Tips for Buying Christmas Gifts for Kids

If you have trouble buying Christmas gifts for kids, I have some simple tips for you to get your through your holiday shopping this year.

Plan Out Your Christmas Shopping

One of the best things you can do is to plan ahead. If you decide you are going Christmas shopping or you want to get your shopping done with this week, make a list and stick to it. Planning ahead and writing down specific items you are looking for is the best way to stay on track and on budget. It can be quite stressful if you simply walk into a store and have direction or plan of attack. Take the stress away and plan ahead.

If your children are old enough to write, then have them write out a list of gifts they want this Christmas. You don't necessarily have to buy all the items on their list, but maybe choosing one or two off the list will give you a good base for buying Christmas gifts. If your child is younger, you can help them write out a list or even take them to the store and see what attracts them the most.

Set a Christmas Shopping Budget

Make a budget and stick with it. One of the most stressful things about Christmas shopping is realizing that you spent way too much on gifts. By making a budget for each child, you can eliminate the guilt and stress after the holidays when the credit card bills come in the mail. Decide how much money you have to spend on gifts this year and then divide that money up into the number of people you have to buy for.

Stick to Popular Toys and Gifts for Kids

Most kids aren't that hard to buy for as they will let you know what they want or you can simply take a look at a site like Amazon.com and look for the bestselling toys to get ideas. Or check out the list of the hottest toys and gadgets for the year. For example, this year Ever After High Dolls are going to be really popular for girls under the age of 12 and young girls are going to love Cheerin' Minnie. While for boys, you may want to check out the best board games for boys to see which one your son may love to play.

Have Fun with Your Christmas Shopping

Lastly, try to have fun with your holiday shopping instead of making it more stressful. Most kids are grateful for just about any present you get them so don't worry if you can't afford the best of the best toys. I know that I enjoy shopping for toys and kids a lot more than shopping for other adults. Whenever I buy a Christmas gift for one of my kids I think about how their face is going to light up as they unwrap the gift on Christmas morning.

Ever After High Dolls Review

The new Ever After High dolls are a modern take on the fairy tales that everyone knows and loves.

These dolls are sure to be a hit with girls anywhere from the ages of 5-10. I'm guessing that these dolls are going to be just as popular as the Monster High ones, but they are unique and are definitely a must-have.

The Ever After High dolls are the teenage daughters and sons (coming soon) of your classic fairytale characters. But, they come with a modern twist that they really don't believe in following their parent's footsteps and make their own path in life.

Ever After High Apple White Doll

Ever After High Raven Queen Doll

Ever After High Madeline Hatter Doll

Ever After High Briar Beauty Doll

Ever After High Dolls Review

Ever After High Apple White Doll

 

 

Apple White is the beautiful daughter of Snow White and is the leader of Ever After High.

She comes in a gorgeous red outfit with gold accents along with different apple accessories including an apple shaped purse. A golden crown with red bow headband completes her outfit.

She comes with a stand for displaying the doll as well as a bookmark that explains her whole story.

Ever After Raven Queen Doll

 

Raven Queen is the daughter of the Evil Queen, but that doesn't mean that she will be following in her mother's footsteps if she has any say in her future.

This doll comes complete with a stunning black and purple outfit and has cool purple and black hair. She has more of a gothic-rebel style but is still so beautiful. Her outfit is accentuated with silver accessories and she comes with a black studded clutch.

Like all Ever After High dolls she also comes with a stand and her bookmark tells her complete story.

Ever After Madeline Hatter Doll 

 

Madeline Hatter is of course the beautiful daughter of the Mad Hatter. Her friends refer to her as Maddie though.

This doll is quite colorful in her purple, blue, and gold outfit. She loves tea parties and hats and her outfit reflects that with her mini hat on her hat as well as her tea pot purse. Her personality is just like her outfit, upbeat and colorful and she is one fun doll to play with.

She also comes with a matching bookmark with her story and a display stand.

Ever After Briar Beauty 

 

Doll Briar Beauty is the daughter of Sleeping Beauty. She expects to be asleep for 100 years as she believes it is her destiny so in the meantime she is going to live life to the fullest and have fun.

