucky to be blessed with two nieces with whom I am very close. I have shared in the joy of being part of their children’s lives, ages 4, 5, 7 and 8. They are two of the best moms that I know! Very smart and very involved with their kids! One of the best ideas I have witnessed with them is their desire to avoid the trappings of “stuff” with their kids by changing the focus to spending quality time with their kids.
The Gift of Time… a Shared Experience!
Experience based gifts for any loved one - whether it be your own Littles (your grandchildren), your young children (or adult ones), your parents or grandparents, special nieces or nephews or even close friends - are wonderful ways to create memories that last (and you know that we are ALL about that)! If you feel that your family members or your Littles have a lot of stuff and don’t necessarily need more, why not give them the gift of your time and love?
“The kids get so many toys for Christmas and birthdays -
they are blessed, but they can only play with so much.
I love getting to spend special time with “my” people and creating special memories.”
Shared by Laurie’s niece, Middle K and mom of 2!
Grand Experiences… Out and About!
Do you need some ideas to get you started? Begin by thinking about your Littles and what they enjoy - such gifts can create a passion for learning or fuel excitement for one of their interests while also being just plain fun!
Popular ideas include adventures like Mini Golfing, Bowling, Paddle Boating, Rock Climbing or a visit to an Indoor Playground. Gifts of a shared activity are also fun options like Paint Your Own Pottery or taking a Cooking Class together! To find more information on places in your community (or your Littles’), simply google “Places to take my grandchild near _________.” You’ll find lots of options!
Let’s be honest though, as much as young Littles enjoy their experiences, they usually think of Christmas and birthdays as a time to get “presents”! No problem! It’s very easy to wrap up something small to give a Little something to open that represents the experience while serving as a concrete representation of the fun to come!
DON'T FORGET to include a personal note or a card, explaining your gift and your own excitement about spending time together!!
Here are some of our favorite combinations…
😍 An Afternoon (or Evening) at the Theater!
An afternoon at the Children’s Theater (for kids) or an evening at a grown-up show (for older Littles or your Middles) is fun for all ages and a wonderful introduction to live theater! Include a gift certificate and/or a memento that relates to the show - an ornament or book are both great options!
😍 A Trip to the Bookstore!
How fun would an afternoon spent together, exploring books at a bookstore be? Give your Little a gift card to the store so that he/she can pick out a book or two while there. Top off your trip with a visit to the coffee shop or to get an ice cream cone together!
😍 A Day at the Zoo!
A box of animal crackers would be the perfect way to introduce your special gift to your Little!
😍 Attend a Sporting Event!
Add a team T-shirt, decal or hat to make the experience extra exciting!
😍 Pamper Yourselves at the Nail Salon!
A bottle or two of nail polish - or some press on nails - would be a treat to add to your gift!
😍 Check Out the Latest Feature Film at the Movie Theater!
Find out ahead of time what your Littles’ favorite movie theater treats are and add these to your gift bag… your Littles will love nibbling on these goodies while watching a movie they’ve been excited to see!
Grand Experiences… A Family Affair!
A gift that would be appreciated by all your loved ones is a gift given to each family… an experience for them to share together!
Grand options include the following ideas!
A Zoo Membership!
A Museum Membership!
Tickets for a Family Movie!
Amusement Park Tickets!
An Escape Room Experience!
An Arboretum Membership!
A State or County Park Pass!
Many of these are gifts that will keep on giving… all year long!
We’ve also been known to gift our entire extended family with a getaway together! There’s nothing better than an evening, a weekend or a longer vacation spent making cherished memories together!
Grand Experiences… Closer to Home!
Your experiences do not have to be a “place” to go to. For Laurie’s Harry-Potter-loving great-niece’s birthday, Laurie gave her the Harry Potter cookbook with the offer to have her over to cook the recipes she chose from it. Laurie provided the ingredients and her great niece took home the final products to treat her family!
Other experiences that might be options,
near your home OR your Littles’, could include
a Sleepover & Movie Night
OR
planning and cooking a Homemade Dinner together
(including a trip to the grocery store)!
Just be sure to invite the rest of the family over to enjoy your efforts!
A day spent Sliding/Ice-skating/Skiing is another great experience,
topped off with a cup of hot chocolate, of course!
Two Grand Tips!
Tip #1
When planning your gift of time for your Little
choose something special that only YOU can provide!
Here’s an example and some advice from Laurie and family!
Laurie’s Daughter A had a dog that her little cousin loved!
For a Christmas gift, Daughter A gave her little cousin
an afternoon of puppy fun and movie time including cuddle time on the couch together!
Tip #2
“Be sure to schedule your shared experience right away - at the time of the gifting!
Otherwise people get busy and it just doesn’t happen!”
Advice from Laurie’s niece, Middle E, mom of 2!
So many choices...
it’s hard to pick which activity or adventure to focus on
as a Christmas gift of time!
In fact, we love so many of the ideas,
that we thought
to go BIG
and put together a collection of 12 experiences
to give your Little (and YOU) a year’s worth of memory making moments!
FUN!!!
Here’s all you’d need to do…
#1 - Pick and choose twelve ideas from the ones provided above
(or come up with your own ideas).
#2 - Plan a variety of monthly experiences,
some out and about while others take place at home!
#3 - Put each idea in its own envelope or gift bag and add a personal note
sharing your excitement for each!
#4 - On Christmas Day all the gifts can be opened at once
OR your Little could open one package each month throughout the year!
Talk about keeping the excitement going!
We LOVE this idea!
We’ll be filing it away for the years when our Littles are a bit older!
We can’t wait!
No matter what gift you may be planning for your Littles this year-
the number or their contents -
we hope and pray that your connection to your Littles deepens and flourishes
as, together, you create memories that your heart will hold forever!
Do you have any gift giving advice for us?
Let us know if you have other recommendations for us to consider!
We welcome them all!
’Please feel free to comment at the bottom of this post
or you can always email us directly at ourgrandlives@gmail.com.
We;ve got lots of Grand ideas to share with you there
so be sure to stop by when you can!
We’ll be back on Thursday with another installment of
Grand Gift Ideas for Our Littles!
Thursday's topic will be Christmas Stockings!
We’ll share our updated versions of our popular Stocking Stuffer lists!
Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out!
❤️We’re so glad you stopped by… Thank you! ❤️
SPECIAL THANKS TO
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