I'm so on a roll this year regarding the kids' Christmas presents. Yes, you read that right. I'm already shopping for the Silly Season. When the rest of the known world is battling each other for the last Rainbow Fairytopia Whatsit come November or December, I intend to be well finished - finished! - with my shopping.
This is not a natural state for me. In years gone by, I'd let the gift-buying slide until around Master J's birthday in mid-November. I'd have conversation after conversation with dear (but somewhat misguided) Hubs about the validity of this present over that present, talk myself around in a circle, and eventually end up back where I started, without a clear plan or any pressies on hand. And then, of course, I'd have to stand in line sometime during the last week before Christmas, wringing my hands and telling myself that next year would be different.
Well I fixed that little red wagon this year, let me tell you!
While in years past we've had variations of the 'no toys for Christmas' rule, the bargains at this time of the year are usually too good to pass by - most of the major department and toy stores do mid-year sales for the crazies amongst us who like to get their Christmas shopping done early. I've picked up a (brand new) wooden doll's wardrobe and crib for $10 ea at the local thrift store. I've hit a couple of really good sales at Toys R Us for things like Candyland and Chutes and Ladders (not traditionally as popular here as they are in the States) for $10 ea. My Little Pony 'pony plus carriage/DVD/book' sets for $5-$10. Trollz for $7.99. Barbie '12 Dancing Princesses' Genevieve doll for $20 down from $60. And a whole raft of other purchases, most of which were bought for between 50%-75% off (but to be fair, several gifts at incredible prices were purchased specifically to include in the Gift Drawer for other kids' birthday parties and so on). Now listing everything like that sort of makes it seem like we went nutso on the gift spending lately. On the contrary. Most of the time I naturally go for 'quantity' over 'quality', forced to do so due to expense. I will not pay $50 for a Cabbage Patch Kid branded 'outfit plus teaset' pack. I will, however, consider it at $15, which is what they were going for a couple of weeks ago. I ended up with a 'premium' gift, something we'd never dream of paying full retail price for, at an 'our budget' price. Over the last month I've completely covered Miss Moo for her birthday (a week before Christmas) and half finished her for Christmas as well. All 'nice' brand name gifts at a tiny percentage of what they'd go for full price. None of this 'we'll buy X brand because its cheaper' - we're getting the good stuff, but we're shopping smarter to do it.
This approach - getting it all done mid-year - is working so well that I'm going to extend it beyond our kids and onto the rest of the extended family as well.
And another thing. I've noticed, with all this looking through catalogues and perusing the toy aisles in the department stores, that gifts for girls are going beyond what I am personally comfortable with. An example: Miss Moo will be 6 in December and has been desperately saving up for a Bratz doll since pocket money started last January. I'm not a fan. In fact, I have many issues with Bratz dolls that I never thought I'd have the need to worry about, but with each new 'range' that comes out - Bling Bling Short-Skirted Ski Bunnies or whatever the rage is now - I find myself getting more and more uncomfortable with the way little girls' toys are heading. And trust me, I'm not a puritan. But there's just something mildly disturbing about promoting 'couture dolls' to six year olds, know what I mean? We're not talking about your average 'dress me up doll'. We're talking micro-minis and boob tubes.
Little girls should want to play with baby dolls and tea sets and 'bake like Mummy' apron-and-chef-hat sets. Play stoves and dress-up clothes. Princess tiaras and doll strollers. Sure, this attitude will be wildly unpopular with the politically correct amongst us ("And why can't little girls play with Legos and Transformers and trains?" - that's not what I'm saying - they can, and my angel does) . I'm talking about the little girls barely out of diapers not only understanding about fashion but knowing the brands of clothes they wear, and what constitutes a 'premium' fashion label. Don't laugh. I know a few kids who can tell you 'who' they are wearing. Power to them, if that's what their parents want to promote. But not in this house. And before anyone comments on my apparently horrid segue there, LOL, yes, toys, and I think especially Bratz dolls, have enormous influence over the clothing trends of pre-teens.
I never used to feel this strongly about the types of clothing my daughter wears nor the toys she plays with. We willingly bought her Barbie dolls (in all her anatomically-incorrectness, Barbie at least promotes a positive female role model - what do Bratz dolls promote?). But I always felt more at peace providing her with baby dolls and cradles, My Little Ponys and fairy wands. With two older brothers, she still gets her fair share of testosterone-fueled play sessions, but I can't help but grin stupidly when she brings her Cabbage Patch Doll over to me so that we can play Mummies and Babies together.
Just like I used to when I was her age :)
Cheers,
Lizzie
This is not a natural state for me. In years gone by, I'd let the gift-buying slide until around Master J's birthday in mid-November. I'd have conversation after conversation with dear (but somewhat misguided) Hubs about the validity of this present over that present, talk myself around in a circle, and eventually end up back where I started, without a clear plan or any pressies on hand. And then, of course, I'd have to stand in line sometime during the last week before Christmas, wringing my hands and telling myself that next year would be different.