This doll is outfitted in a pretty pink and black outfit that is both girly and a little edgy. It comes with a matching black purse as well as crown sunglasses in her hair. Her hair is long and brown with some pink highlights.

The doll comes with a display stand as well as a matching pink bookmark that tells her story.

Ever After High Book

If you are interested in the Ever After High characters then you may want to check out Ever After High: Storybook of Legends. It is available as an e-book as well as a hardcover book and gives the whole history of the Ever After High characters and is great for any girl looking to get into this series.

Board Games for 4 Year Old Boys

At the age of 4 kids really start to get into being able to understand board games and it can be a lot of fun playing new games with your boy.

Board games make great gifts and the nice thing is that they can continue to play these games for years to come.

The Best Board Games for 4 Year Old Boys

Chutes and Ladders Super Hero Squad

This is a great take on the original Chutes and Ladders game as it features different super heroes like Spiderman, The Incredible Hulk, and Iron Man. There are 8 different super hero pawns that the players can choose from and you can play 2-6 players at a time.

This is a great board game for 4 year old boys because of the featured super heroes but also because it helps them learn counting and numbers.

The Sneaky Snacky Squirrel Game

This is a super fun game that is also educational. It helps young children learn counting, sorting, and develops eye-hand coordination.

The basis of the game is to see who can fill their bag with acorns first. Players have to use the squirrel squeezers to pick up the acorns and there are also twists in the game where you can lose an acorn or steal an acorn.

It is lots of fun, easy to learn and kids love the furry friends.

Where Is Sock Monkey Game

This game involves more than just a simple board game. It comes with a small sock monkey and one player must hide the monkey in the home and others have to guess with the clues on the given cards where the monkey is.

We all know just how much 4 year old boys love hiding things and this can be a great way to help them develop critically thinking skills and have lots of fun.

Candy Land

You probably remember playing Candy Land when you were a kid and this is still one of the most popular games for young kids. It's definitely not just for girls as boys love the game just as much as girls.

The game has been updated with new graphics but the rules remain the same. The nice thing about this game is that younger kids can play by themselves since there is no reading involved. It helps kids learn colors and is a great first game for children.

Richard Scarry's Busytown Game – I Found It

In this game the players race around the town solving mysteries just like in Richard Scarry's Busytown books and shows. It includes the different Busytown characters and the board looks just like the town.

The board game is over 6 feet long and has great illustrations. Players have to work as a team to make it to Picnic Island before all the food is eaten. Along the way you have to find hidden objects and let others know "I found it!"

This game promotes teamwork as well as helps with counting and using critical thinking to find the hidden objects. Preschoolers love this game as well as older kids and it's so much fun that parents even enjoy it.

Hungry Hungry Hippos

This really isn't considered a board game, but this is so much fun for kids. This game has been around for quite some time and kids still love trying to beat others and get the most marbles in their hippo.

You can even make this game educational by having your child count out how many marbles they got and it also helps with fine motor skills. Plus, it is tons of fun.

These are just some of the best board games for a 4 year old and even 4 year girls would love them as well.

Click here for even more board game options.

Fisher Price Cheerin' Minnie Mouse Doll – Hot Toy for Christmas 2013

New Cheerleader Minnie Mouse Doll

The new Fisher Price Cheerin' Minnie Mouse doll is sure to be a hit this Christmas. If you have a little girl who loves Minnie Mouse, you aren't going to want to wait to buy this toy as they are sure to go quick.

 Click Here to Buy Cheerin' Minnie Mouse

Parents will recognize the popular "Hey Mickey!" song that Minnie sings for her Mickey Mouse, but kids will just love cheering alongside with her as she sings M-I-C-K-E-Y!

Minnie has a variety of different songs, cheers and different pom-pom routines that she does for your little girl. She also says motivation phrases to cheer Mickey on and shakes her pom-poms to go along with the cheers.

There are over 20 different phrases and cheers Minnie says, which means your little one will have hours of fun playing and cheering along until she learns all of Minnie's moves.

This interactive doll is very simple to do so younger children, even toddlers, will have no problem interacting with Minnie. All they have to do is press down on the button on Minnie's hoes to activate her cheering and singing.

Minnie holds her two white and pink pom-poms in her hands that also match her cheerleading outfit. The pom-poms aren't just any old pom-poms as they make the cheers and dances so much more fun as she swings them around.  There are 3 different positions that the doll shakes her pom-poms in.