Well I fixed that little red wagon this year, let me tell you!
While in years past we've had variations of the 'no toys for Christmas' rule, the bargains at this time of the year are usually too good to pass by - most of the major department and toy stores do mid-year sales for the crazies amongst us who like to get their Christmas shopping done early. I've picked up a (brand new) wooden doll's wardrobe and crib for $10 ea at the local thrift store. I've hit a couple of really good sales at Toys R Us for things like Candyland and Chutes and Ladders (not traditionally as popular here as they are in the States) for $10 ea. My Little Pony 'pony plus carriage/DVD/book' sets for $5-$10. Trollz for $7.99. Barbie '12 Dancing Princesses' Genevieve doll for $20 down from $60. And a whole raft of other purchases, most of which were bought for between 50%-75% off (but to be fair, several gifts at incredible prices were purchased specifically to include in the Gift Drawer for other kids' birthday parties and so on). Now listing everything like that sort of makes it seem like we went nutso on the gift spending lately. On the contrary. Most of the time I naturally go for 'quantity' over 'quality', forced to do so due to expense. I will not pay $50 for a Cabbage Patch Kid branded 'outfit plus teaset' pack. I will, however, consider it at $15, which is what they were going for a couple of weeks ago. I ended up with a 'premium' gift, something we'd never dream of paying full retail price for, at an 'our budget' price. Over the last month I've completely covered Miss Moo for her birthday (a week before Christmas) and half finished her for Christmas as well. All 'nice' brand name gifts at a tiny percentage of what they'd go for full price. None of this 'we'll buy X brand because its cheaper' - we're getting the good stuff, but we're shopping smarter to do it.
This approach - getting it all done mid-year - is working so well that I'm going to extend it beyond our kids and onto the rest of the extended family as well.
And another thing. I've noticed, with all this looking through catalogues and perusing the toy aisles in the department stores, that gifts for girls are going beyond what I am personally comfortable with. An example: Miss Moo will be 6 in December and has been desperately saving up for a Bratz doll since pocket money started last January. I'm not a fan. In fact, I have many issues with Bratz dolls that I never thought I'd have the need to worry about, but with each new 'range' that comes out - Bling Bling Short-Skirted Ski Bunnies or whatever the rage is now - I find myself getting more and more uncomfortable with the way little girls' toys are heading. And trust me, I'm not a puritan. But there's just something mildly disturbing about promoting 'couture dolls' to six year olds, know what I mean? We're not talking about your average 'dress me up doll'. We're talking micro-minis and boob tubes.
Little girls should want to play with baby dolls and tea sets and 'bake like Mummy' apron-and-chef-hat sets. Play stoves and dress-up clothes. Princess tiaras and doll strollers. Sure, this attitude will be wildly unpopular with the politically correct amongst us ("And why can't little girls play with Legos and Transformers and trains?" - that's not what I'm saying - they can, and my angel does) . I'm talking about the little girls barely out of diapers not only understanding about fashion but knowing the brands of clothes they wear, and what constitutes a 'premium' fashion label. Don't laugh. I know a few kids who can tell you 'who' they are wearing. Power to them, if that's what their parents want to promote. But not in this house. And before anyone comments on my apparently horrid segue there, LOL, yes, toys, and I think especially Bratz dolls, have enormous influence over the clothing trends of pre-teens.
I never used to feel this strongly about the types of clothing my daughter wears nor the toys she plays with. We willingly bought her Barbie dolls (in all her anatomically-incorrectness, Barbie at least promotes a positive female role model - what do Bratz dolls promote?). But I always felt more at peace providing her with baby dolls and cradles, My Little Ponys and fairy wands. With two older brothers, she still gets her fair share of testosterone-fueled play sessions, but I can't help but grin stupidly when she brings her Cabbage Patch Doll over to me so that we can play Mummies and Babies together.
Just like I used to when I was her age :)
Cheers,
Lizzie
2 comments:
Congratulations on the gift buying. I'm definitely procrastinating this year. I'd normally be started, if not manically organised with what I want to buy the girls etc.
In a week or so I have MIL & FIL's b'days, then a week or so later DH's, then a couple of weeks til mine. Thankfully then a break until October with Miss E's 4th, and then December for Miss K's 3rd (she will get a tricycle just like E did for her 3rd birthday).
All this is a long, round about way of saying I'm not finished. Not even started. Maybe with the July toy sales I might get somewhere, although I think it's more likely at the local show next week if I can pick up a couple of extra bags with lots of small toys for stockings (as the girls birthdays are at the end of the year we encourage them to get one good show bag - we're still playing with the Hi-5 instruments from last year, and using a bag, belt and toy from two years ago). Surely that's a good start right?
Course (as you probably don't know) I'll be quite pregnant come Christmas, so I might have to try and get a bit more organised again this year. And here I was enjoying being disorganised.
Might take me a couple of days (behind on my blogging a bit, LOL) but will get to it, promise!
Thanks BTW.
Cheers,
Lizzie
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