 The new cheerleader Minnie Mouse doll won't disappoint any fan of the character, as the doll actually does sound just like the Minnie she knows and loves. It's not like some other interactive toys and you wouldn't even recognize the voice.

The doll is 14.5" inches tall and comes dressed in an adorable cheerleading uniform that features Minnie's iconic polka dots. The front of the uniform features a big "M" that could stand for Mickey or Minnie Mouse. And of course you can't forget the matching polka dot bow in her hair.

The great thing about an interactive toy like this is that your little one can actually get up and cheer along with Minnie. No more sitting on the couch or ground just sitting, but instead she gets to learn something and get active at the same time. Plus she will have so much fun with this doll.

Watch as your child cheers along with Minnie when you buy her the Cheerin' Minnie Mouse Doll.

Click Here to learn more about Cheerin' Minnie Mouse

Best Christmas Present for Husband

If you really want to outdo yourself this holiday season and get the best Christmas present for your husband, you are in luck. I have the perfect ideas for just about any husband that will put a smile on his face this Christmas.

The key to buying the best Christmas present for anyone is to really put some thought into the present and not just buy some old generic gift. You want to actually think about what your man enjoys and what he really wants that is within your budget.

Your husband doesn't have to be the hardest person to buy for on your Christmas list this year. Instead check out the best Christmas gift ideas for husbands below.

Hobby Gift

Give your husband a gift that has to do with his favorite hobby. Sticking to a hobby present is a great idea as long as you really get him something that he needs or wants.

For example if your husband is an avid fisherman, a new tackle box may be a better gift than a funny fishing hat with lures on it.  Another example would be if your man is into collecting model cars you wouldn't want to get him a container of model glue and paint but you could buy him a kit that he has wanted or you know he doesn't have already.

There really are all sorts of gifts that could fall into this category if your husband has a hobby. The key to getting the gift right is to actually ask him about his hobby and make a general conversation about it. He may just reveal to you more than you think and you can come up with the perfect gift. You could also do some research about it online or ask one of his friends to find the perfect Christmas gift that relates to your husband's hobby.

Concert or Sporting Event Tickets

If your husband loves music or has a certain band or musician that he simply can't stop listening to, then buy him concert tickets for Christmas. Even if the band isn't coming to your actual city you can even make it a small road trip for him to see them in concert.

This goes for sporting teams as well. If your guy has a favorite team but he doesn't get to actually go to the games, then buy him tickets and let him enjoy the team live.

You can choose to buy tickets for your husband and yourself or you can buy two tickets and let him bring a friend.

Tools

I understand that not every man is into tools, but there are lots of guys who would love getting a new tool for Christmas. If your guy enjoys tools or home improvement stuff, then make his dreams come true this Christmas and buy him his ultimate fantasy tool.

This tool could be a new saw or power drill. Or it could be something simpler such as a multi-tool or a pocket knife for everyday use.

Along with the tool gift idea you can also buy him a nice toolbox if he doesn't need any more actual tools. There are really nice stackable tool boxes as well as portable ones if he keeps his tools in his vehicle a lot of the time.

New Fun Gadget

If your man is more into gadgets than tools, then check out some of the fun new gadgets that have hit the market this year.

Some new gadgets would include the all new Xbox One or Playstation 4 if he is into gaming.

It could also be a new tablet like the iPad 5 or the iPad mini or you can go a little cheaper and get him a Kindle Fire. These tablets are great for not only reading but you can surf the net, play games, watch videos and email as well. They really can do a lot and can come in handy.

Another gadget gift may be a new smart phone for him. Maybe he has an old, outdated phone and needs a newer one or maybe he doesn't even have a smart phone yet and he needs one.

The Roku is a very cool gadget that is very popular nowadays. It basically allows you to stream movies and television through different things such as Amazon, Hulu, some cable companies, and even satellite services. With this you can basically get your movies services and not even have to have a regular cable bill every month. This is definitely something you should look into if your guy is a movie lover.

Your best Christmas present for your husband is going to be different than another woman's best gift for her husband. This is why you have to put some thought into shopping and the above list is just ideas to help get you thinking about the best gift for your guy.